A minute later…

Ahhhh!

A sharp scream ripped through the air from upstairs, making Xin Meifangs eyebrow twitch. She glanced around, but nobody else reacted. Maybe their ears were useless… She massaged her temples, the beginnings of a headache pulsing behind her eyes.

Right beside her sat Eveline, the light-blonde hair, ice-cold eyes and almost too silent. She wore a thin white overcoat and had those sharp, calculating eyes that never quite softened. On her lap, little Eirene was silent as a cat, just blinking up at the ceiling, her small fingers tangled in Evelines sleeve.

Xin Meifang forced a casual tone. Uh, I… just remembered, left my phone upstairs. Be right back. No one bothered to respond as she slipped away, her steps a little too quick. Honestly, this house needed hazard pay.

On the couch, Xinyue Zhilan barely concealed her exhaustion, stretching out with a sigh. What is with everyone today? she grumbled, eyeing the clock. Ten more minutes and Ill be late for my appointment…

She turned to Eveline, forcing a smile that didnt fool anyone. First day here, and youve already seen the full circus. Sorry about the mess. If it makes you feel better, its not always this wild. Just… most days.

Eveline just shrugged, stroking Eirenes hair, voice cool and even. Im used to it… this is almost relaxing.

Xinyue Zhilan blinked, not sure if that was a joke. Well… as long as youre comfortable. If you need anything, just let me know, okay? Spare towels, food, uh, a place to stay?

Eirene looked up at her, still silent, eyes sharp and curious, way too old for her age.

Xinyue Zhilan hesitated, then pressed on. You should stay tonight. Settle in. Ill be out for a while, just a routine appointment. Wont be long.

Eveline nodded. Thank you. Were fine. Sorry for all the… excitement earlier.

Xinyue Zhilan waved her hand. Its not your fault… Youre braver than I am, coming here like this. Did Xiao Wang even warn you what you were getting into?

Eveline let out a dry, knowing smile. Not really. He just told me, Relax, my familys harmless. Her eyes flicked down to Eirene. He lies as easily as he breathes.

Xinyue Zhilan snorted. Dont I know it. If I had a penny for every time he brought home a new woman or a kid out of nowhere… She trailed off, the stress lines on her forehead deepening.

She stood up, hesitated as she looked toward the stairs, still no sign of Xin Meifang, or anyone else. She gave the room a final once-over. Three daughters in the house, plus three different women, and now two kids who all called her son dad. If she thought about it any longer, shed need stronger meds than her therapist could prescribe.

She glanced at Yue, who sat in the corner, arms folded, lips tight. Yue shot Eveline a look that could kill but didnt say a word. Xinyue Zhilan wondered if there was some grudge there she didnt know about.

Probably.

Then there was Fu Yuxin, holding little Zenxi, the second granddaughter, courtesy of yet another woman, and another one of Wang Xiaos accidents. Xinyue Zhilan had long given up trying to keep score. If she started asking questions, shed probably find out someone else was pregnant before dinner.

She slipped on her shoes and headed for the main door, muttering under her breath, At least nobodys making out in the living room… Small mercies.

She paused, cast one last look at the living room full of women and children, then shook her head. Why am I the one going to therapy? Clearly, its my son whos the lost cause.

She left, pulling the door shut behind her, already half-wondering if her therapist offered a family package.

The moment Zhilans footsteps faded, the living rooms fragile peace broke.

You are so dead…

The words slipped out, accusing and sharp. Yue shot Eveline a flat look across the coffee table.

Eveline arched a brow, her voice frosty. Little mouth running wild again, huh? Watch it. Im your Elder here.

Yue didnt flinch. Elder or not, what was that story earlier? If Dad finds out you fed that fairy tale, hell toss you in a pit of lava to burn.

Evelines lips parted, then closed, reconsidering her whole life for a second.

Wang Jiarong, whod been quietly scrolling through her phone, finally looked up, wide-eyed. Wait… She lied? Her gaze flicked from Eveline to Yue, not sure if she should be impressed or scared. All that stuff about rescuing Xiao after he fell? That was all fake?

Yue just shrugged. Of course she lied. What love story? Dad just kidnapped her cause he liked the way she looked. Kept her locked up, raped her for days until she broke. Didnt stop until she finally gave in and started popping out his kids… Stupid, really.

A heavy silence settled for a moment.

Fu Yuxin, who hadnt said a word the whole time, just hugged Zenxi closer, eyes glazed, pretending she hadnt heard any of it.

She tried to block out the conversation, but Yues words hit home. Of course she believed it, Wang Xiao had done the same to her. Seeing another beautiful woman broken and reshaped by him just made her feel tired, not angry.

Fu Yuxin shot Eveline a sideways glance, a faint pity softening her features. Such a gorgeous woman, and he ruined her too. She didnt doubt for a second that Evelines story was all makeup and gloss for the elders.

Truth was always dirtier in this world.

But something still nagged at her. Why did Yue keep calling Wang Xiao Dad? The word sat strange in her ears.

Yue sighed, rubbing her temples, I honestly dont know why youre still alive, Eveline. Dad doesnt care about people weaker than him. You try to run, try to fight, he just laughs. Its all a game to him. Toys dont get to break unless he says so…

She narrowed her gaze at Eveline, who was wearing a faint, almost taunting smile, like she was enjoying the whole exchange.

What a poisonous little toy you turned out to be… Yues voice was gentle, almost sweet, If youre so miserable, why not just poison yourself and put an end to it?

Yue shook her head, studying Eveline. The woman looked perfect on the outside, flawless face, goddess-like elegance, the kind of beauty men loved to conquer. But everything about her presence screamed danger, like silk draped over a hidden blade.

Evelines smile tightened, brittle as frost. Poison myself? Her voice was soft, yet somehow made the whole room shrink. You think the hunted chooses when the hunt ends? No, child. The chase belongs to the hunter, always.

She met Yues eyes, her own gaze ageless, a storm barely concealed behind cool detachment. Once, in a different age, I could run forever and none would dare follow. The forests parted for me. Even gods kept their distance. Her fingers absentmindedly brushed a strand of Eirenes hair, almost as if seeking comfort. There was a time when to reach for me was to invite ruin. I kept my own laws, unbroken. I pitied those foolish enough to trespass.

Her eyes hardened, ancient hurt flickering beneath the surface. But time devours everything, even memory. Empires rot, thrones crumble, and the wild things are chained for sport. To walk as prey among mortals… to feel fangs in your throat and know the gods will not answer… She shook her head, a trace of scorn coloring her words. Men believe the world was made for their pleasure. Some, like your father, like mine… never learn the dangers of cornering a wounded beast.

A silence descended between them, heavy and suffocating.

Yues gaze darted from Eveline to the others, Wang Mei, Wang Jiarong, Fu Yuxin. All three looked away, but their eyes had flickered open, old memories flashing beneath the surface. They all knew that feeling what it meant to be caught, to be forced past breaking, to realize that making peace with hell was sometimes the only way to survive.

Even those who now moved around Wang Xiao with practiced smiles wasnt it just because there was never any hope of resisting? Powerlessness leaves a mark, even when you learn to wear it like jewelry.

Yues fingers curled tight, nails biting into her palm. Thats why she hated Eveline. This woman never screamed, never fought openly, just smiled with that same goddess calm, letting her poison seep in with every word. She could stir up old wounds with a single glance, force everyone to remember what it was like the first time they realized they couldnt win.

Her words always sounded so sentimental, so patient and cold, that it made Yue want to lash out, just to see her break.

But looking at Eveline now, Yue saw nothing to break. Only a wolf that had learned to survive alone, even in a cage.

And maybe, in the end, that was what made her the most miserable woman in the room.

Misery? she continued, voice dropping lower, edged in sadness that felt too old for the room. I have known centuries alone beneath the moon, content in solitude. I have known devotion that would silence the stars. You speak of suffering as if it were a wound that bleeds once and then closes. Some wounds run through every life. Some chains tighten every time you wake.

Her anger faded, leaving only exhaustion. If death was freedom, I would have welcomed it at the worlds first dawn. But the hunted rarely choose how their story ends.

Eveline turned her head, locking eyes with Yue, a gentleness there, but nothing soft. Do you know what I learned, in those wild years when the forest was my only home?

A cage can hold a beast, yes… but no iron stays strong forever. Even the sharpest bars rust, and one day, the door will fall away!

She let the words sink, her gaze holding Yues, unblinking. And the prey, it remembers. It remembers every insult, every day the hunter would stand outside its prison and laugh, as if it were a pet. But beasts arent made for cages. And when the rust comes, when the lock finally breaks… the beast doesnt forget.

A current of fear and understanding moved through the room.

Fu Yuxin watched, her own scars reflected in Evelines words, and for the first time pitied the woman not as a rival, but as something older and lonelier than she could ever imagine.

It even.. Eveline was mid-sentence, voice low and hypnotic, when

WHOOSH!

Something whizzed through the air, fast and unexpected.

What!? She jerked her head aside just in time, a slipper flying past her cheek and smacking into the couch cushion with a dull thud.

Bang!

Who dares…? Evelines eyes widened, caught between shock and disbelief. For a split second, the goddess mask slipped.

Oops…

A small, mischievous laugh came from near the kitchen. A woman, face flushed but determined, stood with her arms crossed and a satisfied little smile. … Looks like the cage bars arent where they used to be, didnt stop that one…