Jessica sat tied to a chair, her eyes wide and tear-filled as Matthew entered the room. His face was unreadable, but his presence sent a chill down her spine.

“Did you kill Mom?” Jessica asked, her voice trembling.

Matthew met her gaze and answered with brutal honesty. “I did.”

Jessica’s face contorted in shock and disbelief. “How could you kill your own wife and my mother?” she shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Tristan entered the room, standing silently beside Matthew. His silence spoke volumes, a silent agreement with their father’s actions. Matthew gave Jessica one last glance, his voice quiet as he said, “Goodbye, Jessica. I hope you’ll have a better life in your next one.” Without another word, he turned and walked away, ignoring her desperate shouts.

“You’re the worst!” Jessica screamed after him, her voice cracking.

Andrew entered the room, his cold glare silencing her. “Shut up,” he said with a dangerous edge to his tone.

Eva followed closely behind, her voice like ice. “You don’t deserve to call him ‘Dad.’”

Jessica glared at them, then sneered defiantly. “Then kill me if that’s what you want.”

Alex leaned against the wall, a smirk playing on his lips. “Do you think you’ll have a normal death?” he taunted.

Andrew glanced at Tristan, who was already pulling a small glass vial from a cabinet. Jessica’s eyes widened in panic. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

“You’ll see,” Tristan replied with a sadistic calmness, drawing a syringe full of the mysterious liquid. He approached Jessica, ignoring her struggles, and injected the substance into her neck.

“What is this? What did you inject me with?” Jessica shrieked, fear creeping into her voice.

“A little something to send you home,” Alex said with mock sweetness.

Jessica’s body began to tremble as Tristan described the effects. “First, you’ll feel your body temperature rise, then your heart will race, and eventually, you’ll cough up blood. It won’t take long.”

Jessica’s defiance began to crumble as panic set in. “Wait! I’ll tell you the truth. Just give me the antidote!” she pleaded.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “Speak, then.”

Jessica closed her eyes, fear overtaking her as she confessed. “At first, it was because Mom told me to. She wanted to destroy Eva, Tristan, and their family. But later…it became about me. I wanted Foster Industries. I wanted to dominate King Corporation. I succeeded halfway, gaining power and authority…” Her voice faltered as she looked up at Tristan and Eva. “But I won’t tell you more unless you give me the antidote.”

Tristan smirked darkly. “Die peacefully,” he said before walking away. Andrew and the others followed, leaving Jessica alone to face the consequences of her greed and betrayal. Her screams echoed through the room as her body succumbed to the drug.

In another room, Mia was sobbing into her hands as Matthew entered. “Dad,” she cried, “I’m not sad because of Mom. I miss Uncle Asher and Aunt Nora. I hate that Mom was behind their deaths.”

Matthew’s face softened as he sat beside her, wrapping her in a comforting embrace. “I miss them too, Mia,” he said, his voice heavy with regret. “I’m sorry for everything. For not seeing what Camilla truly was. For the mistakes I made that led us here.”

Ava joined them, placing a hand on her father’s shoulder. “You couldn’t have known, Dad. Don’t blame yourself.”

Tristan added, his voice steady and reassuring, “We need to leave the past behind us and move forward as a family. We’ve lost enough.”

They sat together, exchanging words of comfort and hope before leaving. As the family prepared to leave, Eva stood motionless, lost in thought. Andrew approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist. “What’s on your mind?” he asked softly.

“Everything,” Eva whispered. “It’s so overwhelming.”

Andrew turned her to face him, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “You’re my crybaby,” he teased, kissing her lightly on each cheek.

“I’m not a crybaby,” Eva protested with a pout.

Andrew chuckled and held her close. “How about we visit your parents?”

Ava looked up at him, her eyes wide. “You’d do that?”

“Of course,” he said, leading her to the car.

At the graveyard, the family gathered at Asher and Nora’s graves. Mia knelt before the headstones, tears streaming down her face as she whispered, “I miss you both so much. If I could bring you back, I would.”

Matthew stood nearby, guilt etched on his face. “Forgive me,” he said quietly. “I should have protected you. I should have seen what Camilla was capable of.”

Tristan stood silently, his hands clasped as he prayed. He hoped his parents could see how he had tried to care for Eva and be strong in their absence.

After several minutes of quiet reflection, the family began to disperse. Eva stayed behind, kneeling by her parents’ graves as she prayed for their peace. Andrew stayed by her side, giving her the time she needed before gently guiding her back to the car.

Mia fell asleep in the car, but Evander had other plans. When she woke, she looked around in confusion. “Where are we?” she asked.

Evan smiled, his eyes soft as they lingered on her. “The beach. I thought we could use a little time to relax.”

Mia smiled despite herself. “What about everyone else?”

“They have their own plans,” Evan said, opening her door and holding out his hand. “Come on.”

Mia joined him, their fingers interlacing as they walked barefoot along the sand. Evan was lost in thought, his heart full as he admired her beauty. Mia snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Evan! Are you even listening?”

“Huh?” he stammered, embarrassed to be caught staring.

Mia laughed, teasing him for being so distracted. Evan grinned, suggesting a race to lighten the mood. Despite her protests about not being a fast runner, she agreed. As they raced, Mia stuck her tongue out at him, teasing him mercilessly.

Evan caught up, grabbing her hips. “You’re cheating!” Mia whined, laughing as he began to tickle her.

When she finally caught her breath, Evan pulled her close and kissed her deeply, his hands caressing her back. Mia was caught off guard but kissed him back before breaking away with a playful shove. “I win!” she shouted, laughing as she ran ahead.

Evan chased after her, laughing as well. They spent the rest of the day enjoying each other’s company, ending the evening with dinner and a movie, a welcome reprieve after all the chaos.