The Architect of His Downfall

"Kneel!" Donald pointed at Cassidy. "Apologize to her!"

"I will not kneel," I said through gritted teeth.

A violent glint flashed in Donald's eyes. He strode forward and roughly yanked me from my wheelchair.

"Donald Pierce! You dare!" I struggled against his grip.

He shoved me to the ground. My injured leg slammed hard against the corner of a table, and a blinding pain shot through me.

"Apologize!" he roared in my ear.

The surrounding family members all watched the scene unfold, their faces a mixture of pity and fear.

I felt a humiliation I had never known before.

The proud Principessa of the Callahan family, humiliated and thrown to the floor in front of everyone.

"I'm… sorry," I squeezed the words through my teeth.

Only then did Cassidy nod in satisfaction. "It's good that Kylie knows her place."

Donald released me, looking down at me with condescension. "From now on, you're confined to your room. You are not to take a single step outside without my permission."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Cassidy and left.

Lena helped me back to my room, her body trembling.

On the way, I heard people whispering.

"The new Donna is really something else. What does being a Principessa matter now."

"Miss Kylie was always so regal, and now…"

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Back in my room, I dismissed everyone.

The door closed, and the world fell silent.

My hands shaking, I pulled the small chip from a hidden pocket in my dress.

It had been a year. I had never dared to look at its full contents.

Because I was afraid. Afraid the truth inside would shatter me completely.

But now, I had nothing left to lose.

The chip contained information one of my father's most loyal men had died to give me.

I carefully inserted it into the computer.

"Don Callahan and his son were killed in a shootout at the docks last July!"

The first line struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Last July?

That was a full year ago.

My hand was shaking so badly I could barely hold the mouse.

"Munitions withheld. Don Callahan and son ambushed, surrounded. Fought for three days. KIA. Bodies unrecovered."

"Donald Pierce betrayed us, withheld the munitions, and caused our downfall! We hope Miss Kylie will avenge the Don for this betrayal!"

The computer slipped from my grasp.

A year ago.

Papa and my brother died a year ago.

But for this entire year, I had been receiving forged emails every month.

Emails telling me they were safe.

Like a woman possessed, I opened my email archive and found all of them.

The familiar tone, the warm words.

"Kylie, Papa is doing well in South America, don't worry."

"Your man is a genius. I'm very pleased with him."

"We need funds to develop the South American market, need to grease some palms…"

All fake!

They were all fake!

I coughed, a spray of crimson splattering from my lips.

The blood dripped onto the keyboard, blooming like a morbid flower.

So, Donald had known about my father and brother's deaths all along.

He forged emails to make me believe they were still alive.

He used the excuse that my father needed funds to grease palms, tricking me into exhausting myself to consolidate his power.

All my efforts this past year were in service of my family's killer!

I was helping my enemy ascend to the throne!

"Hahaha…" I couldn't help but laugh, but tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Donald Pierce, you magnificent, cruel bastard.

You walked over the bones of my father and brother, squeezed every last drop of value from me, and then planned to kick me aside like trash.

With trembling hands, I permanently deleted all the forged emails and emptied the recycle bin.

The bitter taste of lies mixed with the flavor of blood in my mouth.

I would swallow all this deception.

Along with my tears, my despair, and my foolishness.

Swallow it all.

After deleting the last email, I looked up.

The woman in the mirror had bloodshot eyes and a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth.

But there was no longer a trace of tenderness in her gaze.

Only unyielding, murderous intent.

I ripped the chip from its plastic casing, then forced the tiny, metallic-tasting memory core down my throat. I would carry this truth inside my very being.

"Papa, brother, I'm so sorry…" I prayed silently.

"I will make that bastard and his bitch pay with their blood!"