**Nora's POV**
"Dad, I can't do this anymore!" I lambasted harshly, my voice echoing in the room as I paced back and forth, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
"How the hell has it gotten to this?" he moaned over the phone, his voice strained and weary.
The words "You are Asher's mother. My sister, Araya Kathryna Elizabeth, is your name," echoed in my mind, twisting my stomach into knots.
"She must be out of my life, Dad, or things will get out of hand," I insisted, stopping by the window, my brow furrowed as I stared out into the distance, my heart racing.
"You shouldn't be impatient with me, Nora. I thought you understood they would be out of your life," he chastised in a low tone, his voice laced with frustration.
"I want them out of my life sooner! I don't care if you kill them or anything, but take them out of my life!" I spat, my eyes narrowing as I glared at the wall, my jaw clenched tight. "It's either you take them out of my life, or I will cease to be your daughter."
"Are you out of your mind, Nora?" he retorted, disbelief etched across his face even through the phone.
"I would even murder just to get them out of mine and my husband's life. He is mine—my husband—not a father or a lover to some sort of nonsense! This is ridiculous, Dad, and the sooner you get them out of my life, the better." My voice rasped with rage, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.
"Don't forget, dad,that I, Nora Donald, can leave you just like Mum. Her birthday starts tomorrow, and your countdown starts now. I want her out of my life, or you will lose your daughter." I thundered, my gaze fixed beyond the open garden, my expression cold and unyielding.
"Don't say that, Nora. You can't do that to me," he groaned gloomily, his voice trembling with desperation.
"Dare me, Dad! Don't forget I am your daughter, and I keep my word! You have 48 hours, Mr. Donald, to rid me of this plague, or else…" I trailed off disdainfully, my lips curling into a sneer.
"Calm down, Nora. Please, you are not in the right state of mind," he coaxed, his tone softening in an attempt to soothe me, but this only fueled my anger further.
"Says who, Dad?" I lit a cigarette, the flame flickering as I took a drag, puffing out smoke that curled around me like a dark cloud. Just to be a good mother in his eyes, I had hidden my habit, but enough was enough! I would dominate this vicinity by will or by force, I rasped, my eyes blazing.
"I am 23, Dad, and I am an adult. Do you think my threats are meaningless?" My words reverberated loudly through the phone, and I could almost feel his shock radiating through the line.
"You wouldn't do that to me, Nora. I am your father; it's impossible," he said, disconcerted, and I couldn't help but snicker, a cruel smile spreading across my face.
"Really?"
My bluntness astounded him. I gaped widely, my eyes narrowing as I leaned closer to the phone, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Did you think I didn't know your dirty secrets, Mr. Donald? Should I remind you of them, or should I tell him all about it?"
"What… do… you… mean?" he stuttered, his voice trembling as he sensed the domineering edge in my tone.
"You are behind it, right? Their ill fate." He fell silent, shock evident in his voice, and I could picture his gaping eyes and stunned expression.
"I am not stupid, Dad, and I won't take you lightly. In fact, I know all your dirty secrets—all your plans to become the number one mafia in the world. You try to outsmart him and outrun him in business, just like you did to his parents," I said, pursing my lips menacingly, my heart racing with adrenaline.
"You pretended to be innocent when you met him, Dad. You claimed to be helpless and sought his help, but you already knew him all along, right?" I pressed, relishing the tension in the air. Dead silence followed.
"And before I accepted this mission, I already knew who he was. Well, aside from the fact that he was my crush, I knew you wanted to bring him down. That story about his parents was made up, right?" I maligned spitefully, my voice dripping with disdain.
"I… I… I…" he stuttered, then yelled harshly with rage, "Stop bluffing! It's all nonsense." I scoffed, laughing in a sinister way, my heart pounding with exhilaration.
"I guess it's all true then and not a blatant lie. You thought I was just your innocent girl from an Indian mother who wasn't a bad influence and was protecting me. Huff! Dad, how could you protect me when I was paving my own way all along? Dragons was my crush; I dreamed of marrying him, and when your offer came, I immediately accepted it. It was a golden opportunity for me to be with him. And he is my husband, Mr. Donald. I am warning you, if anything happens to him, you will lose your daughter."
He snapped out of his daze, stumbling over his words as he asked, "Are you threatening me?" His tone was raised yet contained, a mix of disbelief and anger.
"Just reminding you to act fast because my patience is running low." I lit another cigarette, the smoke curling around me as I hollered, my voice echoing in the room.
"Your daughter is not as innocent as you thought. Just like you, I'm quite dangerous and smart in planning. I know what you want, but play your trump cards after you've done my bidding. Goodbye, Dad, and I love you." Without giving him a chance to respond, I hung up the phone, storming toward the wardrobe, my heart racing with adrenaline.
An evil smirk appeared at the corner of my lips. Shaking with excitement, I thought, even if you don't do anything, Mr. Donald, I will do everything.
Just a drop of this peony perfume will do the trick. I will be in control, and the blame will go to her teacher. I don't care anymore if you are her mother, teacher, or anyone else; rest assured, you are getting out of the picture soon. Hmm, you are in the wrong house, Peony, Araya, whatever. I'm going to teach you the best lesson of your life. I'll snatch your life away from you with just the snap of my fingers. You are going down along with her.
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**Author's POV**
Meanwhile, inside the guest room, Asher sat quietly on the bed, her hands resting on her chin, her eyes glistening with tears as they streamed down her cheeks.
"Why are you crying?" Emma asked gently, resting her hand on Asher's shoulder, her brow furrowed with concern.
Asher didn't know why she had been living with the guilt of leading her sister to death. Her sister had saved her with her own life, and in return, she felt powerless, her heart heavy.
"I… I…" Fresh tears gathered as she struggled with her words, her voice barely a whisper. Emma leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her, pulling her close. "Ash, I know the pain her presence has caused you. I know she reminds you of your sister, but it's been five and almost six years already. If she is your sister, then she could have said something when you asked instead of keeping silent."
"Don't dwell too much on her. I hate to see you like this, please," Emma pleaded, her voice trembling as she struggled to hold back her own tears. "Don't get sad because of your sister's replica and spoil Asher's day. If not for anything, you owe her this," she pried further when she saw Asher glance at her, tears still falling.
"Yes, she reminded you—me, Asher, everyone—about Ara. However, Peony is different from Ara."
"How sure are you? How do you know Peony is not Araya, Emma? You can't know, right? Maybe she's just forgotten. Maybe she doesn't remember, but that isn't a reason to justify her ignorance." Asher's voice trembled with frustration, her hands clenching into fists.
Asher groaned and looked away, her expression pained. "She is my sister! The first time I met her, I felt a sensation in my memory. I felt Ara was near me in the form of Peony! You don't understand, but I know, Emma. We have this connection, this bond between us since we were young, and I can bet my miserable life that Peony is Araya!"
"I… I…" Emma stammered in awe, her eyes widening as she dropped her chin, stunned by Asher's reaction. She had never seen this side of Asher in over two years.
"I am tired of living in this shell, Emma. I want to breathe free from this guilt." Asher's voice rose, her frustration spilling over. "I have pretended for so long that I was happy, but unbeknownst to anyone, I hurt deep down. I want to know the true meaning of being happy again," she shouted at the top of her voice, startling Emma, who took two steps back, her eyes wide with shock.
"Who says you cannot express your pain? Yes, she triggered your memory about your sister, but that doesn't make her one! If you have the urge or feelings, you can go and inquire about her, but don't stay here and sheepishly cry!" Emma rasped, her voice rising high and penetrating deep into Asher's soul, her hands gesturing emphatically.
At that moment, amidst their argument, a light knock came at the door, startling them both.
"Who are you?" Asher's tender yet hostile voice croaked, her eyes narrowing as she turned toward the door.
"It's me and Mama, sister," a sweet voice chimed, and Asher's cute face appeared, clutching her pillow with both hands, holding Peony close.
"Mama?" Emma weirdly moaned, bewildered. When had Asher visited them with Nora?
Inquisitively, she locked eyes with Nora, who also expressed her shock, her mouth slightly agap.