Karma Doesn’t Sleep: The Revenge Queen Rises novel Chapter 5

The sleek black Bentley glided to a stop in front of a sprawling villa.

Clive got out first, then gently lifted Amelia from the car and settled her into her wheelchair before rolling her up the path. Hidden behind her sunglasses, Amelia took in the sight of the house. This was supposed to be the start of their forever, the home she and Clive had chosen as newlyweds. Now, after five long years away, it felt like something from a half-remembered dream.

“We’re home, Amelia.” Clive leaned close, his voice soft and warm against her ear. “Can you smell that? The tulips you planted are still here. I’ve taken good care of them all this time.”

Amelia glanced over the moonlit garden. The tulips stood tall, delicate and beautiful, every single one planted by her own hands. She’d filled the garden with them, just because Clive once said they were his favorite. At that time, her whole world revolved around him, and she’d never even thought to ask why.

But then came the accident. While she lay unconscious, Kristen would visit, always bringing tulips. She would lean in and whisper, smiling sweetly, “Did you know? Tulips are actually my favorite. Thank you for planting so many. I love coming there with Clive. We had great time.”

A surge of anger twisted in Amelia’s chest. She reached out and snapped the stem of a tulip, unable to hold back the pain inside her.

She didn’t regret loving Clive—not for a second. She’d given her heart freely. But she couldn’t stand seeing her love treated like this.

By now, Clive had wheeled her to the front door. Amelia had designed every inch of this villa herself, down to the fingerprint lock on the door. From her seat, she reached out, almost on instinct, to press her finger to the scanner. Before she could touch it, Clive’s hand closed gently but firmly over hers. His palm was damp; he was nervous.

“I’ll get the door, Amelia,” he said quietly.

Amelia’s eyes flashed cold behind her sunglasses. She knew what that meant. He’d erased her fingerprints from the lock—wiped her out of her own home.

She tried to smile, but her heart twitched in agony. Silently, she pulled her hand back and watched Clive unlock the door. Just as the lock clicked open, a slender feminine hand reached out and swung the door wide.

“Clive, where are Timmy and Penny?” Amelia’s voice trembled just a little with anticipation.

She’d picked those names for her twins the moment she found out she was pregnant. Right now, nothing else mattered—not even Kristen. She just wanted to see her babies. For five years, the hope of holding her children again was the only thing that kept her going.

“They have school tomorrow,” Clive answered softly. “They’re already asleep. Your eyes haven’t recovered yet. There’s plenty of time to see them.”

Behind her sunglasses, Amelia’s eyes clouded over. She knew she couldn’t let Clive see how desperate she was, or he’d start asking questions.

She was about to say something else when the sound of little feet pattering on the stairs echoed through the house. She turned instinctively, just as Timmy and Penny appeared at the landing, hand in hand, coming down the steps in matching pajamas—one blue, one pink.