Chapter 105: Congratulations

Chapter 105: 105: Congratulations

Nova chuckled softly, a sound entirely devoid of warmth. "People are usually familiar with death when it stands right in front of them," she replied, her eyes narrowing into cold, lethal slits.

"What... what did my daughter do to you?" Piper’s mother stammered, stepping forward in a frantic attempt to diffuse the suffocating tension. "We can talk this out! Whatever it is, we can compensate you!"

Nova’s gaze drifted lazily to the panicked woman. "She gambled with your lives. The conditions were simple, if she lost, every single one of you dies. And to your greatest misfortune... she lost." Nova pivoted her sharp gaze back onto Piper. "Isn’t that right?"

The parents gasped in horror, their heads snapping toward their daughter.

Piper shook her head frantically, tears cascading down her pale cheeks as her voice cracked. "I didn’t... I didn’t mean to! I don’t know how things ended up like this!"

Piper’s father clenched his fists, struggling to maintain a stern facade despite the cold sweat dripping down his spine. "Seeing as you came here alone, I assume you simply came to demand accountability. Rest assured, I will discipline my daughter severely. Do not attempt to push this beyond a proper apology."

Nova leaned away from the car, stepping forward with her hands casually tucked into her pockets. The aura surrounding her darkened, turning suffocatingly heavy.

"Accountability? Discipline?" Nova scoffed, a dark, wicked laugh escaping her lips. "I’m afraid there are no second chances, and as for pushing things beyond an apology..." Her blue eyes locked onto the family with an absolute death sentence. "I love taking things beyond an apology. What are you going to do about it?"

All three stood utterly tongue-tied, frozen in place by the predatory weight of her presence.

"Spare... spare me, Nova! I was just messing around! I didn’t—"

Before Piper could finish her plea, Nova pulled a sleek handgun from her pocket with terrifying speed.

BANG!

A single bullet pierced Piper straight through the center of her forehead.

Piper’s body went instantly rigid. Her eyes remained wide with lingering terror as the light vanished from them, and she collapsed heavily onto the cold floor.

"Piper!"

Her parents shrieked in unison, throwing themselves onto their daughter’s lifeless body.

"Daughter! Wake up! Please, wake up!" her mother wailed uncontrollably, shaking Piper’s shoulders, but there was no response.

"How... how could you be so heartless?!" Piper’s father roared through his grief, his eyes red with rage. "Guards! Kill her! Kill her now!"

At his command, half a dozen armed bodyguards surged into the courtyard, drawing their weapons to surround Nova.

"You just summoned more souls to accompany you," Nova murmured under her breath.

Before the father could even direct the men to open fire, Nova shifted her aim and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The gunshot cracked through the air. Piper’s father collapsed backward, clutching his shattered chest as his breathing ceased instantly.

"Husband!"

Piper’s mother froze. The tears in her eyes seemed to lock in place as she stared at the lifeless bodies of her daughter and husband lying side by side. Unable to process the catastrophic shock, her heart gave out entirely, she clutched her chest in sudden, blinding agony and collapsed dead across her family.

Nova smirked coldly, turning her attention to the circle of armed bodyguards. "Don’t just stand there. Bring it on," she challenged smoothly.

The guards exchanged terrified glances. Witnessing the effortless execution, they dropped their firearms in complete surrender and scrambled toward the gates. But Nova had no intention of leaving survivors. Moving in a blur of terrifying speed, she cut down every last one before they could reach the perimeter.

In less than two minutes, the courtyard was transformed into a silent graveyard.

Nova stood amidst the bodies, her face completely unreadable. "May you reunite in hell," she whispered.

With a flick of her wrist, a heavy container of gasoline materialized in her hand. She drenched the driveway, the entrance, and the surrounding structures before a silver lighter appeared in her hand.

"I am rewarding your worthless lives with fire. Be sure to thank me properly," she said, giving out a low laugh.

She sparked the flame and tossed the lighter backward over her shoulder. The fraction of a second before the spark ignited the fuel, Nova stepped forward and vanished into thin air. A split second later, a massive wall of fire erupted, consuming the entire Riman Estate in an inferno.

By the time Nova returned to her mansion, night had fully fallen. As she pushed open the grand front doors, she was immediately greeted by Cassian and Alan, who were waiting in the foyer with radiant smiles.

"Congratulations, Darling!"

"Congratulations, Snow!"

They chimed in unison, their eyes shining with genuine pride.

Nova paused, caught completely off guard as she stared at them in confusion.

Cassian chuckled softly, stepping forward to scoop Nova up in his arms. He carried her into the dining hall and set her down gently at the head of the table, where a magnificent, multi-tiered handcrafted cake was displayed.

"Congratulations on taking first place in the painting competition, darling," Cassian said warmly, enjoying her rare, bewildered expression.

The confusion dissolved from Nova’s face, replaced by a rare, breathtaking smile. "You actually set up a surprise?"

"Of course! It wouldn’t be a celebration if you weren’t surprised," Alan beamed, leaning against her chair. "Winning your very first major competition is a massive deal. We have to mark the occasion!"

Nova laughed softly. "Thank you both so much." She pulled out her phone, checking the screen. "Let me see if Raymond is free so we can—"

Before she could finish her sentence, her phone began to vibrate with an incoming video call.

"Speak of the devil," Nova smiled, instantly swiping to accept.

"Wifey!" Raymond’s enthusiastic voice boomed through the speakers the moment the connection established. "You’re still awake! I was just calling to check on you before going to sleep!"

Nova chuckled softly, displaying her phone. "Not asleep yet. I won the painting competition today, so we’re celebrating right now. I was actually just about to check your schedule."

"Congratulations, wifey! That’s my girl!" Raymond laughed excitedly, his fingers flying across his screen in the background. A second later, a notification buzzed on Nova’s phone, confirming a massive wire transfer into her account.

Nova’s grin widened from ear to ear. "Thank you, hubby," she hummed, not even bothering to check the sum he had just sent her.

Cassian casually plucked the phone from Nova’s hand, angling the camera toward the lavish cake on the table with a smug smirk. "It’s easy to throw money around from afar, Raymond, considering we’re the ones actually celebrating with her in person."

"I bet you didn’t even bake that yourself," Raymond retorted dryly through the speaker.

"That’s where you’re wrong," Alan interjected proudly, bustling back into the frame with two chilled bottles of fine wine. "Cassian and I baked this from scratch! It’s absolute perfection. Now, let’s get the glasses poured."

Raymond bit his lip, visibly envious on the screen. "If I were home right now, I would have made a ten times better cake than that."

Cassian rolled his eyes playfully. "Are you jealous? You can go ahead and cry about it if you want."

"Cassian!" Raymond barked over the line.

"Alright, alright, let’s all celebrate together," Nova laughed, taking her phone back and propping it against a tall glass vase so Raymond had a perfect view of the entire table.

Alan opened the wine, pouring rich red liquid into their glasses before handing them out. "Cake first!" he declared, setting the bottle down.

Together, the three of them cut into the cake while Raymond cheered loudly over the video call.

"Congratulations, wifey!"

"Cheers!"

Cassian cut a delicate piece and gently fed it to Nova, and Alan eagerly followed suit with another bite. Nova accepted both with radiant happiness, thoroughly enjoying the warmth of the moment.

Alan raised his glass high. "To Snow’s undeniable genius!"

"To Darling!"

Glasses clinked, and the dining room filled with lively chatter, laughter, and warm toasts that lasted late into the night. One by one, exhaustion finally caught up with them, and they all drifting off to sleep.

On the phone screen, still propped against the vase, Raymond watched the quiet, peaceful scene with a soft, affectionate smile.

"Goodnight, my love," he whispered gently, before quietly ending the call.