Chapter 3

3

I looked at the message and blocked her immediately.

After packing Grandpa's things and my own suitcase, I decided to take him back to our ancestral hometown.

I cleaned up the old family cottage and fell into a deep sleep in Grandpa's old room.

It was the first time I felt like he hadn't really left me.

But my peace was shattered by a loud, crashing noise.

"Lyra? What the hell are you doing here?"

Caleb stood there with his arms crossed, surrounded by several men who were eyeing the room.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly.

"None of your business."

Caleb didn't listen. He grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the door.

"I don't care what you want. Get out now."

"This old house has nothing to do with you anymore."

He pulled me so fast I didn't even have time to put on my shoes. I was forced to stand outside on the gravel in my bare feet.

Ignoring the sharp pain in my soles, I turned on him.

"What are you doing? This is Grandpa's home!"

Tristan walked up from the side and gave me a dismissive glance.

"It's not your concern."

Misty peeked out from behind him, her smile sweet and full of malice.

"I told them I wanted a little villa close to nature, so they decided to tear this place down and build one for me."

"You should come visit once it is finished, Lyra!"

"The boys said this house belongs to them now. I am sure you and Grandpa won't mind, right?"

Tristan stepped in front of her as if protecting her from me.

"Misty is right. We made the decision to demolish it."

"And you really have no say in the matter."

My blood boiled as I listened to them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a construction worker pick up a sledgehammer.

I lunged forward.

"No! Stop!"

I grabbed the worker's arm with all my strength.

"If you want to break this house, you'll have to break me first!"

"Nobody is touching a single brick of this place!"

Caleb marched over to pull me away.

"Stop making a scene!"

When he realized I wouldn't budge, he let go and his face darkened.

"Fine. If you want to get hurt, stay there."

"The rest of you, get to work. Otherwise, I'll sue you for breach of contract."

The workers looked at me with pity, but they had a job to do. One of them swung the hammer.

I didn't move.

The force of the worker's movement sent me flying to the side. My head slammed against the sharp corner of a wooden table.

The world went black instantly.

As I drifted into unconsciousness, I thought I saw Tristan running toward me with a look of pure terror.

When I finally opened my eyes, Misty was sitting nearby, bored and scrolling through her phone.

She noticed I was awake and walked over, looking down at me with a smirk.

"You're tough, I'll give you that. Still alive."

"But it doesn't matter. Your life isn't worth a dime anyway."

She sighed, her smile widening.

I forced myself to sit up, staring at her with pure hatred.

"Why are you here?"

She blinked innocently, though her eyes danced with triumph.

"On the surface, I am here to look after you because the boys asked me to."

"In reality, I wanted to tell you that while you were unconscious for five days, the house was leveled."

My eyes widened in shock. I tried to jump out of bed, but a wave of dizziness sent me crashing back onto the pillows.

Misty gleefully pulled up a video on her phone.

"Don't worry. I recorded it all so you can see every moment."

Just as she said that, Caleb and Tristan pushed the door open. Tristan was carrying a bowl of porridge.

My eyes stung with tears as I glared at them.

"You really tore down Grandpa's house?"

A flicker of guilt crossed Caleb's face.

"That place was a dump, Lyra. Think of it as a renovation."

Tristan sat on the edge of the bed and opened the porridge, his voice soft.

"Don't be so angry. Misty was crying earlier because she was so worried about you."

Misty squeezed out a few tears on cue.

I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed the pillow from behind me and hurled it at them with all my might.

"Are you even human?"

"Was this for a renovation, or was it for your own selfish greed? Get out!"

Caleb's face hardened as the pillow hit him.

"Lyra, enough!"

"You keep using Grandpa as an excuse, but he never said we couldn't do this!"

The tears finally spilled over. My voice was like ice.

"I have been back for days. Have either of you actually seen Grandpa?"

Tristan hesitated, looking confused.

"Maybe he's just away on a trip or something..."

"Of course you don't know."

"Because he is dead! He died at the train station the day you went off with Misty. He died of a heart attack because you abandoned him!"

"Enough!"

Caleb roared, trying to intimidate me.

"How many times are you going to curse him? What kind of granddaughter are you?"

"He loves to travel, you know that."

But Grandpa had been blind for two years. He hadn't left the house once because he was afraid of being a burden to them.

They had forgotten everything.

Today was the day of his burial. I had promised him I would bring him home.

I ignored them and climbed out of bed.

Tristan grabbed my arm, frowning.

"Where are you going? You need to rest."

At that exact moment, my phone rang. It was the funeral home. I put it on speaker.

"Miss Miller, today is the scheduled date for your grandfather's burial. What time will you be arriving?"

The color drained from my brothers' faces instantly.