"Where on earth did Vincent go...?" she sobbed.
"Stop crying! That damn kid tricked us into this D Level car and ran off by himself, and you still have the face to cry!"
"Impossible. Vincent wouldn't do that. Could he... could something have happened to him? Waaah..."
Renee Kane was at a loss for words.
'Is this a butterfly effect from my rebirth? For them to end up right near me, of all things.'
'This saves me a lot of Life Value, at least. After all, the cost to locate each additional player doubles.'
Stowing her safe house, Renee Kane stuck her hands in her pockets and strolled leisurely toward the sound of the voices.
She rounded the corner and, just as she'd expected, saw Theo Sherman and Chloe Finch—that scumbag and his bitch.
It was no wonder Renee felt no filial affection for Theo Sherman. He had watched as Vincent used their blood ties to constantly fawn over her.
But not only did he fail to stop it, he actively created opportunities for Vincent.
In her past life, Renee hadn't learned until the moment of her death that Vincent was not only her paternal half-brother, but that he was also just three days younger than her!
Their words had also revealed a terrifying truth: Theo's "chance" meeting with Renee's mother had likely been a meticulously planned scheme from the very beginning to marry into her family and seize its fortune.
Renee even suspected that her mother's death was also connected to them.
The one thing Theo hadn't counted on was that Renee's mother had come to her senses before she died and drawn up a will.
She left everything to her daughter, stipulating that Renee could only take control after her eighteenth birthday. If any "accident" were to befall Renee, the entire inheritance would be donated to charity.
Otherwise, it was uncertain if Renee would have even survived to adulthood.
The arguing pair was startled when someone suddenly appeared ahead. But when they got a clear look at Renee's face, Theo Sherman exploded with rage.
"You beast! How dare you show your face to me!"
He rushed forward, aiming to slap Renee.
But Renee was a "stat freak" now. There was no way he could hit her.
She casually raised a hand and caught Theo's wrist, smiling. "I know you're upset, but you should probably calm down first. After all, you might get even more upset after seeing this."
With that, she tapped open a projection from her game panel. An image instantly appeared before them: Vincent, kneeling and begging Renee like a dog just before his death.
Chloe Finch let out a piercing shriek. "No! Vincent! My Vincent! You bitch, why didn't you just die with your mother?! AAAAAAHHH!"
Renee sent the lunging Chloe flying with a kick, her expression turning cold. "How did my mother die."
Driven mad by the sight of Vincent's miserable death, Chloe now wanted only to inflict the same pain on Renee.
She cackled madly. "That old bitch Miranda Kane? If she didn't have a bit of money, why would Theo have ever given her the time of day?! He says one word, and she rushes off to her death. Pathetic, isn't it? But what's even more pathetic is that she dared to secretly leave all her money to you!
"My poor Vincent, having to humor a little bitch like you for all those years! You liked him, didn't you? You obviously liked him, so how could you do this to him?! Oh, my Vincent!"
Her tirade dissolved into desperate sobs.
Meanwhile, Theo, his wrist feeling like it was about to snap, finally calmed down from his rage after witnessing Renee's strength.
He said through gritted teeth, "Renee, don't listen to her! I'm your only family left in this world. Your mother died from her illness. Right before she passed, she asked me to take good care of you. Have you forgotten?"
Seeing Theo's pathetic display, Chloe's eyes turned so red they looked ready to bleed. "Theo, you spineless bastard! She killed your son! Kill her! Kill her! The supplies—right, Vincent said she took all the family's money to buy supplies. If you kill her, we can survive!"
'Can't this stupid woman see my hand is turning purple?' Theo cursed inwardly. 'If I could break free from Renee's grip, I would've made my move ages ago!'
He roared, cutting Chloe off. "Shut up! Renee is my daughter! How could I possibly lay a hand on her?"
Then he turned back to Renee, his tone fawning. "Renee, don't listen to your Aunt Finch. We're a family. Your mother used to say, 'As long as a family works together, there's no hurdle they can't overcome.' Have you forgotten?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned Miranda Kane. But at the sound of her name, the murderous rage in Renee's heart became almost impossible to suppress.
She suddenly released Theo, shoving him to the ground. Then she tossed a dagger between him and Chloe. "You're right," she said with a pleasant smile. "We are a family. So how about this? You kill Chloe Finch, and we can still be father and daughter. What do you say?"
Theo looked at the dagger, then back at Renee, his expression frighteningly dark.
He was about to say something when his pupils contracted in shock.
A gun had somehow appeared in Renee's hand.
Cold sweat instantly beaded on Theo's forehead. Even Chloe's wails from the side died down.
The gun's muzzle swept between the two of them. Renee's voice sounded almost troubled. "See, someone has to pay for my mother's death. If it isn't Chloe... then it'll have to be you. Father."
Chloe looked at Theo in disbelief. "Theo, you can't trust her! She hates you! She'll definitely kill you!"
Theo's face twisted into a snarl. "I'm her biological father!"
Without waiting for Chloe to react, he lunged straight for the dagger.
But Chloe was already wary of him. Seeing his move, she threw herself recklessly at him.
She was still aching all over from Renee's kick.
But she knew full well that a heartless, treacherous man like Theo wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he got his hands on that dagger.
Chloe didn't go for the dagger. Instead, she clawed at Theo's eyes.
Caught off guard, Theo almost had his eyes gouged out.
As Theo screamed in pain, Chloe landed a vicious kick to his groin and snatched up the dagger.
But the one she hated most wasn't Theo. It was Renee—the woman who had killed her son and was now forcing her and her lover to turn on each other.
Even with a gun in Renee's hand, Chloe, her eyes bloodshot, still charged at her.
Renee didn't fire. She simply sent her flying with another kick.
Watching Chloe struggle to crawl toward the fallen dagger, Renee lowered her gaze. "You couldn't bring yourself to strike him... but what about him?"
Renee didn't need to say another word. Theo, having finally recovered and grabbed the dagger, was charging at Chloe with a twisted expression. "Bitch! You dare attack me?! If it weren't for me all these years, where would you have gotten the money to live so well?!
"Don't be scared, Renee! Daddy will kill her right now! She won't be able to hurt you!"
Chloe looked at Theo, who now resembled a crazed demon, and she began to laugh through her tears. "Vincent... my dear Vincent, Mommy was wrong! Mommy was so wrong! Mommy's coming to find you now, so don't be afraid. And I'm bringing your father with me!"
As she spoke, a fruit knife suddenly appeared in her hand.
Theo had thought victory was his for the taking, never expecting that Chloe had a hidden weapon of her own.
Just as the dagger plunged into Chloe's chest, she gritted her teeth and sank her own knife into Theo's stomach.
Chloe stared resentfully at Renee, her eyes refusing to close even in death.
As for Theo, he was a sobbing, slobbering mess, soiling himself as he desperately crawled toward Renee. "Renee, save Daddy! Daddy doesn't want to die!"