I Don't Want to Die

“Nonsense! Mireille is definitely my biological daughter. Don’t even try to smear her in front of me. Mireille is my hope. And don’t think just because you took back that rundown villa, I’m powerless. Mireille will marry into the Hale family soon — and won’t the Hale family be mine then?” Fenris didn’t take Raina’s words seriously at all.

He was dreaming way too big.

Raina said, “Oh, whatever you say.”

Then she hung up. Putting away her phone, she stretched and looked out the window — only to realize they weren’t headed back to Wexford Lane.

“Huh...” Raina raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Vexley, where exactly are we going?”

Leif put down the files in his hand. “Supermarket.”

Raina blinked, then remembered she had mentioned cooking dinner tonight.

Actually, Raina knew Wexford Lane had everything—fresh ingredients right in the fridge. But since she wanted to thank Leif and Rael, she couldn’t just use whatever was already there.

By the time they arrived at the supermarket, Raina nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

They got out and walked inside together.

The supermarket wasn’t crowded at this hour. Raina grabbed a cart, and almost instantly Leif smoothly took it from her. She seemed used to it now and didn’t say anything.

She picked out ingredients while he pushed the cart. Whenever she couldn’t reach something, Leif would effortlessly grab it for her. Their teamwork was almost perfect.

Soon the cart was piled high with groceries. Raina steadied the cart with one hand and smiled, “That should be enough. Let’s head to checkout, Mr. Vexley.”

“Okay.”

As they passed the household goods aisle on the way, Raina hummed softly. Her eyes caught a pair of adorable slippers.

They were little dinosaur slippers, complete with cute little ears on each side — soft and totally adorable.

She’d walked past these before. Sometimes she’d just stare at cute things like this, thinking about how if her child were still alive, they’d probably be wearing slippers and clothes this size.

“Miss, these slippers are super cute! How old is your kid?” The salesperson approached with a bright smile.

Raina’s expression stiffened and her gaze dropped. “Mr. Vexley, Gale is…”

“He’s just a little over four,” Leif answered.

“Four years old is perfect for this size! Plus, this is a matching parent-child set — there’s even slippers for mom and dad. Perfect for a family of three!”

A family of three.

Those words stirred something inside Raina — a feeling she’d never had before. It was bittersweet, maybe something else she couldn’t quite name, but it made her chest tighten uncomfortably.

After a moment, she said, “Wrap it up. We’ll take it.”

“Sure thing, miss. I’ll pack it for you.”

“Thanks.”

Only after she took the bag and walked away did she realize what an unbelievable thing she’d just done.

Was she crazy?!

The set was clearly for a family of three. Gale, that was one thing — he was still a kid. But what about Leif?

Would he misunderstand?

Should she explain?

But how do you even explain something like this? Sometimes explaining just makes things worse — Leif might not have thought much about it, and her bringing it up could just make him uncomfortable.

After going back and forth in her head with no clear answer, Raina shook her head, deciding to just drop it.

When she gave Gale the slippers later… well, whatever happens, happens.

Maybe she could even give a pair to Leif too?

If he accepted, it wouldn’t be too awkward. But if he didn’t…

Ugh… so annoying!

By then, they’d reached checkout. After the cashier scanned everything, Raina pulled out her phone to pay—only to find it dead. Completely shut off.

Raina: “...”

What kind of cruel fate was this?!

If it were just her, no big deal. She’d been through enough embarrassing stuff over the years to have a thick skin for any awkward situation.

But right now, Leif was there too. If she embarrassed herself, she’d drag him down with her.

She covered her face with one hand. For the first time in years, she felt her composure cracking.

Just as she was about to say something, a hand appeared in front of her.

A right hand, with a sleek silver ring on the middle finger, holding a slim black card between the index and middle fingers.

Then a calm, deep voice sounded over her head. “Use my card.”

Raina: “...”

From the supermarket all the way out, Raina didn’t dare look Leif in the eye.

She was the one who said she’d cook tonight, who suggested buying groceries, but in the end, he was the one who paid.

On the way home, Raina vowed silently to make a really good food for Leif tonight — she had to clear this hurdle.

---

Outskirts of the capital, a remote mountain foot.

A black G-Class slammed into a massive rock. The hood was crumpled and steam billowed from the engine. Anyone who knew cars would say it was totaled.

Crash—bang—

In the eerie silence, a faint voice called out:

“Help… someone, please… help…”

Inside the car was Cove, who had been speeding away last night.

Injured and exhausted after running all night, he’d lost control and hit the rock. But somehow, he was still alive.

Though alive, his head was bleeding badly and his right leg was trapped under the driver’s seat — barely hanging on.

Cove desperately banged on the twisted door, trying to open it. The weird banging noises just now were him trying to break free.

“Help… someone please save me… I don’t want to die… I really don’t want to die…”

He muttered in panic and despair, but no matter how hard he hit the door, it wouldn’t budge.

Just when all hope seemed lost, the door suddenly swung open from outside.

A lean man stood there. Then he lifted his foot and pressed hard down on Cove’s injured leg, laughing softly.

“Well, well, Mr. Cove,” he said.

***