Real Heiress Is The Queen Of The Underworld

_THIRD POV | Revenge | Betrayal | Fake Death_ The wind didn’t howl. It screamed. At the edge of the cliff Seraphina's voice tore through the night. “Please.” She said, “Don’t.” Her heel slipped on wet gravel. In front of her, Lydia took one slow step forward in her white dress. Behind her, the audience stood in a perfect line. Her father. Her stepmother. Houston. The man she was supposed to marry in 72 hours. How did things end up this way? They weren’t angry. They were amused. Like this was entertainment. “You actually thought you’d inherit anything?” Lydia tilted her head. Pity dripped from the word. “After what you did?” “My hands were clean,” Seraphina said. Her throat felt like glass. “You were in the car, Lydia. You cut the brakes. You intentionally hit it on purpose." Three days ago it was supposed to be champagne and contracts. Now it was this cliff, and a lie dressed up as tragedy. After her mother’s funeral, her father’s new wife, Leticia, had turned the mansion into a cage. One step at a time. “Lydia.” Seraphina grabbed her stepsister’s wrists. Desperate as her fingers shook. “Tell them. Please. Before you ruin both of us.” Lydia leaned in. Her voice barely above a whisper. Her perfume smelled like venom and lies. “I warned you, Sera.” Her whisper was soft. Final. “Everything you have will be mine.” Then she let go. Lydia collapsed. A sharp, practiced gasp tore from her throat. “Sister, I’m sorry,” she sobbed, bloodless and beautiful on the ground. “I’ll take the blame for the crash. Even if my head hit the rail… even if I’m hurt… I’ll still come to your wedding.” Oscar-worthy. She's been faking it always yet everyone believed her including Houston. Her father’s face hardened. Her stepmother’s hand flew to her mouth. Dramatic . And Houston— Houston looked at Seraphina like she was already a stranger. Since Lydia came into their lives it's been one lie at a time. “Seraphina.” His voice was flat. Done. “That’s not—” She didn’t finish. A shove to her chest. The world fell away. “HOUSTON!” The scream ripped out of her as she clawed for the edge. Her nails found roots. Jagged, wet, cutting into her skin. A hundred feet below, the river was roaring with hunger. For half a second, she saw it in his eyes. Hesitation. Pain. Regret. It didn't last long. Then Lydia whimpered. Pressed two fingers to her temple. “It hurts... so dizzy...” That was all it took. All attention went back to her. “Stop it, Seraphina,” Houston said. No anger. Just exhaustion. “Get up. Lydia needs a hospital. You drove into that tree on purpose, didn’t you? To make her look unstable?” “I didn’t.” Blood made the roots slick under her palms. “Please. Believe me. Pull me up.” Lydia’s eyes flickered open. Just for Seraphina to see. She smiled. Taunting her. Then she went limp. She collapsed. They left. No one looked back. Houston carried Lydia like she was made of glass. Gentle. Slow. Her father didn’t spare a glance. The taillights disappeared into the rain. Minutes stretched into forever. Every second was thanks for being able to breathe. Her shoulders burned. The roots cut deeper. Below, the water roared. _This is how it ends?_ Rain mixed with tears on her face. _After Mom died for this family?_ The fear drained out. Something colder filled the space. Anger flashed through her eyes. _If I live… I will make them choke on this night._ Her grip failed. “Seraphina!” Fingers clamped around her wrist. Hope hit her like a fist. She clung to him. “Houston—” Cold ink smeared her thumb. Houston pulled out a paper with his other hand. Rain spotted the ink. “Lydia won’t get treatment until you sign,” he said quickly. No eye contact. “The properties. Sign them over. Don’t be stubborn, Sera. And besides you can’t manage your mother’s assets alone. We’ll sort this out after.” He pressed her thumb down. Hard. And let go. The river hit her like concrete. Her head cracked against rock. Red bloomed in the dark water. Through the pain, her fist closed around her mother’s locket. The only keepsake of her mother she had left. _Remember me, Houston._ The last words she said before drifting into unconsciousness. Hospital lights buzzed. Antiseptic and lies. “Houston.” Lydia’s voice was paper-thin from the bed. “The deeds?” He held up the paper. Her thumbprint glistened. “Got them. Get treatment now.” Lydia’s smile was fragile. Perfect. “I just hope Sister sees the surprise we planned. I’d hate for her to miss it.” “She’ll be fine,” Houston said too fast. “The fall wasn’t that far. She’s probably home. There won't be any more tantrums.” “Don’t be mad at her,” Lydia whispered. “She was just jealous. We'd explain everything to her soon.” He reached out. Patted her hair like a brother. “I know.” He turned to leave. His knees gave out. Everything went dark. He hit the floor with one soft thud. Lydia and her stepmother looked at each other. The same slow smile. Their plan had worked. Everything was done without getting their hands stained. But there was one mistake, though. The river didn’t take Seraphina. It drowned the girl they knew. And spat out something else. *A Queen.