Chapter 4 Calista Is Dead!
1295 Words
In the darkness, three figures silently approached Calista’s apartment door.
They skillfully pried open the lock, their knives gleaming with a cold light in the moonlight.
Calista listened to the sounds outside the door, her nerves so taut she could almost hear her own heartbeat. There was no time to think about which killer had been sent.
She took a deep breath, first cutting the power to the bedroom. Then, she quickly fumbled around in the darkness.
“Move quickly, don’t let her escape,” the leader of the men whispered.
As one of the killers stepped into the bedroom, a desk lamp flew out of the darkness and accurately struck him on the back of his head. The man grunted, startling his companions outside.
Hearing the noise, the other two immediately rushed into the bedroom.
Calista held her breath, knowing that the key was to remain calm.
Before she returned to Lockwood Manor, Ronan had secretly trained her with special forces. At the time, she didn’t understand why Ronan had insisted on this, but now she realized: perhaps Ronan had foreseen the danger she would face.
The darkness became her best cover. The killers momentarily lost their bearings and hesitated to act. Calista, familiar with the layout of the room, nimbly dodged and counterattacked, successfully knocking one killer unconscious. However, she was still scratched on the arm by another killer’s knife.
Ignoring the pain, she quickly sidestepped an attack, lifting her leg to kick the killer’s wrist.
With a sharp c***k, the knife fell to the floor.
Seizing the opportunity, Calista swiftly picked up the knife and held it to the killer’s neck.
“Don’t move!” she commanded harshly. “Or I’ll slit his throat right now.”
The remaining two killers froze, clearly taken aback by Calista’s unexpected reaction.
“Who sent you?” Calista asked coldly.
The man she held struggled briefly, but with her knife against his throat, he had no choice but to comply. After all, he was just a hired hand—it wasn’t worth the risk.
“Speak!” Calista’s tone grew more forceful.
“It... it was Miss Lockwood who hired us,” the killer whispered, obviously too afraid to resist.
Miss Lockwood? Liora!
Calista’s gaze darkened. So it was her!
Liora seemed unwilling to let Calista live, determined to kill her with her own hands.
“How much did she pay you?” Calista’s voice was so cold it could freeze the air.
“Five... five million.”
Calista sneered. “I’ll give you ten million if you help me with one thing.”
The two remaining conscious killers exchanged glances, uncertain of how the situation would unfold, but knowing they could earn more money, they were open to negotiation.
“What do you want us to do?”
“Go back and tell Liora you succeeded,” Calista said with a cold smirk. “Tell her you knocked me out and kidn*pped me.”
“Just like that?”
“Yes, just like that,” Calista said casually. “If you do it well, the money will be transferred immediately. But if you dare to lie to me...”
Her eyes suddenly turned sharp. “I’ll pierce his throat right now.”
“Alright, we agree,” the other killer finally nodded after a moment of silence.
Calista released her grip and allowed a faint smile to form. “Now, let’s start the act.”
*****
In the luxurious villa,
Liora anxiously waited for news from the killers. At that moment, her phone vibrated.
She answered, and a video appeared on the screen.
In the video, Calista’s hands were bound, her body curled up in the trunk of a car. Blood was smeared at the corner of her mouth, and her eyes were tightly shut, clearly beaten.
Liora’s eyes flashed with a moment of triumphant pleasure.
She immediately dialed a number.
“The plan is going smoothly,” Liora said, her tone brimming with pride. “Don’t worry, once I deal with her, I’ll follow your instructions.”
A low male voice came from the other end of the line. “Calista must die.”
“Rest assured, I’ll get it done,” Liora responded smugly.
After hanging up, Liora looked at the wedding photo of Calista and Evander on the wall, her eyes filled with hatred.
If it weren’t for Calista, she would be the rightful daughter of the Lockwood family! She would have been the heir to Lockwood Group in the future!
Calista was nothing more than a lucky woman. Why should she enjoy all this wealth and privilege?
Especially Evander. From the moment she and her mother plotted the fire fifteen years ago, Evander should have been hers!
But Old Master Kingsworth insisted that Evander marry Calista.
Liora snapped back to the present and immediately drove to the dock. In the night, her eyes grew colder.
An hour later.
Calista slowly regained consciousness, the bone-chilling cold making her shiver uncontrollably. She looked around, realizing she was tied to a railing at the dock. In the distance, the waves crashed against the rocks, and nearby was the abyss beneath the cliff.
The familiar sound of footsteps approached. Liora, in high heels, walked toward her with a victorious expression on her face.
“Calista, you’re finally awake,” Liora said as she reached out to grip Calista’s chin.
Calista bit her lip, feigning ignorance. “It’s you who did this?”
“Why, aren’t you going to beg me to spare your life?” Liora sneered.
Calista sarcastically curled her lips, as if hearing a ridiculous joke. “Why should I beg you? Liora, do you really think that by swapping identities twenty years ago, you could become the real daughter of the Lockwood family? Let me tell you, you’re just delusional. Your dreams will eventually shatter!”
Liora’s face turned pale, her fingers instinctively tightening. “W-What are you saying?”
Calista calmly loosened the ropes that bound her, her tone cold. “Didn’t you already know you’re the biological daughter of the nanny Zara? You intentionally altered your DNA report, thinking you could fool everyone? You used your parents’ sympathy to stay at Lockwood Manor...”
“Shut up! Shut up!” Liora screamed hysterically, a mad glint flashing in her eyes.
The next second, Liora forcefully pushed Calista over the cliff.
As she fell, Calista felt the sensation of weightlessness. She caught a glimpse of Liora’s hateful face, and gritted her teeth, spitting out her final words, “Calista, die!”
Calista slowly closed her eyes, feeling the rush of wind in her ears as her heartbeat quickened from the free fall.
She smiled faintly. By then, the ropes that had bound her had completely unraveled.
When she opened her eyes again, an unwavering determination shone in her gaze.
From this moment on, the Calista who had been treated as a mere five-year nanny at Kingsworth Manor, the real daughter of Lockwood Manor who had been excluded and ridiculed, the Calista who had been bullied—she was finally dead!
*****
During her fall, Calista recalled her conversation with Elian.
In the five years she was married, Liora had already begun to lay the groundwork within the board of directors.
Liora’s influence had already infiltrated all levels of Lockwood Group.
With Ronan seriously ill, various factions within the company were eager to move, and the situation at Lockwood Group had long been in chaos.
Even though her grandfather had entrusted her with the Lockwood family, once Liora revealed her brain cancer report, her final opportunity would vanish into thin air.
She had to find a way to break the deadlock!
Faking her death was the first step in her plan!
- Writer
