You Faked Your Deaths to Punish Me?! That’s Illegal, Family! novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Once they hauled everyone away, I finally held the memorial I’d been trying to conduct all day.

After that shitshow, we kept everything minimal-brief remarks, a moment of silence, done.

The IPO ceremony got rushed through in under ten minutes.

The disaster cost the company a few million in momentum, but could’ve been worse.

The verdicts came back a few days later.

My parents got nailed for fraud and identity theft.

Even though they hadn’t actually stolen anything, they’d torpedoed the company’s reputation during a major public event. With zero assets for restitution, the judge went hard-three years each.

Jake got five for bribery, falsifying federal documents, and multiple counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Since my parents no longer legally existed, they had to use Jake’s forged IDs to re-register with the state under completely different names. They’d successfully erased themselves-just not the way they’d planned.

Jake requested to see me. I figured he’d worked something out.

He looked like hell when they brought him in-gray skin, dead eyes, completely wrecked.

“You knew from the beginning you weren’t David’s biological daughter.”

Of course I knew.

I’d spent years replaying that moment during the earthquake when my mother screamed something I couldn’t hear through the roar of collapsing walls.

Eventually I figured out what her mouth had formed: bastard.

So I’d dug up the whole sordid history myself.

Part of me understood what she’d been through. I got the hatred. I’d even tried reaching out over the years, hoping we could somehow bridge

that gap.

But after being rejected repeatedly, I finally accepted some damage is permanent.

I couldn’t admit any of that here though-cameras recording everything.

I gave him a small smile.

“Say that loud enough and you’ll add defamation to your charges.”

His jaw tightened.

“I’ve been replaying everything trying to figure out how the DNA didn’t match when you obviously had to be her biological daughter. Then yesterday someone in gen pop tried killing themselves and it hit me-you’re severely anemic! You’ve had multiple transfusions over the years!”

I was genuinely impressed he’d put that together.

You Faked Your Deaths to Punish Me?! That’s Illegal, Family!

8.3%

Chapter 10

I tapped my temple mockingly.

“If you’d used that brain for something legitimate instead of running cons, you wouldn’t be wearing orange right now.”

I stood to leave.

He strained against the restraints.

“When did you figure it out?! When did you know?!”

I pulled out my phone and opened the group chat-One Big Happy Family-holding it up just long enough for him to see the name clearly.

I didn’t explain. Just turned toward the door.

His voice cracked behind me, desperate and furious.

“Lily! You’re abandoning your own mother and sister! Karma’s coming for you!”

I looked back through the reinforced glass, still smiling.

“Karma’s already here. You’re sitting in it.”

I walked out without another word.

The sun hit me the second I stepped outside-bright and warm and promising.

Just like everything waiting for me now.

10:54

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