Chapter 4

Sabrina rushed over and grabbed Amelia's hand, looking genuinely aggrieved. "Sis, why didn't you tell me when you got back? I was so worried about you…" Amelia suppressed the anger rising in her chest, her expression neutral. "Sabrina, didn't you book a hotel room for me to rest? I couldn't sleep well there, so I came back early." Sabrina froze for a second. Was Amelia onto her? No one in the Johnson family ever really celebrated Amelia's birthday. Earlier that evening, Sabrina had taken her to a hotel under the pretense of a celebration. She had drugged Amelia's drink; after Amelia passed out, Sabrina had two men carry her into a hotel room. She had been sure those men would do the job, that Amelia wouldn't dare speak up even if something happened. But now, Amelia stood there completely unharmed. Had those two failed? Grace chimed in, putting on a show of concern, "Amelia, even if you came back, you should have let us know. Your sister was worried sick, and you've gone and disturbed your father and me in the middle of the night." She had been in on the drugging plan, too. But seeing Amelia perfectly fine now, Grace began to doubt whether their scheme had worked at all. "It was already late. I didn't want to bother anyone," Amelia blinked her large, clear eyes, her voice dripping with innocence. "And Sabrina seemed fine with me staying at the hotel alone… Dad, Grace, you knew about the room, right? I assumed you didn't mind, so I didn't think it was a big deal." Richard turned his gaze to Sabrina, though it wasn't exactly suspicious. "So you were the one who booked the room?" Grace quickly interjected, "Darling, Sabrina mentioned it to me—it must have slipped my mind to tell you." "Yes, I did tell Mom," Sabrina nodded rapidly. "Dad, please don't blame Sabrina. She's the only one who remembers my birthday every year. She just wanted to make me happy. We might have had a bit too much to drink, and she probably doesn't even remember booking the room clearly," Amelia said softly, doing her best to sound pitiful. Playing the innocent? She could do that, too. Sabrina shot Amelia a surprised look—wait a minute, wasn't that her line? Amelia used to be so transparent. In the past, she'd either stumble over her words trying to explain, making it sound like a weak excuse, or she'd just swallow the blame silently. Totally spineless. But today? Something felt… different. "Just a few days ago, Amelia told me how she envied the big birthday parties I get every year. I really just wanted to make her happy. I didn't think it would turn out like this. Dad, it's my fault. Please scold me." Sabrina spoke sweetly, but her emphasis on "big birthday parties" was unmistakable—she knew it was a sore point for Amelia. Amelia had returned to the Johnson family five years ago, at eighteen. The first year, Richard had actually thrown her a birthday banquet. But thanks to a stunt orchestrated by Sabrina and Grace that ended up humiliating Richard, it was the first and last party she ever received. Richard had always favored Sabrina, but deep down he carried a shred of guilt toward Amelia. He sighed, "Alright, that's enough. Everyone, get some rest. And from now on, no more drinking when you go out. If I catch you again, you're grounded." In her previous life, Richard had flown into a rage over this incident. He had yelled at Amelia and grounded her for a month. Back then, all Amelia had said was, "Sabrina took me to the hotel." Sabrina had immediately turned on the waterworks, playing the victim, while Grace criticized Amelia for being ungrateful. Afterwards, Amelia had asked Sabrina what happened, and Sabrina fed her a few vague lies—which she had actually believed. She hadn't pressed further. Sabrina and Grace had always been so "caring" in daily life, and Amelia had mistakenly thought they were her real family. She had treated them with sincerity. But they had used that sincerity to dig trap after trap for her. This time, however… she was going to return the favor in full. Back in her room, Sabrina tried calling the two men she had hired—but no matter how many times she redialed, the calls wouldn't connect. Damn it. She had already paid them—now she didn't even know if they had done the job. Useless thugs, so unreliable. Just as she was fuming, an idea sparked. Without hesitation, she stepped out into the hallway and headed straight for Amelia's bedroom…