I shivered the moment I stepped out of the hospital.
It was already December, and since coming back, I had not seen any snow.
It was simply cold.
I ended up having a full check-up when I visited after eating, just to make sure I have no underlying problems.
Night had deepened as I waited for the results.
I looked over the results, fingers brushing the band-aid on my cheek.
It seems that other than this small wound and the fact that I am a little anemic right now, I am quite healthy.
My stomach problem still exists, but it is no longer as serious as before. As long as I eat properly and on time.
I couldn't help but yawn. I've been running around since my arrival, so I barely had enough sleep. That is why I was anemic.
"I should catch up on sleep before I get back to work," I muttered before going back to my car.
...
My room in the villa remained the same even after two years of absence. It was simply cleaned so that dust would not accumulate.
After a refreshing warm bath, my head finally hit the pillow, but before I could drift off to sleep, my phone rang.
I frowned upon seeing who was calling. It seems they finally remembered that there was still a living blood of Leonard Kingsley.
"Hello, uncle?" I answered with a yawn.
"I'm sorry, were you sleeping?" he asked.
I almost scoffed at the hypocrisy of his voice in sounding worried.
"Is there something you need, uncle?" I asked instead.
"I am just checking on you. How are you doing?"
I rolled my eyes.
"I am doing fine."
"I see. You can rest for a few more days. Don't worry about the company. I am taking care of it."
"You are?"
"Even though the will has not been read yet, you don't have to worry. I will make sure that you will have your fair share."
"Fair share?"
I almost couldn't stop myself from mocking him. What does he mean by fair share when everything will fall into my hands?
His tone sounded like he was sure everything would fall into his hands.
"Ye-"
"When is the will gonna be read?" I interrupted his stupid words.
I don't have the energy to listen to it.
"The lawyer will arrive at the main house in five days. You can come by then."
"Of course I will."
By the tone of his voice, it doesn't seem like he knew that the will was actually in Patrick Sinclair's hands.
"If there is nothing more. Goodbye, uncle. I need to catch up on sleep."
I ended the call and closed my eyes, drifting to sleep.
A faint smile on my lips at the thought of what I plan to do tomorrow.
I will have to settle a lot of things before the will reading in five days.
...
"No wonder Amelia tried to block me from seeing the recordings."
The camera I set up in her dorm room could not be turned off without the proper codes.
And I know why she did not try to unplug it.
Because she knew I would need everything it would record.
They were only keeping quiet about what was going on, and she blocked me to make sure I wouldn't see anything. Not knowing that I was actually not looking.
I did in the beginning, but thought that at her age, she would wish to have her privacy, so I stopped.
I only placed the cameras to make sure that they are fine.
Yet it was not used the way I meant it to be. Instead, I'd be using it to look into their deaths, how funny.
The recording shows how she was bullied even in her dorm room. Despite locking her door.
I couldn't help but sigh.
Amelia's death was signed off as suicide after being consumed by the deaths of her grandfather and our parents. Together with the sin of our mother.
But of course, that is not the truth.
I know even if I have not been here over the past two years, my siblings won't succumb to everything that happened.
They would instead continue living while looking into it.
I watched her schoolmates hit and curse at her.
But I know these people are nothing but pawns. Though I can start with them.
The taste I told Kieran Sinclair about shall be theirs.
I saved the videos one by one until I arrived at the one that was recorded one month after our mother's death, the same day she blocked me from seeing anything.
"Sister. Mom, Dad, and Grandpa are gone. I'm scared, I really am."
I watched her cry her eyes out.
"But we have decided, all three of us, not to tell you anything. So, I will have to block you from seeing anything from now on because I can tell this is not the end of it. We are powerful, but a lone tall tree is the easiest target of all. Unless we dab in other things."
I knew full well what she meant by other things.
Despite the opposition of many within the family, our grandfather and father chose to live upright. They did not dare touch the underworld.
"To be honest, I was also scared of you."
This is the first time I heard this, though I was no longer shocked.
The reason they kept quiet about what was going on was the same reason she is scared of me.
"But I worry more that you'd lose your life sooner because of who you are."
"You already knew what might happen to you, but you worry that I'd die sooner?" I replied, as if she could still hear me.
"I know how you can easily take a life. And I worry more to see that. All three of us worry more to see that."
"So you chose to die instead of seeing me kill people?" I continued asking.
My voice has a bitter note to it.
"We can never justify our decision. But we truly do not wish to see you kill people for us."
I scoffed. This is the reason why I chose someone cold, someone who wouldn't bat an eyelid if I killed, for my husband.
In this world where the strong prey on the weak, our century-old legacy does not even stand a chance. Despite our strength, we still fell.
That is because the foundation was slowly chipped off from within.
I guess this is one thing I should admire about the Sinclair Family. They operate mostly in oppression.
The one's appointed to lead should be capable of making those under them submit. Both in fear and in awe.
My father may have been cold, but that does not include family.
"I'm sorry, sister. I love you. Take care, okay?"
My mischievous sister, crying and being emotional. I was not used to it.
I stared at her tear-stricken face, which was looking straight at the camera after the video ended.
"Well," I murmured.
"You won't be seeing me bathing in blood, so I guess this works out for all of us."