December 13, 2021 – One Day Before the Incident
In a pastel green bedroom, two girls were chatting enthusiastically. They were Sevine and Cecilia—sisters from the wealthy Laurence family, known for their thriving real estate business. Unfortunately, five years ago, their parents, Charles and Diana, died in a plane crash.
"What are you reading?" Sevine asked, flipping through this month's property sales report. Since childhood, she had been groomed by Charles to take over the family business.
"A web novel. My friends are obsessed with it," Cecilia replied, eyes glued to her laptop screen.
"Let me guess—some cliché historical romance? About a baron's illegitimate daughter who ends up with the crown prince or a duke. And the villainess? His ex-fiancée who gets executed for threatening the baron's love child?"
"How do you know that? You don't even like romance stories," Cecilia blinked in surprise. Her sister had never paid attention to what she deemed 'silly' stories. Sevine had always preferred political and economic literature.
Sevine, who had been lazily lying on the bed, suddenly got up and walked toward Cecilia, who was lounging on the sofa.
"Maureen recommended it to me last week. Said I needed a little distraction for once."
Cecilia giggled. She knew how obedient Sevine was when it came to Maureen, their family secretary.
"I guess you didn't regret reading it, right? The Crown Prince Demands Fake Marriage has such a great plot! And the female lead is just... amazing!" Cecilia beamed with excitement.
"Yeah, the story's good. I just feel bad for the villainess," Sevine muttered.
"Seriously? Why? She tried to kill the heroine and tear her apart from the crown prince!" Cecilia huffed.
The villainess was clearly written to be hated.
"Well, if the baron's daughter hadn't wagged her tail at someone else's fiancé, the villainess wouldn't have gone that far. People change for love, Cecilia."
Sevine then shut her sister's laptop gently and told her to go to sleep—it was already 11 PM.
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December 14, 2021
"Love can turn a person into an angel… or a demon."
That night was the happiest in Sevine Laurentia's 23 years of life. Everyone she loved had gathered to celebrate her birthday. The party was intimate, only attended by close family and friends.
She looked stunning in a deep blue gown. Her hair was styled into a neat bun, and her lightly brushed makeup made her oriental features glow beautifully.
"Happy 23rd birthday, honey," Daniel Richardo whispered as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He was her boyfriend—soon to be fiancé.
They were on the balcony of Sevine's second-floor bedroom, watching the crowd gathered around the pool below.
Her heart pounded when Daniel began kissing her neck. She knew where this was going. But Sevine had always believed in no sex before marriage, despite living in a liberal country. She quickly pulled away from him.
"So, what do you think of the party? You like it? Cecilia and I planned it for weeks," Daniel said as he poured them wine and called the maid to bring some birthday cake.
Sevine blushed watching him lean on the balcony with a plate of cake in hand.
"Let me feed you this delicious cake. Come here."
Shyly, Sevine approached and opened her mouth, letting him feed her.
Moments later, her body collapsed. A fiery pain flared in her throat and chest, like her insides were burning. Her stomach churned violently.
"Da-Daniel, get me some water!" she gasped, lying helplessly on the floor, clutching her throat and trying to vomit.
But Daniel didn't move. Instead, he gently carried her to the bed and laid her down.
"Daniel...? What are you doing…?"
Silence.
That's when she knew—Daniel had poisoned her.
But why?
He finally spoke. "You know... these past two years with you were really wonderful. I almost forgot why I got close to you in the first place."
He took a long breath, eyes on the ceiling.
"If only I had met you first—not her—maybe I wouldn't have turned into this kind of man."
Sevine's eyes widened. Her organs were shutting down. But she needed to hear his words.
"Who… are you talking about?" she whispered.
"Cecilia," Daniel said, his expression darkening. "I didn't want to do this. But for her... I would do anything."
Sevine's breath shortened. Her vision blurred.
"If only you had agreed to give up your claim to the company... Cecilia wouldn't have gone this far to get rid of you."
Daniel wept. What was he crying for? His hand held hers tightly—with warmth, with false love. The music from the party below echoed in her ears like a death lullaby.
In her final moments, Sevine wondered—what had she done in life to deserve such betrayal? Her own sister... and the man she loved, conspiring to murder her for inheritance. It was the kind of twisted drama she only ever watched on TV.
Maybe Daniel had always belonged to Cecilia. Maybe he was just a pawn from the start. In her final thoughts, she found peace knowing she would soon be with her parents again.
Daniel clutched her hand tightly, sobbing as if he'd lost half his soul. What a performance, Sevine thought bitterly.
With one last breath, she sneered and said, "I hope hell welcomes both of you with open arms. See you in the afterlife, bastard."