Her Familial Usurper System Failed On Me Chapter 09

Her Familial Usurper System Failed On Me Chapter 09

After Nora came to her senses, they locked her in a private room to wait for the police.

But the system’s icy countdown didn’t stop.

The cold voice kept repeating. Twenty minutes remaining. Nineteen. Eighteen.

In the end, it just said the same four words over and over.

[Kill the target.]

Nora fell deathly still–so motionless the posted guards narrowed their eyes warily at her.

During shift change, she slipped a fruit knife into her sleeve and escaped through the service stairwell.

I’d retreated to the rooftop.

The ballroom’s music and chatter were too loud. I’d come up for fresh air, carrying a bag of chips I’d hidden from Mom.

She didn’t let me eat them often, so I had to hide them very carefully.

The roof door slammed open as I was tearing open the bag.

Nora burst through, hair tangled, server uniform torn, holding the knife.

The blade pointed at me. Her eyes looked hollowed out.

“Anna. If you die, I survive.”

I chewed my chips and didn’t answer.

She came closer. “Why are you never afraid? Why do you get loved without doing anything? I groveled. I learned the rules. I memorized brands. I swallowed my pride and called Vivian Langley Mom. Why did I lose?”

I swallowed. “You got the name wrong.”

She froze on the spot.

Hooked.

Nora’s face contorted. The system’s countdown was hammering in her skull.

She gripped the knife and screamed, lunging at me

I looked at my chips. Still half a bag left.

Slowly, I held it out to her. “Want some?”

Nora stopped. For one second.

That second, shame and rage twisted her features. She thought I was mocking her. That she’d

risked everything, and I was asking if she wanted chips.

She snapped.

“I’LL KILL YOU!”

The blade arced downward, inches from my skin. Close enough I could spot faint fruit juice

smudges streaked across the metal surface.

Then the roof door crashed open again.

Guards swarmed in and pinned Nora to the ground. The knife clattered against the railing with a

sharp ring.

Mom ran in with a broken heel.

She grabbed me and held me so tight my chip bag almost got crushed.

She was shaking–I could feel it.

I patted her back. “Mom. The chips are going to break.”

She looked down at me. She checked me head to toe for injuries. Then she turned to Nora.

Nora was still screaming. “Vivian Langley, you can’t protect her forever! One day she’ll die!”

Mom raised her foot and slammed it down on Nora’s knife–hand.

The crack of bone was quiet. Nora’s scream filled the rooftop.

Mom didn’t move her foot.

She looked down at Nora. “Of course I’ll protect her forever. What do you think I live for?”

The system kept counting.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

Nora was begging now. Begging the system not to erase her. Saying she still had time.

Three. Two, One.

A heavy silence blanketed the rooftop.

Nora’s eyes flew wide for a heartbeat–then all light and awareness drained away, leaving nothing

empty glassy voids.