As it happened, Benjamin and Juliana made their way to the dart-throwing game. The darts had sharp steel tips, requiring players to be careful not to cut themselves or hurt others.

Emily walked over, striking up a conversation casually. "Fancy seeing you here

again."

Juliana smiled faintly. "Do you enjoy playing darts, Ms. Blair?"

"I've played a few times, but I'm not very good," Emily said, picking up a dart. There were several dartboards set up. She stood at the one next to Juliana's and threw, hitting the third ring.

"I haven't played much either," Juliana commented as they chatted idly.

Between them was a tray of darts meant for Juliana's board. Instead of taking from her own tray to the right, Emily continued to use the ones from Juliana's. Once that tray was empty, Emily naturally picked up a dart from her own tray and handed it to Juliana.

"Thank you," Juliana said, reaching for it.

Emily was holding the dart with the sharp tip cupped in her palm. As Juliana's hand approached, Emily turned her head, feigning distraction, and shifted the dart so the tip pointed directly at Juliana's palm.

Just as Emily had anticipated, the sharp point pricked Juliana's hand. Blood instantly welled up, staining the tip.

Juliana let out a soft cry, her face paling.

Emily turned back, feigning shock. "What's wrong?" she asked urgently. Acting as if she'd just noticed the blood, she took the dart back, clutching it tightly, and looked at Juliana's hand. Seeing the red bead of blood in the center of that pale palm, Emily said apologetically, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention and accidentally hurt you."

Benjamin hurried over and gently took Juliana's hand. His brow furrowed in displeasure at the sight of the small, bleeding wound, and he ignored Emily's apology completely.

“It's nothing,” Juliana said in a soothing voice. “Just a small cut. A bandage will be fine."

"You should go to the infirmary just in case," Emily urged, looking concerned.

Benjamin put an arm around Juliana's shoulders. “Come on, I'll take you."

Juliana nodded, her lips pressed together. She glanced apologetically at Emily. "Excuse us, then."

"You should go," Emily said, her hand tightening around the dart now stained with Juliana's blood.

After they left, Emily returned to the corner sofa and examined the dart. The blood on its sharp tip was still fresh. Handling it carefully, she stood up and left the party.

Back in her villa, Emily found a small vacuum-sealable bag and placed the dart inside. The door to the second-floor karaoke room was closed, but colorful lights pulsed from beneath it. Elizabeth was probably still in there, singing her heart out. Emily took out her phone and messaged her assistant to arrange for a DNA test in two days. She was scheduled to return tomorrow afternoon, so the test could be done the day after. But that night, a heavy rain began to fall.

Ashworth, located on Eldervale's southern coast, was prone to typhoons. What had been a minor storm on the forecast had unexpectedly developed into a major one, sweeping in on their third day at the resort. Everyone was forced to stay, and all travel for the next two days was canceled. The typhoon was powerful, with high wind speeds. It ripped trees from the ground and forced the resort to move all the cats into the villas for safety.