The Wife You Buried Is Back from Hell novel Chapter 1360

"The best!" Niki beamed, proudly thrusting the little red star into the air, her voice meltingly sweet. "My art teacher gave me a prize for my drawing!"

Danielle took the paper star, examining it with immense pride. "You're so talented, sweetheart. Come on, let's go get your favorite strawberry ice cream."

"Yay!" Niki cheered, throwing her arms around Danielle's neck and planting a sloppy kiss right on her cheek.

Neither of them noticed the figure lurking in the shadow of a massive camphor tree nearby. Ella was standing perfectly still, her dark eyes tracking their every move.

She watched Danielle affectionately take Niki's hand, watched the little girl chatter animatedly up at her mother, and watched Danielle smile back with pure devotion. The icy malice in Ella's eyes intensified.

That child was the very thing that made Danielle so utterly destructible.

Ella clenched her fists, an obsessive thrill coursing through her.

She waited until Danielle buckled Niki into the SUV and drove away before finally stepping out of the shadows, a highly calculated, malicious grin spreading across her face.

The very next afternoon.

Niki's elementary school was buzzing with chaotic energy.

Several delivery trucks plastered with 'Charity Donation' banners were parked directly on the playground. Workers were busy hauling out brand-new desks, mountains of books, and school supplies.

The children crowded around, buzzing with excitement as they ogled the shiny new gear.

Danielle was stuck in an emergency board meeting, so she had asked Alex to handle the school pickup.

Right now, Alex was standing on the second-floor breezeway, his brows locked in a deep scowl as he watched the spectacle unfold below.

His assistant had just briefed him over the phone: Ella had personally orchestrated a massive, highly publicized donation drop at Niki's school, completely unprompted.

Alarm bells instantly went off in Alex's head.

Niki turned her head. The second she recognized Ella's face, her little eyebrows scrunched together in alarm.

She remembered this woman. She was the one who had practically thrown herself at her daddy, and her daddy had dodged her.

Back then, this woman hadn't looked sweet at all. She had looked incredibly scary.

Instinctively, Niki backed away, hiding slightly behind her classmate. She glared at Ella with pure suspicion. "I don't know you."

Ella's perfect smile fractured for a millisecond before snapping back into place.

She pulled an expensive, foil-wrapped chocolate from her pocket and offered it to the little girl, her voice practically dripping with syrup. "I'm just here to do some charity work. How about a piece of chocolate?"

Niki stared at the candy, then back at Ella's face, and shook her head furiously. "My mommy says never to take things from strangers."

With that, she grabbed her friend's hand and bolted, glancing over her shoulder just to make sure the scary lady wasn't chasing them.