CHAPTER 53: RELENTLESS WAVES

Sierra: Get straight to the fucking point.

Delisse: Well—

Delisse: Alright, did that slum girl really start the fire? Or—

Sierra: Or what else? Me?

Delisse: Yeah, Sierra. You know you can’t lie to me. Aren’t we friends? It’s not like I care if that sister of yours dies. So... did you?

Sierra: Yeah, I did. Now fuck off.

Delisse: Hey, wait! So what happened? What did your parents say?

Sierra: What else? Why do you think she’s still here? My mom took my side and said she should be arrested for attempted murder, but my father said it must have been a mistake—especially with that bastard girl denying it.

A curse escaped Leander, his usual lazy expression replaced by stunned disbelief. Shane’s jaw tightened, his eyes flicking toward Sierra.

Erisia turned back to face them, her lips curving in a slow, satisfied smile. "There is still more," she said, her voice smooth. "Shall I continue?"

David’s hands clenched at his sides, his face darkening with every passing second. "Play everything," he said coldly, his gaze locking on Sierra. "Every single thing."

Sierra flinched as if the words themselves had struck her. "No, Dad..." she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of panic.

But David cut her off with a glare that burned hotter than any flame. "I’m not your father."

The words echoed through the room.

Immediately, tears spilled down Sierra’s cheeks—unbidden, unforced. She shook her head violently, stepping forward toward David, desperate to close the distance between them and scream to him that she was his only daughter, but she froze when the television screen started playing from the corner of her eye.

A new video began to play.

It was a dashcam recording, the image slightly grainy but unmistakably clear. The inside of a sleek car filled the screen—Sierra in the driver’s seat, Delisse in the passenger seat fixing her makeup, and two other girls lounging in the back, their laughter echoing faintly through the speakers.

One of the friends in the back leaned forward, a mischievous grin on her face. "Sierra, you didn’t forget, right? You were gonna tell us why you’re in such a good mood today."

Sierra’s recorded voice floated into the room, smooth and smug. "Of course I didn’t forget. You all remember Erisia’s ugly cat, right?"

Delisse chuckled, dabbing at her lipstick. "That mangy thing? Yeah. What about it?"

"I told my mom that it bit me and that it was dangerous." Sierra’s voice carried a cruel edge, full of satisfaction. "She believed me. Not only did she hit and insult Erisia, but she also took the cat away from her. Right now, it’s locked in one of the storage rooms outside the mansion. It hasn’t been fed for two days. It’s probably dead by now."

Gasps and giggles erupted inside the car.

While Sierra, who had stood rooted to the spot, stumbled backward, her head shaking violently. "How..? No, no. H-how did you–?"

"Oh my god," one of the girls in the back squealed, half-shocked, half-delighted. "You’re evil. That’s genius!"

Delisse smirked, lowering her compact mirror. "Honestly, Sierra, you’re too good at this. You had her own mother wrapped around your finger like that?"

"Obviously," Sierra said with a light laugh, the sound dripping with arrogance. "That’s how it should be. I’m the only daughter of the Wrenfords, and no one—especially not that stray—will ever take what belongs to me."

Laughter filled the car again.

The living room fell into a suffocating silence.

Selena’s face was drained of color, her lips parting soundlessly as she tried to make out everything she just found out, reasoning and feelings fighting inside her.

Leander brushed his hair back, still filled with incredulity. Shane’s jaw clenched, a dark, unreadable expression on his face.

David’s voice, when it came, was a low, dangerous rumble. "You... killed her cat? W–when did this happen?"

Sierra’s lips trembled, her eyes darting wildly between them. "No—no, it’s not like that—" she stammered, her voice breaking. "It—it was just a joke—"

"A joke?" Erisia finally spoke, her tone calm. She stepped forward, her eyes locking on Sierra’s. "Was it also a joke when you framed me for the fire? When you tried to have me killed?"

Sierra’s breath hitched, terror flashing across her face. "I—I don’t know what you’re talking about—"

Selena turned to her daughter, her voice trembling but filled with disbelief. Yet, her feelings had the upper hand. "Sierra... tell me this isn’t true. You didn’t do any of this right? It’s all fake, right?"

Sierra opened her mouth, nodding and then shaking her head. Only a strangled sob broke the tense silence.

Selena couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped closer and grabbed Sierra’s trembling hand. "Sierra... you have to speak up. Talk to Mom. Tell Mom the truth. I will believe you—anything you say. Just speak. Tell me, is it true or false? It’s all lies, right?"

Sierra threw herself into Selena’s arms, sobbing harder. "Yes, Mom. It’s all fake! Everything is fake! I would never do such a thing—you have to believe me, Mom. You have to..."

Selena hugged her tightly, stroking her hair with a frantic tenderness. "Don’t cry, darling. Mom believes you. Mom does. So stop crying—Mom will always believe you."

Erisia tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. Inside, she spoke to Echo.

’This woman is hopeless. I tried my best, but she still clings to those stupid feelings.’

[ You knew this was expected. Selena Wrenford was never in the dark about what Sierra did. She simply turned a blind eye and ignored everything else. Even if you had died and all of Sierra’s secrets came out—like now—she would still defend Sierra, refusing to believe she did anything wrong. Just like this. ]

’Because to her, Sierra is her only daughter.’

[ Yes. But the rest of the Wrenfords are different. They will believe the truth. ]

’I can see that.’

David exhaled slowly, the sound harsh in the tense silence. "If there’s more on that drive," he said, his voice low. "I want it played. All of it."

Erisia’s eyes gleamed faintly as she turned back to the screen. "As you wish."

The television loaded the next file: the clear, high-resolution footage of the incident at the pool party.

It played everything in detail—every sneer and whispered insult. They all saw Sierra threatening Erisia, bragging that she was behind every accusation and every wave of hatred that had targeted Erisia since her return to the Wrenford house.

David sank back into his seat, his jaw tight, not bothering to watch the rest. He already knew what came next. Shane’s eyes narrowed, his knuckles white against the armrest. Only Leander kept watching, his face darkening with every passing second as the truth hit him in relentless waves.

When the footage ended, the room regained its silence.

Leander finally tore his gaze from the screen, his voice rough with disbelief. "All this time... you were the one. You." His eyes locked on Sierra, fury breaking through the shock. "Do you have any idea how much we defended you? How much we—"