Chapter 3

“Lucas, she’s just pretending to look pitiful. Back then, I was fooled by her, too. That’s why I failed to protect Hannah and got her expelled from school.

“Chloe, just because you wanted to take the championship title from Hannah, you hired people to force her into taking compromising photos. Then, you framed her for cheating during the competition. She almost died because of you!”

The moment Lucas heard those accusations, his expression turned icy. Whatever concern he had shown just moments ago disappeared.

“Get out of my sight right now,” he said. “If you try to ruin this wedding again, I’ll make you regret it.”

I struggled to my feet. Before Lucas could finish speaking, I suddenly ran straight toward the road beside the venue. A massive truck came speeding toward me. Just as I closed my eyes and waited for death, someone shoved me away with all their strength.

Lucas limped toward me despite his injured leg from the collision, then grabbed me by the throat.

“Chloe, who are you trying to fool with this pathetic suicide act? Do you really think I’d go soft on you because of this?”

At the same time, the System notification sounded in my head.

System: [Host, Lucas’s affection level toward you is increasing. Would you like to continue the mission?]

After yelling at me, Lucas immediately turned to his assistant and told him to cancel the wedding today. When he noticed me staring at him, he looked down at me, and I calmly withdrew my gaze.

“No.”

I didn’t want to continue anymore. All I wanted was to go home.

After the driver brought me back, I realized I had several scrapes all over my body. With the mud and blood mixed together, I looked filthy.

Just as I grabbed some antiseptic to clean my wounds, the bedroom door was suddenly kicked open. Finn stormed toward me in a rage and kicked my leg hard, sending the medical kit flying somewhere across the room.

“Where did you hide Hannah? If anything happens to her, I swear I’ll make your life a living hell!”

Lucas and Casey followed closely behind, both glaring at me with hostility.

“No wonder you kept pulling these fake suicide stunts in front of us. It was all just to cover up what you did. Let me make this clear. If anything happened to Hannah, I’ll kill you myself.”

How was I supposed to know where Hannah had disappeared to this time? However, their words suddenly made me realize something. Since they cared so much about her, maybe her disappearance would drive them insane, and maybe they would actually kill me.

Seeing that I stayed silent, hatred flashed across Lucas’s eyes.

“It looks like you won’t talk until you suffer a little.”

He picked up a bottle of rubbing alcohol and poured the entire thing directly onto my wounds. I was in so much pain. A sharp burning sensation tore through my body, making me tremble uncontrollably, but they still weren’t satisfied. So, they ordered the bodyguards to pin me to the floor. Finn held a pair of heated tongs in his hand, while Lucas continued pouring alcohol over my wounds. That was when true panic finally set in.

Yes, I wanted to die, but I didn’t want to be tortured to death like this. I struggled desperately, only to have a wooden stick slammed hard against my head. Blood streamed down my forehead. My clothes were soaked with sweat, and I didn’t even have the strength left to scream.

“Just kill me...”

Seeing that I was still refusing to speak, Lucas picked up a fruit knife and walked toward me. The sharp blade hovered less than an inch from my left eye.

“You think I can’t kill you? Chloe, I’m asking you one last time. Where is Hannah?”

My face was pale as paper. Still, I looked up at him and forced a smug smile with the last of my strength.

“Hannah? I killed her. I dumped her body into the ocean so that the sharks could eat her. Aren’t all of you hopelessly in love with her? Didn’t all of you want to marry her? And yet none of you could even protect her. So, go ahead. Kill me and avenge her.”

With his bloodshot eyes, he drove the knife straight into my chest, and my body collapsed limply onto the floor. Just before consciousness slipped away, I heard Hannah’s voice coming from the yard.

“Why is everyone here? Oh, what perfect timing. I bought coffee for everyone– Ah! Why is there so much blood in here?”