Chapter 9 She Tried to Poison Me
When I woke up the next morning, I was still in a daze.
‘Wait, did I really touch Donald’s abs yesterday? Am I dreaming, or am I just that amazing now?‘
As I went downstairs, everyone was already having breakfast. Jeremy, with a face full of exaggerated charm, brought me a glass of apple juice.
“Good morning, Yunice,” he greeted warmly.
I narrowed my eyes at him. ‘Flattery from clowns often hides mischief. Why are you acting so nice out of nowhere?
“Pfft-” Harvey couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Jeremy’s usual self–assured, roguish smile froze on his face, and everyone at the table turned their attention to us.
“I just thought, since we’re all filming this show together, we might as well get along,” he offered, attempting to explain himself.
‘Bullshit! You’re trying to hit on me!‘ I snapped inwardly.
Gasps came from the table, but I wasn’t done. ‘You shameless pig. Yesterday, you were sneaking off with Alicia, playing your sleazy games in the woods, and now you’re here batting your eyes at me? What do you take me for? You’re nothing but an ugly toad who thinks he can flirt his way to the top!‘
The entire table was silent.
‘What? He probably took that drug from Alicia last night and slipped it into my apple juice so he could cook up some drama, take dirty pictures, and blackmail me. Does this idiot actually think he can live the dream of having multiple partners? Please. Does he have a death wish?‘
“Damn it!” Before I could blink, an irritable Harvey shot up, grabbed the water jug from the table, and hurled it at, Jeremy. “I’ll beat you to death, you scumbag!”
Donald’s face was cold as he reached over and took the apple juice from my hand, slamming it onto the table with a thud.
The sudden chaos left me dumbfounded.
Jimmy adjusted his glasses and leveled a steely gaze at the now pale–faced Alicia. “After this is over, you’ll leave the Stone Family.”
Alicia panicked and pleaded desperately. “No, I didn’t do anything! Jimmy, she’s lying!”
“Whether she’s lying or not, the evidence will speak for itself,” Jimmy snapped.
Her hopeful gaze dimmed, replaced by a venomous glare aimed directly at me.
‘Why are they fighting all of a sudden? Damn it! Wait, stop fighting! There’s a psycho killer in here!‘
Everyone froze, their eyes widening in disbelief.
Before anyone could fully react, a man dressed entirely in black, wearing a hat, emerged from the crowd of photographers behind Alicia. Using the chaos to his advantage, he positioned himself right behind her.
‘It’s one of Alicia’s obsessed stalker fans!‘ I exclaimed inwardly.
At this moment, Harvey and Jeremy, who had been wrestling with each other, ended up near Alicia in their scuffle.
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Chapter 9 She Tried to Poison Me
Panic flickered across her face. Her instincts screamed to run toward me, but in her frantic state, she grabbed Harvey’s arm, pulling him in front of her as a human shield.
The man in black suddenly unleashed a flurry of concealed weapons.
The chaos escalated. Apples on the guest table, a photographer’s camera, a producer’s notebook, even a makeup artist’s bottle of foundation–all became improvised projectiles.
The killer, caught completely off guard by the barrage, was struck repeatedly, leaving him disoriented. He stumbled forward, and the knife stabbed forward with all his strength. Harvey, tangled up by Alicia’s desperate grip, took a direct hit to his calf. He let out a muffled grunt, and his body collapsed to the floor along with Alicia.
Their fall dragged down Jeremy, who had been standing behind them. As he hit the ground, he instinctively grabbed onto Henry’s waistband, who had been leaning in for a closer look.
What followed was a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy. Like a row of toppled dominoes, one person after another tumbled down.
At the farthest edge of the chaos, Donald quickly grabbed my hand and took two steps back, keeping both of us firmly on our feet. Amidst the sea of fallen bodies, the two of us stood as the lone gap in an otherwise complete chain of destruction.
The silence was so heavy.
Outside the hospital.
Although the guests had only participated in the program for a single day and night, they looked as though they had experienced the hardships of three long years as they said their goodbyes at the entrance.
- The murderer had been handed over to the police by the production team. Word had it that he had been a die–hard fan of Alicia for years.
A few days ago, he had stumbled upon her checking into a hotel with a young male idol. Enraged, he believed she had shattered the pure, goddess–like image he had held of her and decided that if she couldn’t stay “pure,” they might as well die together.
Jeremy and Alicia had also been taken in by the authorities thanks to that cup of apple juice. She tried to talk her way out of it, but the law would teach her a lesson.
It all felt surreal to me. The two people responsible for ruining the Stone Family were just gone. Where had it all gone so wrong?
Angela lingered by my side, reluctant to leave, until we finally made plans to meet again next time. Only then did she depart, leaving me standing there with my family and one very present Donald, whose aura was impossible to ignore.
I blinked, staring at the man in front of me with confusion.
“Uh” He cleared his throat, his cool and handsome face as composed as ever, but the faint blush creeping up his ears betrayed him, “Aside from spicy chicken, beer–braised duck, braised lamb, and pickled fish, what other dishes do you like?”
“What?” I blurted, completely taken aback.
‘What’s he getting at? Does he plan to cook for me?‘ I thought.
“I can learn to make whatever you like,” he added, looking at me earnestly.
I instinctively took a few steps back.
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Chapter 9 She Tried to Poison Me
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‘No way! Could he actually be into me? Ugh, but as much as I joke about stuff like this, I’m not actually looking to date anyone–especially not someone like him, who attracts way too much attention.‘
In the next moment, Donald’s eyes, which had been filled with anticipation, turned cold. His face returned to its usual aloof, unreadable expression, and he spat out a word through his thin lips. “Heartbreaker.”
I stared at him, completely baffled, as he stormed off, clearly embarrassed and angry. ‘What’s his problem?‘ I thought.
Jimmy, who had been watching the whole scene with barely concealed laughter, patted me on the head and said, You should go home with Mom, Dad, and William to rest. I’ll stay here and look after Harvey.”
I glanced at Harvey, who was still lying in the hospital bed. Feeling awkward, I mumbled, “Hey, make sure you head home early.”
His face lit up with a delighted smile, but before he could say anything, I added, “Oh, and the kitchen’s all yours when you come back.”
The smile froze halfway on his face.
I thought the day’s drama had finally wrapped up. After all, I was completely drained! But as I was about to leave the hospital room after bickering with Harvey, a notification popped up from my gossip- tracking system.
‘Holy crap! William’s going to lose his innocence tonight!”
The family was shocked.
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