The car was getting close to the destination. Cassian pulled over and went to the back seat to check on Natalie. "Nattie, you okay?" He heard everything Jacob said from the front seat. He'd never met Scarlett, but it still pissed him off. He could only imagine how Natalie felt. He watched her carefully, worried she was too upset. "Nattie, you want me to kill him?" Natalie gripped the necklace around her neck, breathing heavily. "No! I'll do it myself!" She looked around. "Is it safe here?" Cassian nodded. "Lucky says the Grayhound Sect's base is just down the street at that hotel. I parked a bit away on purpose. Do what you need to do. I've got your back." Lucky barked twice. Me too! Natalie dragged Jacob out of the car and slammed him onto the ground. He groaned, slowly waking up. Without a word, Natalie stabbed him—hard. Before he could even scream, she yanked it out and stabbed him again. She didn't stop, over 20 times, putting all her strength into every strike, leaving him full of bloody holes. Jacob begged hoarsely, "I'm sorry! Natalie, I was wrong! Please let me go. "Take me back to Villa 1! I'm begging you, it hurts so bad!"Natalie ignored him, her mind filled with her mother's sad eyes. She didn't stop until Jacob had no breath left. Her hands shook. She stared blankly at Jacob's mangled body for a long moment. Cassian, worried, walked over and held her. That's when she finally broke down. "Cassian, I killed Jacob ... "He killed my mom ... " Cassian held her tighter. "It's okay. Don't be sad. "You did the right thing. He's the one who was wrong. "Nattie, you still have me." With Cassian comforting her, Natalie—covered in blood—slowly calmed down and wiped the tears from her face. That's right. She hadn't killed a father. She'd killed a monster. She should be glad she got to avenge her mom with her own hands. Natalie touched the necklace around her neck, didn't even glance at Jacob, and said to Cassian, "Let's go in." Cassian studied her face carefully. Seeing she seemed okay, he nodded. "Okay. Let's go." Natalie put the armored SUV back into her storage space, and the two followed Lucky down the street. Seeing Cassian's eyes still fixed on her, Natalie smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. Don't worry." For most people, killing their own father would be a huge deal. Cassian was probably worried she'd lose her mind. But for her, Jacob's death didn't affect her much.Right after her scumbag dad died, a flood of old memories hit her. Jacob held her hand, patiently taking her shopping, saying, "My princess deserves the best." Jacob took endless photos of her at an amusement park, smiling proudly. "How is my little girl so pretty?" Jacob found a love letter a boy had secretly slipped into her backpack. Fuming, he growled, "Which little punk thinks he can steal my precious girl?" One memory after another replayed in her head. But Natalie knew the truth now. It was all an act. He only wanted the Kellers' money. Real happiness came from her mom and grandparents. The real Jacob was the bastard who kicked her out and left her to die—the one who killed her mom and grandma. So Natalie let it go pretty quickly. He never cared about them, so why should she care about him? Feeling sorry for him even a second longer would betray her mom. With Lucky leading the way, they soon reached the hotel entrance. Lisa's van had been parked at the back entrance, so they hadn't noticed it from the front. Lucky sniffed carefully at the door and let out a soft "Ow, ow, ow!" Cassian translated. "She says Lisa just went in not long ago." Natalie said, "Let's go." Lucky wagged her tail, nose to the ground, leading the way. No matter how far you run, you can't hide from my nose! Outside the grain depot, Nicholas stood guard nervously by the door while Lisa rushed to pack up inside. She'd sped all the way back—the mountain road was foggy and dangerous, and she'd almost gone off the edge more than once. As soon as she made it, she started packing to run. Joe stood beside their packed suitcases, clutching his clothes tightly. His voice trembled. "No one else came back. Are they all dead? Mom, I'm scared! Maybe we should stop packing and just go!"