ADRIANSPOV Inthemiddleofthenight,asIquietlymademywaydownstairstograbaglassofwater,Iheardafaintsoundsomethingsubtlebut noticeablecomingfromthedirectionofmylibrary.Thefloorboardscreakedsoftlybeneathmyfeet,echoinginthesilence.Onmywaydown,IalsonoticedsomethingelseOliviawasntinbed.
Couldshebeinthekitchen? the Iheadedthatwayfirst,walkingthrough thedimlylithallway.ButwhenIenteredkitchen,itwascompletelyempty.ThelightfromthefridgecastlongshadowsasIopeneditandgrabbedabottleofcoldwater.Ireachedforaglassfromtheshelves,pouredthewater,andtookaslowsip,mymindalreadyracing.
Ifshewasnthere,thenwherewasshe? Isettheglassdown carefullyonthecounter,IhadafeelingoneIdidntlike.AplaceIprayedshehadntgoneto.AplaceIhadrepeatedlywarnedhertostayawayfrom.
Withoutwastinganothersecond,Imovedtowardthelibrary.
Whywouldshegothere?Whatwouldsheevenwantfromthatroom?Ihadmadeitclearmultipletimesthatshewasnottostepfootinthere.
Iturnedtheknobslowly,andasthedoorcreakedopen,mysuspicionswereconfirmed.
Thereshewas.
Standingwithherbacktome,scrollingthroughthebooksononeof thetallwoodenshelves.Herfingersskimmedthespineslikeshewassearchingforsomething-somethingspecific.ButOliviadoesntread.Notbookslike these,anyway.
Whatareyoudoinghere?Iasked,myvoicesharpandlow.Shestartledslightlyandturnedtofaceme,caughtintheact.
Oh,youreup,shesaid withahalfsmile.ButIwasntbuyingit.Icouldseerightthroughherexpressionshewashidingsomething.
Isaid,whatareyoudoinghere?Iaskedagain,steppingfurtherintotheroom.

Icouldntsleep,soIcametolookfor abooktoread,sherepliedcasually,gesturing towardtheshelflikeitwasthemostinnocentthingintheworld.
Sincewhendidyoustartreadingbooks?Iasked,mytonedryandskeptical.Herexcusedidntsitrightwithme.
Theresalotyoustilldontknowaboutme,Adrian,shesaid,hervoicealittlesharpernow.BecauseyouwerentthereSuccessfullyunlocked! I paused.Ididntwanttoarguenotaboutthepast,notrightnow.Maybeshehadpickedupareadinghabit,whoknows?ButIcouldntshaketheuneasinesscrawlingupmyspine .
1A CHAPTER6n Okay,Isaidslowly,stilleyeingher.Letsjustsayyoucameheretoread.Thisisthe21stcentury,Olivia.Almosteverythingsdigitalnowincludingbooks.Youcouldveusedyourphoneoryourtablet.Sowhy comehere?EspeciallywhenIvetoldyoutostayout? Noteveryonelikesstaringatascreen24/7likeyou,shesnapped.Someofus stillenjoythefeelofahardcopynovel.
Ohreally?Iraisedabrow.Anddidyoufindwhatyourelookingfor? Sheturnedandpickedoutarandombook.Itwaspainfullyobviousshedidntcare.whatshegrabbed.Thatbookcouldvebeenupsidedownforallsheknew.
Thatwasntwhatshecamefor.
Hereitis,shesaid,holdingitupwithafakesmile.
Great.Sinceyouvegotwhatyoucamefor,youcanleavenow.AndrememberwhatIsaiddontcomebackinhere.
Alright,sherepliedquickly,tooquickly.
Assheturnedtoleave,hereyesflickedtomyofficedesk.
Thatglancedidntgounnoticed.

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Aftershe walkedoutandthedoorclickedsoftlyshutbehindher,Istoodthereforamoment,myinstinctsonhigh alert.Icrossedtheroomandwalkedstraighttomydesk.Everythinglookeduntouched…butjusttobesure,Idoublechecked.Nothingwasmissing.MyfolderswereexactlywhereIleftthem.
Iletoutabreath,thensatdownandreachedformylaptop,readytoresumewhatIdbeenworkingon.ButassoonasItouchedit,Ifroze.
Thelaptopwaswarmtoowarm.Theonlytimeitgetslikethisiswhenitsbeenrecentlyused.
Iopeneditquickly.Sureenough,thescreenlitup,andafolderwasstillopenmyfolder.Theonelabeledwithherparentsnames Shehadseenit.
Luckily,shehadntopenedtheactualfileatleastnotthatIcouldtellbutthenamealonewasenoughtoraisequestions.KnowingOliviascuriousnature,Ihadnodoubtshedbebackhereagain.ThatalonemeantIneededtoactfast.
Firststepaddapassword.Astrong one.
Shemightaskquestionsaboutitlater,butIcouldntriskexposure.Notnow.
NotwhenIwasthisclose.
Iopenedthefileandstaredatthecontents.EverythingIneededtobringherparentsdownwasinthere.Everyshadydeal,everycoveredupcrime,everylie.Ihadinfiltratedtheirinnercircle,andgotten closewithoutthemsuspecting athing.TheyhadnoideaI CHAPTER060 waswatching.NocluethatIhadalltheevidenceready.
Butthatwasntthehardestpart.
Thehardpartwasdecidinghowtopunishthem.

Thereweretoomanyoptions.Somanywaystohurtthem.AndIwasntlookingforsomethingsimple.No,Iwantedthemtosuffer.
Justlikeshedid.
Istillrememberthepaininmymotherseyes.Thetremblinginherhands.Theydidntgivehera quickdeath.Theymadehersufferemotionally,andmentallyuntilshebroke.Untilshepulledthetrigger.
SowhyshouldIgivethemmercy? Burningtheirskinslowlywithalowheatdidntsoundlikeabadidea.Skinningthempiecebypiece…well,thatwouldbepoeticjustice.
1letoutalong,slowbreath,myarmsrestingonthedeskasthethoughtsdancedthroughmymind.
Oliviawascurious.Toocuriousforherowngood.Andastheoldsayinggoes-curiositykilledthecat.Ifshedugtoodeep,ifsheeverdiscoveredthefulltruth… ThenIcouldntletherwalkaway.
Iwouldntleaveanywitnesses.Notevenher.
Ileanedbackinmychair,stillsmiling.Thethoughtsofrevengefilledmewithadangerouskindofjoy.
Iwassoclosenow.
Soclosetofinallyavengingyou,Mother.
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