Zosia: Quick Transmigration System -
Chapter 125 - 123- ARC 4 {Evidence}
Zosia continued with the rest of her packing.
By the time she was done, it was already evening.
Looking at the sky, she guessed that the host father should be coming back anytime soon.
"I better go shower." She said as she gave one last look to everything she had packed. The room now looked a little bare.
The room wasn't exactly small but you couldn't say it was as big as her brothers.
Entering the bathroom, she felt the need for a long shower to cool herself down.
Zosia stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her fingers lightly tracing the dark circles beneath her eyes.
This was actually the first time she was looking at the host's face, and she must say, each body she occupies is just beautiful- a beautiful piece of art.
Touching her body, she felt the host bone structure.
"It may take a while for my soul to fully adapt to this body." Zosia muttered, her gaze still on her reflection.
Her soul had become stronger and the body needs to be strong to be able to fully accept her soul and exert her strength and powers in this world.
Turning away from the mirror, she peeled off her clothes, letting them drop carelessly to the tiled floor.
She stepped into the shower, letting the hot water cascade over her. The steam quickly filled the small space.
Zosia leaned her head against the cool, tiled wall, eyes closing. She felt a sense of relief, but knowing that she still had things to do, she could only sigh.
After a while, she turned off the shower, the silence that followed was almost deafening. She stepped out, wrapping a soft, fluffy towel around herself.
As she padded back into the bedroom, still drying her hair, she heard a soft knock on the door.
Knock!
Knock!!
"Seems like he is back." Zosia muttered, glancing at the wall clock in her room.
When she opened the door, a young maid stood there, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.
"Miss Auriel," the maid began, her voice quiet but respectful. "Your father has just returned. He asked me to inform you that dinner will be served shortly. He requests your presence in the dining room."
"Thank you," Zosia said, offering the maid a small smile. "I'll be down shortly."
The maid gave a quick nod and scurried away, her footsteps fading down the hall.
Zosia closed the door. She couldn't help but think about the maids attitude, "Seems like that woman really knows her job."
As for the woman she was referring to, it is the host's step-mother.
If it was in a house where the master has no grip on the servants, Zosia was very sure that instead of that maid being nervous when she opened the door, it would have been a round of demeaning words being thrown at her.
Thinking about it now, the host father really did have a good eye for a wife. The host step-mother, didn't really do anything to the host and has only left the host to her own devices, never really caring about what she does or needs.
She put her energy on her sons and didn't stop Auriel from associating with her sons, though the eldest didn't really like her, he hadn't done anything to her either.
The highest form of quarrel, they had ever had was both of them having a fist fight.
Since, her grandfather wasn't in support of her father's marriage to the step-mother, she had been trained by him since she was young, until two years ago, when her grandfather sent her back to her father's house, asking her to try and bond with him.
Zosia could understand what the grandfather must have been worrying about. After all, if he dies one day, her next backing would be her father.
But with a father that doesn't love the child or feels anything for the child, how do you think it will turn out?
Zosia dried off and slipped into a simple, homely outfit—a soft, oversized sweater paired with comfortable leggings.
She glanced around the now-bare room one last time before heading downstairs, her eyes glinting, as she thought of how to act out her part.
Zosia hoped that they would give her at least three days, to settle things on her end before she leaves.
As she entered the dining room, her gaze swept across the table. The host eldest brother was the first to catch her eye. He looked up briefly, his expression unreadable, then returned to talking to Aisha.
The younger brother, however, gave her a bright smile, patting the chair next to him.
"Auriel, sit here," he called out softly, his voice laced with affection.
Zosia glanced at the cloth Aisha wore. "She is really integrating fast." Zosia thought with a raised eyebrow.
Her gaze then landed on her stepmother, who appeared indifferent to her arrival.
The woman sat poised, her face an unreadable mask as she sipped her wine. There was no warmth, no welcome in her eyes. She seemed more concerned with adjusting the napkin on her lap than acknowledging Auriel's presence.
Zosia's eyes finally found the host father.
Despite being in his early fifties, he looked remarkably young and handsome, his strong jawline and neatly groomed hair making him appear years younger.
He was talking to one of the servants but looked up when she entered, offering her a tight-lipped smile.
"Welcome, Father," Zosia greeted, her voice airy,like she wasn't the one who would soon get thrown out.
He gave a brief nod. "Good evening, Auriel. Please, take your seat."
Zosia sat down next to her younger brother, who gave her a reassuring smile. She returned it with a small, grateful one of her own.
"Let's eat," Ashton announced, his tone commanding but not unkind. "We'll discuss things after dinner."
Zosia felt her stomach rumble and immediately began eating. Despite how fast she ate, her etiquette was still standard.
Keira who had wanted to complain about her fast Auriel ate and noticed how impeccable her etiquette was.
"Does she think this would make Ash reduce his anger on her?" Keira thought Inwardly, but no expression was worn on her face.
By the time dinner was done, Zosia had cleared more than half of the dishes on the table, leaving them flabbergasted.
"I can see you really love the meal the head chef made." Keira commented, a slight smile on her face.
Zosia smiled and said nothing, only patting her stomach. She dabbed her mouth delicately with a napkin, placing it down with an air of finality.
It was the first proper meal she'd had since taking over this body, and she could feel the strength returning to her limbs.
As the servants began clearing the table, the tension in the room seemed to spike. Damian leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest.
He was clearly waiting for the right moment to unleash whatever it was he had been stewing over since her arrival.
Zosia lazily raised her eyelids to look at them and caught the downtrodden look of the younger brother, like he was the one being sent away while Damian has a smirk on his face.
Zosia noticed the curl on Aisha's lips as she adjusted herself in her chair.
As dinner came to an end, the air in the room thickened with anticipation.
Zosia, maintaining her calm facade, glanced around the table, sensing the impending storm. Her fingers lightly traced the rim of her water glass as Ashton, the host father, pushed back his chair.
The room fell into a hushed silence, all eyes turning towards him.
Ashton cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping across the table, finally landing on Aisha. "I want to officially welcome you into the family, Aisha," he began. His voice held a formal, almost rehearsed tone. "Enjoy your new status. You've earned it, I suppose."
To Ashton, he would prefer having Auriel as his daughter as she never made him worry. Seeing how weak Aisha acted, he had a headache on how to handle her.
Zosia—now fully embodying Auriel—felt the words like a slap, but she remained expressionless.
She knew this was just the beginning of the show.
Ashton shifted his focus to her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Auriel," he continued, using her given name with a bite that hadn't been there before.
"As of today, I am revoking most of your rights as the original daughter of this household. You can still stay in the family, the Queens don't lack the money to feed one more mouth."
Aisha whose smile widened in response upon hearing about the revoke of Auriel's status, felt the smile dwindle upon hearing that Auriel would still be here.
She tried to put on a fake happy smile, but couldn't portray it well as it was 100% the opposite of her current emotions. She could only lower her head and take a sip of her water.
Keira, leaned forward and pulled out a sleek, black card from her purse, sliding it across the table towards Aisha.
"Here," Keira said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "This is for you, Aisha. A little gift to celebrate your place in our family."
Aisha's face lit up with genuine delight as she accepted the card. "Thank you, Mother," she said, her voice honeyed and warm.
She glanced at Zosia, a smug smile tugging at her lips. It was a clear attempt to gloat, but Zosia merely raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Ashton watched the interaction with a smirk, then turned to Keira. He didn't think much of the interaction, "Why don't you take Aisha shopping tomorrow? I'll transfer some additional funds to your account for it. Make sure she gets whatever she needs."
"Of course," Keira agreed immediately, her gaze flickering briefly to Zosia, as if daring her to say something.
Just like her husband, she preferred Auriel. Auriel was someone who knew her place, but thinking about the fact that Aisha doesn't know that her own mother is already dead, she thought of manipulating Aisha into her own favor.
If she was able to do it, her father-in-law would have no choice but to hand over the company to her sons on a silver platter.
Aisha's smile faltered for a second before she replaced it with her perfected look of gratitude. "Thank you, Father. I have never felt such in my life."
Zosia, observing the scene just watched on like she was watching a drama. She knew everyone had their own games they were playing.
She could also see Aisha's attempt at playing the innocent, grateful daughter, but Zosia knew better. Aisha's white lotus act was in full display, her eyes welling up as she played the part of the appreciative, demure newcomer.
"So, Aisha," Keira said, leaning back in her chair, "How have you been? I understand it's been quite a transition for you, coming into our family."
Aisha's expression shifted, and she gave a pitiful, almost tearful smile. "It's been difficult," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Adjusting to this new life, leaving behind everything I knew... But I'm trying my best. Besides, it's better than my past."
Damian, who had been quietly watching the entire exchange, finally spoke up. "Is that so?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the saccharine atmosphere. He turned to Ashton, his expression unreadable. "Father, what are your plans for Auriel now that you've made your decision?"
Ashton's gaze flicked to Damian, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. "I've already revoked her rights as the original daughter. What more do you think is necessary?"
Damian's lips curled into a cold smile. "I think you might want to see this before making any final decisions." He pulled a small stack of photographs from his jacket pocket and tossed them onto the table. The pictures scattered, revealing grainy screenshots of a chat conversation.
Zosia frowned, not realizing what the photos were for a moment.
Damian pointed to the photographs. "These are screenshots of Auriel's conversation with an assassin. It appears she was planning to have Aisha... taken care of."
The room fell into stunned silence. Aisha gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she gave an Oscar-worthy performance of shock and horror.
"How could you?" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I never did anything to you, Auriel. Why would you want to kill me?"
Zosia feigned disbelief. This had happened in the original host's memories and It was true that the original host had thought about it in a moment of weakness, feeling cornered with the looming status of her place in the family, but she had never acted on those thoughts.
In the original host's memories, Aisha had been provoking her constantly, undermining her position, and painting herself as the perfect victim. But Zosia knew she had never gone as far as contacting an assassin.
But to get her out of the house on the same day, this plan has been cooked up by who knows who and her grandfather had thrown her out of the house.
Funny how the person who had sent her out of the house was her grandfather not even her father. That was why Auriel felt betrayed.
Ashton picked up one of the photographs, his eyes narrowing as he studied it. He seemed to weigh the evidence in his hand, suspicion growing.
He glanced up at Zosia, a calculating look in his eyes. "This is a serious accusation," he said slowly. "Where did you even get the contact for an assassin? Access to the dark web isn't something anyone can just have."
Ashton had his thoughts straying to his own father—the one person who might have given her such access. Else, if it wasn't his father, he doesn't know how else she could have gotten access to the dark web.
He had begged his father for years to share his unique code, and it had never been granted. Yet here was his daughter, possibly in possession of it. The betrayal was palpable in his eyes.
"Father," Damian cut in smoothly, "I think it's worth investigating how Auriel managed to get such access. It's possible she had help. Maybe... from someone we least expect."
Chris, the younger brother, looked between his father and sister, his face pale. "I don't believe this," he said quietly, shaking his head. "There has to be a mistake. Auriel wouldn't do something like this."
Ashton took a deep breath, rubbing a hand over his face. He seemed to age in that moment, the weight of the accusations heavy on his shoulders.
"Everyone, leave us," he ordered suddenly, his voice tired but firm. "I need to speak with Auriel alone."
Keira stood immediately. She ushered Aisha, Chris and Damian out, her hands gently guiding them as though they were delicate porcelain dolls.
Chris lingered for a moment, his eyes locked on Zosia, but eventually, he too followed them out.
As the door clicked shut behind them, the room felt colder, emptier. Ashton dropped the photographs onto the table, the clattering sound echoing in the silence. He leaned back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Did you do it?" he asked quietly, not looking at her.
Zosia still calm, said, "No," she replied, her voice steady.
"I thought about it. I won't lie to you. But I never took any action. I don't even have access to the dark web, let alone know how to hire an assassin."
"No matter how grandfather loves me, there are some things he won't give to me and I know my place well enough, besides, I already planned on leaving the family in three days time."
Ashton's eyes flicked up to hers, studying her face, searching for any sign of deceit. For a long moment, he said nothing, simply observing her. Then, he sighed, a deep, weary sound. "You've put me in a very difficult position, Auriel. Whether you intended it or not, this entire situation looks damning."
Zosia swallowed hard, meeting his gaze. "I know," she whispered. "But you have to believe me. I didn't do this."
Ashton leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment, as though trying to gather his thoughts. When he finally opened them, the cold, calculating light was back. "We'll get to the bottom of this," he said. "But until then, consider yourself on thin ice. Any more missteps, and there will be consequences."
"Father— No, Mr. Ashton, I hope you can do me a favor." Zosia said, her eyes firm as she looked at him.
Ashton felt his eyelids twitch at the address, "What is that?"
"I hope you can change my family registration and help me deal with the issues surrounding it. I don't need much."
Ashton raised his eyebrow, "Are you doing this to be able to run away if the truth actually shows that you are the one who did it?"
"No! And I will try to find evidence on my own end."
"No need, you may just end up putting yourself in a more difficult position. I will report to Father About this.
Don't leave the house if possible. I will have Mr. Rowan take a leave for you at school."
With that, he stood up, leaving Zosia alone in the room, the photographs still spread across the table like damning evidence of a crime she hadn't committed.
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Thank you all for your support. Thank you Denise_Neckeles for the Golden ticket.
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