Chapter 0004

Katrina watched his expression, his lingering gaze holding hers. However, the surprise in his eyes was gone the moment it came. And in order not to give herself away, she cleared her throat and tried to explain.

“It was involuntarily,” she whispered. “I think I haven’t quite recovered from the shock yet.”

Aaron nodded calmly and took her hand in his. “Don’t worry, you will get well soon.”

His soothing tone almost sounded like a gentle caress. But Katrina had to remind herself again and again of the kind of person he was. The kind of person she was dealing with.

Unable to move her hand away this time, she kept still, the warmth from his hand traveling through her body. Hopefully, she wouldn’t tremble to the point of him noticing.

Aaron was convinced that she was completely oblivious, just like her parents. She would like things to be kept that way until she got the upper hand.

Evening descended with Aaron never leaving her side. It was as if he was watching her movements. However, Katrina had to convince herself again and again that she hadn’t done anything to give herself out.

“Since the honeymoon can’t be possible anymore-” Aaron’s eyes strayed to her ankle, an almost disappointed look flashing through his eyes “Then I think it is better for me to resume work… soon,” he added the last word softly.

Katrina nodded quickly in agreement. He didn’t look happy that he had to cancel the honeymoon. What exactly had he planned to do with her during that trip?

“Work is important,” Katrina agreed. “Since the honeymoon is impossible now, it won’t be a nice idea to idle away at home.” And as she said that, so many ideas began conjuring up in her mind.

“And also,” she continued. “Going on a honeymoon will be unfair to my sister. It hasn’t been long since she passed away. We might as well use this time to grieve her memories.” Her tone wasn’t nice when she said that.

Katrina was secretly aiming to pass a message across. To make him aware of how heartless it was of him. He could go on a honeymoon with another woman immediately. That was to show how much he didn’t care for her sister. He never cared, while Katrina had misunderstood.

Growing up, she thought only her sister was in his heart and not her. She thought he had purposely ignored her feelings because he only liked her sister. The two used to hang out a lot, sometimes leaving her out.

But all Katrina’s thinking was wrong. Aaron turned out to be completely different from that boy she knew.

“I only want to make you happy.” His voice broke her out of her thoughts and Katrina found him still staring at her. “I know it is every woman’s dream to have a complete wedding. A honeymoon is important.” He paused. “But accidents are inevitable.” His eyes strayed to her legs. “And I promise to make it up to you. Once you get better.”

Katrina almost scoffed out loud at his words. Well, one thing hadn’t changed about him. His way of speaking. He was a smooth talker. Was this the way he had coaxed her sister?

Too bad she was way beyond that level. If there was one most important lesson in her life, it would be not falling for words. Many men were smooth talkers, and she had been unlucky two to three times to have dated one.

…

When evening came, Aaron left the hospital with her.

At first, Katrina had thought that he would drive her to a different location, a new place in fact. And surprise hit her when Aaron took her directly to his house. The house he had lived in with her sister.

Although Katrina hadn’t been here before, she could tell.

Her sister’s portraits were everywhere. From the bedside tables in the bedroom, a glass stand that stood in the closet, and big posters that were plastered on the wall.

It was the same bedroom Aaron lived in. The same bedroom they were now going to live in together.

He didn’t move anything, he didn’t change anything.

All of her sister’s belongings were present everywhere.

Grief hit Katrina hard. It was the kind of grief that was mixed with anger.

And she couldn’t help but imagine how hard it would be to live here with every memory of her sister watching her.

Aaron was this heartless. He didn’t even consider how much it would hurt to see these portraits. They didn’t hurt him because he had been the cause of her sister’s death. And he didn’t care if it affected her either because she was going to be his next victim.

As Katrina sat on the bed, her eyes wandering around, Aaron was in the bathroom.

And despite her aching ankle, Katrina struggled to her feet and moved toward the bedside table of where she assumed to be his side of the bed.

She pulled the drawers open carefully, and all she could see inside was a stack of documents.

Katrina rummaged through the documents, skimming through each one she came across. A criminal would hide clues in the most unusual of places. She couldn’t waste an opportunity when it came.

She checked all the documents she could find in the drawers, and when there was none left for her to look at, she pushed them close with a disappointed sigh.

Katrina straightened up and paced for a while in the bedroom, limping.

Aaron was still in the bathroom. If she made a trip downstairs, he wouldn’t come out before she returned, right? He wouldn’t come down to search for her while she conducted her search, right?

Her mind was torn into two and her heart thumped uncontrollably. It was as if her mission had a deadline, and once her time was exhausted, Aaron was going to catch her.

Katrina could still feel it in her bones that he was watching her.