CHAPTER 220: CHAPTER 220

Upon hearing what Cecilia just said, Rebecca slowly nodded, her fingers curling slightly at her sides as a dark smile crept across her lips.

"I can’t wait for all of this to be over," she muttered, her voice low but laced with satisfaction. "The moment Valentina is completely out of the picture, I’ll approach Raymond again. And this time, there’s no way it won’t work."

She turned to the side and slowly paced across the room, her heels clicking with quiet confidence.

"He’s going to see that I’m the one who’s always been there," she continued. "That I’m the one who truly understands him... not some girl who just came out of nowhere. It’s been heartbreak after heartbreak for him because he keeps holding on to her. But not this time." She paused and looked over her shoulder, eyes glinting with venom. "This time, I hope she doesn’t reincarnate again after this."

Cecilia let out a soft sigh, almost as if she were reminiscing.

"I thought it would happen long ago," she said gently. "You and Raymond. You were always perfect for him... until she came along and ruined everything."

Cecilia’s smile faltered for a second, then returned with a trace of bitterness. "I really thought we had already won. I thought everything was falling into place. But no... somehow, she came back. And from the moment I saw her again, I knew she would be a problem."

Rebecca’s eyes darkened, but her voice remained steady.

"She’s always been a problem," she said. "But after tonight... she won’t be one anymore."

At that moment, Cecilia gently nodded, her gaze lowering as if she were reflecting on memories too old and deep to be spoken easily.

"I can’t wait to have the whole family back," she whispered with a cold smile. "That was all I ever wanted. I’ve been waiting so long... for things to go back to the way they should’ve always been."

Her fingers absentmindedly trailed along the edge of the carved table beside her, then clenched into a fist.

"I don’t know what it is about Raymond and Valentina," she said bitterly, "but no matter how many times we tear her apart, he waits. Even if it’s in pain, even if it’s hopeless... he still waits for her."

She shook her head slowly, eyes narrowed.

"Well, this is going to be the last time," she added with finality. "This one will break him. And when it does, he’ll stop waiting. He’ll finally let go. There will be no more reincarnations... no more second chances. This... this is her last, according to the books, the scrolls, the histories—it all ends here."

Cecilia looked up, her expression now serene with dark satisfaction.

"And that’s why he tried so hard to protect her this time. He knew. Somewhere inside, he knew this was her final life. Her last chance."

She exhaled deeply and placed her hand over her chest as though unburdening herself.

"But again... he failed. And I’m glad."

At that moment, the door creaked open quietly, and Benjamin stepped into the room where Raymond stood like a statue—silent, still, but radiating an intensity that could split the walls apart. The air was heavy. Even the faintest sound felt loud under the weight of Raymond’s presence.

Benjamin stopped a few feet away, his voice quiet but burdened with urgency.

"I... I haven’t been able to get any useful information," he said carefully. "But from everything I’ve gathered so far... Valentina left the house with Cecilia this morning."

He paused, swallowing the lump in his throat before continuing.

"I tried reaching both of their phones... neither of them is connecting," he added. "And I even attempted to track their signals. Nothing. It’s like they vanished. Nothing seems to be working, Raymond."

Raymond didn’t say a word. His eyes remained fixed on a distant point, jaw clenched, and veins at his temples showing. Benjamin could feel the storm that was building behind that silence, and it made him shift uncomfortably.

He lowered his head, almost ashamed. "I—I’m sorry, I should’ve figured it out earlier. But I didn’t think... I didn’t think Cecilia could actually be the mastermind behind all of this."

He shook his head slowly, in disbelief.

"She raised you. She was the only one who always stood by you. I still don’t believe it completely. Maybe there’s a misunderstanding. Maybe they just went far and lost signal..."

But even as he said those words, they felt weak, hollow—nothing but hopeful excuses.

Benjamin glanced up at Raymond again and immediately looked away.

Because what he saw in Raymond’s eyes wasn’t confusion, or pain.

It was fury, a quiet, terrifying kind of fury.

The kind of fury that didn’t explode—it burned, the kind that waited, the kind that killed.

So Benjamin said nothing more.

He just lowered his head...

And stood still.

At that moment, Raymond’s deadly gaze shifted slowly—like a blade being unsheathed—locking directly on Benjamin. The air in the room grew colder, heavier. The silence between them cracked like glass.

"So... you came here... to tell me this nonsense?" Raymond’s voice was low. Too low. And that made it worse. It held no emotion, only venom. His steps were slow and deliberate as he began walking toward Benjamin.

Benjamin instinctively took a half step back, but stopped himself. Running would only make things worse. He tried to swallow, but his throat had gone dry. He was sweating now—he could feel it crawling down his back.

Raymond’s face looked calm. But Benjamin knew that expression. It was the kind of calm that came before someone snapped a neck.

"I was expecting results, Benjamin," Raymond said through gritted teeth. "Not your excuses."

"I—Raymond, please wait," Benjamin said quickly, his hands up slightly. "I... I’ve already taken steps, alright? I’ve sent out encrypted requests to get the last known location of either Valentina or Cecilia. I have connections digging into it right now. I swear to you, I’m expecting the message any moment—"

Buzz! His phone vibrated violently in his pocket.

Both men froze, Benjamin didn’t even breathe.

Slowly, with trembling hands, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. The screen was lit.

The message had come.