She Needed My Blood, But I Needed Revenge - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
You are reading She Needed My Blood, But I Needed Revenge, Chapter 5: Chapter 5. Read more chapters of She Needed My Blood, But I Needed Revenge.
For two solid days, Gabriel wouldn't let up.
I'd blocked his number, but he kept finding workarounds. Unknown callers, burner phones, relentless texts and voicemails - the harassment never stopped.
"Where the hell are you?"
"Nadia's running out of time - she needs your blood."
"Come back now or we'll frame you for theft."
"You stole from me, but all's forgiven if you just give Nadia what she needs!"
I rolled my eyes. Seriously? Out of eight billion people on the planet, I'm their only option? This wasn't about Nadia's health - this was about punishing me. But their empty threats didn't faze me anymore. My decision was made. With a frustrated sigh, I powered off my phone and shoved it deep into my bag as I approached the pawnshop door.
The velvet pouch in my hand weighed more than just metal and gems - it carried years of Nadia's condescension, her smug superiority, every time she'd flaunted her wealth in my face like I was some charity case.
The shop bell jingled as I entered. The cramped space smelled of aged mahogany and oxidized silver. The bored-looking clerk barely glanced up until I slammed the pouch on the glass counter.
"Jewelry?" he mumbled, peering inside with disinterest.
His indifferent expression cracked as he pulled out piece after glittering piece - diamond tennis bracelets, emerald chokers, platinum earrings that probably cost more than my college tuition. Each one sparkled mockingly under the dingy shop lights.
"How much?" I demanded, arms crossed.
When he quoted a figure, I didn't even blink. "Take it all."
As he counted bills, something glinted at the bottom of the pouch. A ring. Not just any ring - the ring. The infamous Smith family heirloom Nadia never shut up about. Intricate gold filigree cradling a sapphire so deep blue it looked like the ocean at midnight.
My breath caught.
I remembered every time Nadia had twirled that damn thing in my face, bragging about its 200-year history, how it symbolized the Smith dynasty's power. Her favorite little reminder that I'd never belong in their world.
The cool metal felt heavier than expected as I picked it up. For a second, I considered tossing it in with the rest. But then...
I slipped it onto my finger. It felt alien yet satisfying - like claiming a tiny piece of justice. The pawnbroker eyed it curiously but kept silent as he pushed my cash across the counter. No explanations needed. I stuffed the money in my bag and walked out.
The airport buzzed with frantic energy - boarding calls, crying babies, the constant shuffle of travelers. I collapsed into a seat near my gate, boarding pass crumpled in my sweaty palm. For the first time in days, I exhaled. Not free yet, but close.
Then the TV screen grabbed my attention. BREAKING NEWS flashed beneath the Smith family crest I knew too well. My stomach dropped as the reporter's voice cut through the terminal noise:
"Medical tests following Nadia Smith's accident reveal a bombshell - she's not the biological Smith heir. Blood type discrepancies led to a hospital nurse confessing she switched two infants decades ago. The Smiths are now searching for their real daughter, reportedly identifiable by a distinctive heart-shaped birthmark on her lower back."
My fingers flew to the base of my spine where that exact mark had always been. A nervous laugh escaped my lips.
"No freaking way," I muttered. This had to be some cosmic joke. I was Amanda - the scholarship kid, the overworked assistant, the perpetual outsider.
But as I shifted in my seat, the sapphire on my finger caught the fluorescent light, winking at me like it knew a secret.
I'd blocked his number, but he kept finding workarounds. Unknown callers, burner phones, relentless texts and voicemails - the harassment never stopped.
"Where the hell are you?"
"Nadia's running out of time - she needs your blood."
"Come back now or we'll frame you for theft."
"You stole from me, but all's forgiven if you just give Nadia what she needs!"
I rolled my eyes. Seriously? Out of eight billion people on the planet, I'm their only option? This wasn't about Nadia's health - this was about punishing me. But their empty threats didn't faze me anymore. My decision was made. With a frustrated sigh, I powered off my phone and shoved it deep into my bag as I approached the pawnshop door.
The velvet pouch in my hand weighed more than just metal and gems - it carried years of Nadia's condescension, her smug superiority, every time she'd flaunted her wealth in my face like I was some charity case.
The shop bell jingled as I entered. The cramped space smelled of aged mahogany and oxidized silver. The bored-looking clerk barely glanced up until I slammed the pouch on the glass counter.
"Jewelry?" he mumbled, peering inside with disinterest.
His indifferent expression cracked as he pulled out piece after glittering piece - diamond tennis bracelets, emerald chokers, platinum earrings that probably cost more than my college tuition. Each one sparkled mockingly under the dingy shop lights.
"How much?" I demanded, arms crossed.
When he quoted a figure, I didn't even blink. "Take it all."
As he counted bills, something glinted at the bottom of the pouch. A ring. Not just any ring - the ring. The infamous Smith family heirloom Nadia never shut up about. Intricate gold filigree cradling a sapphire so deep blue it looked like the ocean at midnight.
My breath caught.
I remembered every time Nadia had twirled that damn thing in my face, bragging about its 200-year history, how it symbolized the Smith dynasty's power. Her favorite little reminder that I'd never belong in their world.
The cool metal felt heavier than expected as I picked it up. For a second, I considered tossing it in with the rest. But then...
I slipped it onto my finger. It felt alien yet satisfying - like claiming a tiny piece of justice. The pawnbroker eyed it curiously but kept silent as he pushed my cash across the counter. No explanations needed. I stuffed the money in my bag and walked out.
The airport buzzed with frantic energy - boarding calls, crying babies, the constant shuffle of travelers. I collapsed into a seat near my gate, boarding pass crumpled in my sweaty palm. For the first time in days, I exhaled. Not free yet, but close.
Then the TV screen grabbed my attention. BREAKING NEWS flashed beneath the Smith family crest I knew too well. My stomach dropped as the reporter's voice cut through the terminal noise:
"Medical tests following Nadia Smith's accident reveal a bombshell - she's not the biological Smith heir. Blood type discrepancies led to a hospital nurse confessing she switched two infants decades ago. The Smiths are now searching for their real daughter, reportedly identifiable by a distinctive heart-shaped birthmark on her lower back."
My fingers flew to the base of my spine where that exact mark had always been. A nervous laugh escaped my lips.
"No freaking way," I muttered. This had to be some cosmic joke. I was Amanda - the scholarship kid, the overworked assistant, the perpetual outsider.
But as I shifted in my seat, the sapphire on my finger caught the fluorescent light, winking at me like it knew a secret.
End of She Needed My Blood, But I Needed Revenge Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to She Needed My Blood, But I Needed Revenge book page.