“What are you going to do?” Aubree feigned fear as she was quickly cornered by the five girls.

“What are we going to do?” The leader spat out her cigarette and glared viciously. “If it weren’t for you, my parents wouldn’t be planning to send me abroad. No parent would willingly accept a daughter being a murderer. Their families were either ashamed and ready to abandon them, trying to ship them off abroad, or marrying them off as quickly as possible if money was tight.”

These five girls had pinned all their misfortunes on Aubree.

“You think you’re so great with your little bronze award? You got all of us into trouble!” Another girl slapped Aubree’s face lightly.

The one with the knife sneered. “You think you’re something, bullying Carmen? Don’t you know she’s under our protection? Had fun at your birthday yesterday, huh? How dare you steal Carmen’s spotlight?”

Another one said, “That fireworks display was really something. How many sugar daddies did you have to sleep with to make it happen?”

A flood of foul and vulgar language poured down on Aubree.

Aubree lowered her head without retorting, her hand behind her back clutching the fruit knife she always carried. The moment was drawing near…

She welcomed their endless taunts because the more they said now, the harder it would be to deny it later.

“Enough chit-chat, Taya. Look at her pathetic face. She won’t even squeak if we beat her. Let’s get this over with.” Another girl waved the knife threateningly at Aubree.

Aubree looked terrified. “What… what are you going to do to me?”

“What do you think?” The leader grinned maniacally.

She added, “You love attention, right? We’ll get you on the front page. How about this headline? ‘High school girl assaulted and murdered on her way to school’? We think it suits you perfectly.”

“Lucky you, we won’t waste time. We’ll only make it hurt for a moment. After you’re dead, we’ll strip off your clothes and then…” Their eyes dropped to Aubree’s private parts, twisted with sadistic delight.

They had chosen this place specifically because it had no surveillance. Every step had been carefully scouted in advance.

Aubree’s heart turned colder. The people before her were nothing but beasts by nature. Calling them inherently evil was more accurate than any other label.

She had long lost track of how many victims had suffered at the hands of this group. After one of Matilda’s friends jumped off a building, Aubree had overheard them in the bathroom joking and mocking her death without an ounce of remorse or fear.

Aubree looked up with a cold smile. “Well, sounds like you’ve made a thorough and evil plan. But I’m sorry, looks like you won’t get to carry out even the first step.”

Thinking Aubree was provoking her, the leader grabbed the knife from her companion and raised it. “You think I’m bluffing? No one’s saving you today!”

Just as the blade neared Aubree, a hand suddenly appeared and gripped her wrist tightly.

The leader let out a piercing scream as her wrist was twisted at an unnatural angle. It popped out of its socket with a sickening crack.

“Who are you?” The others pulled out their weapons, aiming at Zachary, who suddenly appeared.

Without a word, Zachary took them down swiftly, with brutal efficiency.

He had heard everything. It was hard to imagine that girls only seventeen or eighteen years old could harbor such crudity.

Then, the wail of police sirens filled the air.

Seeing the flashing lights, the five girls finally showed signs of fear.

Aubree casually pulled out her phone and played a recording of everything they’d just said. She smiled. “Attempted murder. Want to guess how many years my lawyer can get you sentenced for?”

Their faces turned ashen. Worse, they had mentioned Carmen’s name. If she got involved, their situation would become hopeless.

At Rithol High School.

During art class, several uniformed officers appeared at the door.

“Carmen, come with us.”

Under everyone’s gaze, Carmen was taken away.

With guilt hanging over her like a cloud, Carmen was uneasy the entire way. But when she saw Aubree inside the police station, smiling and waving at her, her heart sank.

Aubree was alive. Carmen thought Taya and the others must have failed.

Before she could even process what was going on, the five girls, now in handcuffs, were escorted past her, their faces pale.

Carmen’s face went pale. ‘How could this have gone wrong? Did they rat me out?’

She had been very careful. As long as she didn’t admit anything, no evidence would link her to the crime.

Carmen tried to stay calm. Her guardians, Ronald and Alice, had also been summoned.

In the interrogation room, the police explained the case and played the recording. Even Alice, who always spoiled Carmen, was in disbelief that such a cruel act could be connected to her daughter.

Her hands trembled. “Carmen, tell Mom the truth. Were you involved in this?”

Alice couldn’t bear to imagine it. If that recording was real, she didn’t know how to face Aubree.

Alice looked at Aubree, overwhelmed with guilt. That was her daughter too. She disliked Aubree for being vulgar and unrefined, but if Aubree died in that way, Alice wouldn’t have been able to handle it.

Carmen bit her lip and let tears fall. “Mom, don’t you believe me? How could I possibly do something like that to my sister?”

Carmen was always kind. Even after Aubree left, she worried about her. Alice felt ashamed for even suspecting her.

Carmen had covered her tracks thoroughly. All contact had been through untraceable black-market accounts. No one could find direct evidence.

Even if the others mentioned her name, the Wilson family’s lawyers would ensure she remained untouched.

Alice calmed herself and turned to Aubree, trying to take her hand, but missed it. “Aubree, this must be a misunderstanding. Carmen couldn’t have done it.”

“Stop. I’m here as the victim, investigating whether Carmen is the perpetrator,” Aubree’s face was cold, unmoved.

Alice froze. The sliver of guilt she had felt vanished. Aubree was still as unreasonable as ever. There was no way this had anything to do with Carmen, and to think she had actually considered coaxing Aubree to come home.

Aubree said, “Since you deny involvement, why did they say they were protecting you? We have reason to believe you incited them.”

No one could fake victimhood better than Carmen. Even as a suspect, the officers spoke to her gently.

Carmen tried to explain, “I didn’t know they were like this. We were just classmates. Maybe they thought I was kind and wanted to protect me, and Aubree and I don’t get along. They might’ve misunderstood.”

She added, “Besides, Aubree already had conflicts with them. Just because they mentioned me doesn’t prove anything, right?”

Carmen seemed flustered, but her every word deflected blame, claiming the girls acted on their own. She’d never asked them to do anything.

They already had a grudge against each other, so mentioning her was just an offhand remark.

The police couldn’t refute Carmen. There was no direct evidence.

After routine questioning, she was allowed to leave.

Outside the police station, Ronald slapped Carmen hard across the face.

The slap stunned both Carmen and Aubree.

Carmen had assumed Ronald was silently planning how to defend her. She didn’t expect the slap at all.