In the exclusive residential area lived the city's most affluent families.
Aeris's family, as well as Moni's, was among these wealthy households.
Moni's family followed a long-standing tradition of eating breakfast and dinner together, believing it strengthened their familial bonds.
As a result, the household—comprising two elderly grandparents, the parents, and the children, Moni and her elder brother—was loving and united, a harmony rarely seen among families of such wealth.
That morning, the house was filled with joy and laughter, utterly unaware that tragedy was about to befall them.
The ringing of the doorbell went unnoticed. The housekeeper went to open the door while the family continued their breakfast.
Moments later, the sound of several footsteps abruptly drew their attention. Police officers walked straight up to Mr. Eden and snapped handcuffs around his wrists, leaving everyone frozen in a mix of anger, fear, and horror.
For the entire month that followed, the family ran from place to place, exhausting every connection they possessed. In the end, they were only able to secure a reduction in sentence.
The evidence of tax evasion, money laundering, bribery, and corruption was so conclusive that escaping unscathed was impossible.
Just when Moni thought things could not grow any worse, a message from an unknown sender shattered what little peace remained.
The text claimed that the root of their misfortune was Mira herself—and warned that if the family continued to shield her, the next step would be far more brutal.
The household descended into chaos. How could they not know how spoiled and domineering their daughter was?
One after another, people came knocking at their door with grievances. Yet the family did not take them seriously, sending them away with mere compensation.
How could they have imagined that their indulgence would one day drag them into such devastating consequences?
It was true that when the fire had not yet reached their own door, it was never worth noticing.
An eerie silence enveloped the whole family. Moni clutched her mother's arm tightly, her petite body trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face as fear and trepidation consumed her.
"Mom… brother… grandfather… grandmother…" Moni called out each family member one by one, her voice quivering.
Moni's mother, overwhelmed with pity, looked at her daughter—the girl she had loved dearly, now consumed by insecurities that shredded her usually composed and cheerful demeanor.
"Don't be afraid, dear. We won't abandon you," she said gently, trying to soothe her uneasy daughter.
How could a mere text terrify her into abandoning her own flesh and blood?
She turned to her father-in-law. "Father, please call your old friend Tin. His son runs a tech company. I'm sure he can do something about the mastermind behind this."
The family soon got in touch with the old man's longtime friend, who, moved by pity for an old companion, introduced them to his son.
However, after days of sleepless nights, the company's top experts were unable to break through even the first layer of defenses. Instead, the company's president himself was thrown into a state of terror by a single warning message.
Moni's family was driven out of the company—embarrassed, humiliated, and furious.
When the dejected family finally returned home, they were stopped by the police at their doorstep. Soon after, the family's only son was implicated and taken away.
Not long after, another message arrived from the same sender, coldly informing them of the price of disobedience.
With their only grandson under threat, the family had no choice but to compromise.
Although the family never showed overt favoritism in daily life, in truth, Moni had always been regarded as someone who would eventually marry into another family. Their son—and grandson—was the true heir they valued.
Only someone as naive as Moni would fail to notice that, upon her brother's coming of age, nearly all the family's property and assets had already been placed in his hands.
"No—please, Mom! I'm scared… don't drive me away. How can I survive alone? I'll die. Please, open the door for me."
Standing outside the gate, Moni begged desperately, even dropping to her knees.
Realizing her mother's cold-hearted resolve, she turned to her grandparents, trying to soften their hearts with memories of her childhood.
"Grandma, didn't you always say I was your little muse? Please, open the door for me."
"Grandpa, you always said you loved me the most, didn't you? You used to hide candies and secretly slip them into my hand. Please… I don't want to leave you. I'm scared. Ask the doorman to open the gate for me, okay?"
"My child, please forgive us," the old man said at last. "But we can't protect you anymore. Take care of yourself—and be humble wherever you go."
It took all his strength to utter those words. His hunched back bent even further, making him seem decades older in that moment.
The old woman supported her husband and led him back into the villa.
Left behind, Moni failed to win their pity with tears. Rage replaced fear as she began hurling curses, her shrill voice filled with ugly words.
Her once delicate, fair face twisted grotesquely, the malice spilling from her cherry-red lips was unbearable to the ears.
Noticing the darkened sky and the gate still firmly closed, she picked up her suitcase and left, her heart filled with rage—and a faint, lingering fear for the future.
Standing by the roadside, she was at a loss as to where she should go. In the end, she decided to call her friends.
After more than half an hour, her anger only grew. Her so-called friends—some didn't answer her calls, some mocked her, and others had already blocked her entirely.
As she raised her hand to smash her phone, a sudden awareness of her current situation forced her to stop. Her hand fell limply to her side.
Unable to release her helpless fury, a single tear slipped down her cheek.
In the end, she had no choice but to hail a taxi and spend the night in a hotel.
That night, many people lay awake, tormented by restless thoughts. Yet Aeris slept soundly, a faint smile tugging at his lips even in sleep, betraying his unusually good mood.
At the same moment, many thoughts turned toward Moni. Her suffering had only just begun.
Our past would eventually catch up to us.
There was no escaping it.