Chapter 5

Liam froze. "That can't be. Grandma, you must be mistaken. Millie was just... a little weak—how could she be gone?"

Claudia Ellsworth let out a heavy sigh. "If I hadn't come back early, I wouldn't have known about all the terrible things you've done!"

Liam's gaze turned blank, his eyes shifting to me, his voice shaky. "Andrea, tell me this isn't true. You're lying to me, right?"

Blood was still trickling down his forehead, but I just looked away, quietly picking up the pieces of Millie's broken doll.

"I-It must be a trick—you and Grandma are working together to deceive me. She's always liked you and wants us to marry, doesn't she?" he stammered.

I pulled my suitcase toward the door, but he blocked my way. "You're not going anywhere until you bring Millie to me! She can't be dead. You're just putting on a show, right? Otherwise, why wouldn't I have heard anything about it?"

I looked up at him, my disappointment endless. Did he really think I'd been hiding Millie to manipulate him?