Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

I should've known better than to come here. The second I stepped into the Williams private cemetery, I should have known that my presence would be despised.

But nope, I had always been the daring one of the family. I stood awkwardly at the entrance, clutching my bag as if it could shield me from the glares coming my way.

Nyra, my father's wife, was the first to speak. Her voice was as annoying as ever. "Kiara, what are you doing here?"

To prepare my grave, duh.

I bit back my retort. "I came to pay my respects to Grandpa."

She laughed, and not the friendly kind. More like the 'I can't believe you're even here' kind. "And what makes you think you belong here? You haven't been part of this family in years."

"Nyra," my father said, stepping forward, his tone tired and indifferent. He didn't even look at me. "You should've called before coming. The Williams family isn't close to you anymore. You know that."

A part of me wanted to argue, to scream that I had every right to be here. But what was the point? They had made it clear a long time ago where I stood. Or rather, where I didn't stand—on the outside, always. The cold shoulder from my father and the sneers from Nyra were nothing new.

"I wasn't looking for trouble," I muttered, staring at the floor. "Just wanted a moment."

Nyra snorted, waving a perfectly manicured hand dismissively. "Well, you've had your moment. Now, it's time for you to go."

I clenched my jaw, swallowing the bitterness that had settled in my throat. This place, these people—they were a part of my past, but no longer my present. And certainly not my future. "Fine."

I turned on my heel and walked away without another word, "Kiara..."

I heard my father call out. What now?

"Yes?"

"Your mother..."

"Dead and rotten, just like you wanted."

I didn't say anything else, my face set in a hard line as I continued my walk down the slope. Never looking back

---

By the time I got home, I was exhausted. Not physically, but emotionally. That kind of exhaustion that seeps into your bones and makes you feel heavy. I dropped my keys on the counter, kicked off my shoes, and sighed. The apartment was quiet—just the way I liked it.

Without thinking too much about it, I grabbed a bottle of wine from the kitchen, popping the cork with a satisfying pop before pouring myself a generous glass. I didn't even bother with a glass after that. I took a long swig from the bottle and plopped down onto my couch, sinking into the cushions.

The day had been a disaster. But then again, what else was new? This was my life. Though in my past life it was more of me being broke, tired and constantly being pressured by my wonderful mother in law. A constant string of disappointments and family drama. I had stopped caring a long time ago.

After a few more sips of wine, I grabbed my laptop and flipped it open. The dim light from the screen cast a soft glow across the room as I logged in and began scrolling through various gigs. Hacking wasn't exactly what you'd call a "career," but it paid the bills. And, more importantly, it kept me distracted from taking a knife and go stab Gabriel and Jessica.

I found a few listings that looked promising—nothing big, just small-time gigs that would bring in enough to keep me going for another month. But just as I was about to send an inquiry, a notification popped up on the screen.

A chat window.

Unknown User: You. Stop what you're doing.

I blinked, staring at the message. Was this some kind of joke?

I laughed out loud, shaking my head. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

I wasn't sure who this person was, but they had some nerve. I quickly typed out a response.

Me: Or what? You gonna stop me?

The response was almost immediate.

Unknown User: You have no idea what you're getting into. Walk away now.

This was getting ridiculous. I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the couch, fingers flying across the keyboard.

Me: You think you can scare me off with a few words? Please. I've been doing this for years. Try again.

There was a long pause this time, and for a second, I thought the mysterious chatter had given up. But then the response came, and it made me pause.

Unknown User: It's not a joke. If you keep on hacking into people personal space, you're going to regret it.

I stared at the screen, my wine-induced haze clearing just a bit. Okay, this was starting to feel...off. Who was this person? And how did they know what I was doing?

I hesitated for a second before responding.

Me: If you're trying to scare me, it's not working.

Another pause.

Unknown User: You've been warned.

I let out an exasperated sigh and slammed the laptop shut. Whoever that was, they were either messing with me or thought they knew more than they did. Either way, I didn't have time for this nonsense. I tossed the laptop onto the coffee table and took another long drink from the wine bottle.

"People are insane," I muttered to myself.

---

Somewhere between the wine and the strange conversation, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, I was jolting awake, drenched in sweat, my heart racing.

I sat up, gasping for breath, the remnants of a nightmare clinging to the edges of my mind. Images of my past flashed through my head—dark alleys, baby cries, the snap my neck had made. My chest heaved as I tried to steady my breathing, but the memories wouldn't leave.

They never really left.

The nightmares were always there, lurking just beneath the surface, ready to drag me back into the darkness whenever I let my guard down.

I glanced around my apartment, the familiar surroundings slowly grounding me back to reality. But the anxiety still lingered, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts. I grabbed the wine bottle—now nearly empty—and took one last drink before setting it down with a dull thud.

The silence in the apartment was deafening. I had spent so much time pushing people away, because of Gabriel, but in moments like this, the loneliness weighed heavy.

I got up, stretching my stiff muscles, and decided to get out for a bit. Clear my head. There was one place that always seemed to help me make sense of things, even if it didn't erase the pain.

---

Only the exclusives, the VIP come to Tina's special place and due to how high profile it was, everyone wore masks.

Hence why this was my favorite place. I can drink, dance, forget everything for a short while. You might wondered how me, someone with littlt to nothing to her name got in? Well, since i was reborn, i had not been sitting down like most lazy bums.

I had been saving, restocking, buying stocks that would be beneficial in the future. Anything to make me powerful in such a way the Williams would beg me and Gabriel would regret ever crossing me in both lifetimes.

Tonight was unlike any other night, it was packed, just the way I liked it.

****

Jason put on the emerald coloured mask, which he hated, he felt he looked like vomit. But this was urgent, so he would deal with it.

Just as he was about to enter, he bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," a soft voice said, on a normal day he wouldn;t have cared and just walked off. But the lady in front of him, dressed in a blue short dress that exposed her long legs, looked awfully familiar.

He sucked in a breath as his eyes trailed down her body, curvy and busty, her hair was luscious, framing her face, but it looked like a wig. But those eyes behind that peacock mask was staring at him with such intensity that he could have sworn he blushed.

He cleared his throat, "I should be the one apologizing."

"Instead here you are staring at me like some creep in a creepy mask."