Chapter 116:Go to hell

Chapter 116: 116:Go to hell

The next morning, Nova awoke to find Alan lying beside her, watching her with a warm, adoring smile.

"Good morning, Snow," he greeted softly.

Nova leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. "Good morning," she replied, slipping out of the warmth of the bed. "I’m going to take a bath first. You should head to school, okay?"

Alan nodded, grabbing his school bag. "Snow, should I come back here after?"

"I’m coming home tonight, don’t come back here" Nova assured him.

"Good." Alan giggled happily, his eyes lighting up. He closed the distance between them, pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her forehead, and left the room.

As soon as he was gone, Nova headed into the bathroom. A short while later, showered and dressed, she stepped out of her bedroom into the hallway. The mansion was completely, unnervingly silent.

"Mhm. Shouldn’t they be mourning their dead mother right about now?" Nova mused aloud, her eyes sweeping the empty corridors.

Anah’s voice instantly echoed in her mind. "Mr. Darson didn’t leave her body behind, so no one is aware that she’s dead, he didn’t actually plan to let anyone know anyway. He used the excuse of taking her on a sudden holiday abroad to clear out. Right now, he is on his way to trade her body away."

"I see," Nova murmured. She walk down the stairs and opened the front doors and stepped outside into the crisp morning air. Parked neatly in the driveway was a sleek, black sports car. A dark, predatory smile curled onto her lips. "Is this for me?"

"Yes," Anah replied, and a set of car keys materialized instantly in Nova’s palm.

Nova chuckled darkly. "Well, I won’t be polite." She slid into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine, the aggressive roar of the exhaust breaking the morning silence. Tearing out of the estate, she pushed the car to its absolute limit, weaving flawlessly through the smooth city streets at breakneck speed.

"Check his current location," Nova commanded. Her gaze remained dead-locked on the road, unblinking as she ruthlessly navigated the traffic.

A translucent blue screen flickered to life in her field of vision. "He is currently at the city gate," Anah reported. "Do you want to intercept Mrs. Darson’s body?"

"Like I give a fuck about the body," Nova scoffed, pressing the accelerator closer to the floor. "I just need to be absolutely sure he doesn’t have any intentions of fleeing the country."

"Understood," Anah replied. The blue screen vanished, leaving Nova to focus solely on the blur of the asphalt.

The city gate was a chaotic sea of people. Nova cut the engine and remained in the car for a moment. With a thought, a black veil materialized, draping over her head and completely concealing her features. She stepped out into the crushing crowd, her eyes scanning the masses pressing toward the heavily guarded exit.

In her vision, floating digital screens populated with personal data appeared above every person she looked at. She sifted through the sea of identities until her gaze locked onto a familiar figure.

Found him.

Mr. Darson was dressed in tattered, simple clothes, disguised as a common farmer. Over his shoulder, he lugged a massive, heavy sack—the undeniable, grim shape of what remained of his wife.

Nova moved like a ghost, slipping seamlessly into the line directly behind him. He was entirely unaware of the lethal predator standing inches from his back.

When it was Mr. Darson’s turn to present his identification, he spoke to the border officer in a pathetic, trembling voice. "Please, officer. I just want to go and pick up my son. He just returned from outside the country and doesn’t know his way home." As he spoke, his hand subtly moved, slipping a heavy gold bar into the guard’s palm.

The corrupt officer felt the weight of the bribe. A greedy smile split his face as he smoothly pocketed the gold. "Of course. Right this way, sir," he said, stepping aside.

Mr. Darson hurried through. Nova stepped forward to follow, but the officer instantly blocked her path.

"Miss, I need your identity card. And what is your reason for leaving the city?" he demanded, his eyes wandering disrespectfully over her figure.

Nova slowly turned her veiled head toward him. "To kill your father, you corrupt bastard," she whispered.

The officer’s sneer vanished. Suddenly, a sickening chill hijacked his nervous system. He tried to speak, but his jaw was locked shut. He tried to raise his hand, but his arms hung uselessly at his sides. Panic exploded in his wide, horrified eyes as he realized he had entirely lost control of his own body.

"This soul of yours has lived long enough, go to hell" Nova murmured casually. She stepped past his frozen form and walked through the gate, easily catching up to Mr. Darson’s trail.

Behind her, moving with the stiff, unnatural gait of a controlled puppet, the officer turned away from his post. Completely ignoring the shouts of his colleagues, he marched away from the crowded checkpoint, walked directly to the edge of the deep harbor, and stepped off the ledge into the crushing depths of the ocean.

Nova silently stalked Mr. Darson through the outer district until a man entirely dressed in black, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses, deliberately crossed his path. Darson halted.

"You can transfer the load to me," the stranger stated, his voice devoid of any human emotion.

Without a flicker of hesitation or remorse, Mr. Darson dropped the heavy sack containing his dead wife at the man’s feet. "The goods will arrive by evening. We will meet at the airport," Darson instructed.

The stranger handed him a small, heavy metal box. He gave a low hum of acknowledgment, hoisted the morbid sack over his shoulder, and walked away into the alleyways.

Standing a short distance away, her enhanced hearing catching every syllable, Nova smirked. "It seems he plans on securing the drugs first before fleeing the country."

"Very likely," Anah agreed.

Nova’s smile turned ice-cold. "Oh, well. Looks like I’ll be stalking him a little longer." Without making a sound, she blended into the shadows and followed Mr. Darson.

Meanwhile, back at the Darson’s mansion, the suffocating silence was breaking Susan’s mind.

She stood in the grand foyer, gripping the handle of her packed suitcase, her knuckles stark white. She looked around the empty, opulent house, fighting the deep reluctance in her chest.

"Forget it," she whispered to the empty room. "I’ve enjoyed this family’s wealth for eighteen years. I should be more than satisfied. Since their real daughter is back, there’s no reason for me to stay and be a burden."

She cast one final, trembling glance toward the top of the stairs—toward Nova’s bedroom.

The truth was, the wealth wasn’t worth the terror. The worst part of the last few days was the primal, paralyzing fear that gripped her every time Nova was around in the same place with her. She was terrified to breathe too loudly, terrified to even eat at the same table. It felt like living with a loaded gun pressed to her temple.

"Maybe this is a sign that I need to escape," Susan thought, her heart racing as she hurried toward the front door. "It’s a pity Mom and Dad are on vacation. I would have loved to say goodbye to them in person."

"It’s okay. I’ll text them later when I’m far away from here," she murmured. Throwing the door open, Susan dragged her suitcase out into the daylight, fleeing the mansion for good—entirely unaware that the mother she planned to text was already gone forever.