Chapter 3

Kendall's POV

Less than a fraction of a second later, my phone started ringing off the hook. I didn't answer any of Kieran's calls.

Five minutes later, the front door was kicked open. Kieran braced against the doorframe, panting heavily.

He had run so fast that his wound had ripped open. The horrifying patch of crimson spread across his side.

Yet, he seemed completely oblivious to it. Like a man possessed, he charged at me and ripped the divorce agreement to shreds. As if that wasn't enough, he set the scraps on fire and reduced them to ashes before lifting his gaze and looking me in the eye.

His gaze was dangerous, almost predatory. "Kendall, you know damn well that I'd rather die than leave you. You must've known that Talulah had tricked me into signing the divorce agreement, so why the hell did you sign it?"

Before I could answer, his lips crashed against mine. His kisses were fierce, ravenous, and tasted of blood.

I desperately tried to turn my head away before letting out a breathless chuckle. "Right... You'd rather die than leave me. But you're totally fine cheating on me."

He went rigid.

I snapped, "What, did you think that because I love you, I'd never be able to leave you no matter what you did?"

Meeting my mocking gaze, his expression softened. He gently nuzzled my neck with his cheek. "I was wrong. What will it take for you to forgive me?"

"I want Talulah to abort the baby."

"Consider it done," he answered without a moment's hesitation.

"I want you to break up with her."

This time, he fell silent for a moment. "...Alright."

I chuckled. Almost simultaneously, heart-wrenching sobs burst from the pillow beside us. "Kieran Steel, you son of a bitch!"

Kieran's expression changed drastically. With a sweet smile, I pulled out my phone.

The screen revealed that the call was still connected. I'd been livestreaming the whole conversation to his lover for quite some time.

Talulah bawled her eyes out on the other end of the line. "Kieran Steel, you're the one who chose to abandon our baby and me first! Don't you dare regret this!" With that, she hung up.

Kieran appeared frustrated, as if he wanted to chew someone out. Yet, the moment he saw my face, he gritted his teeth and held his tongue. He shoved me away and stormed out.

By the time I leisurely followed his location to a grand bridge, the two of them were already locked in a full-blown lovers' quarrel. One moment the couple was hurling insults at each other; the next, they were kissing. They threw hands, shoved, and then pulled each other into their arms.

The moment he spotted me, Kieran tensed and shielded Talulah behind him once more. Suppressing his anger, he gritted out, "What the hell do you want now, Kendall? Tal's pregnancy is still unstable. I'm warning you, don't provoke her again!"

Talulah abruptly darted out from behind him. Her cheeks were still wet with tears, yet the triumphant gleam in her eyes had returned.

She lunged at me before whispering in my ear. "You shouldn't take a man's words to heart. At the end of the day, actions speak louder than words. I'm carrying his baby right now. Guess who he'll choose between you and me?"

As soon as her words fell, she clamped her hands around my neck and leaped off the bridge, dragging me down with her. The ice shattered beneath us, and I plunged into the freezing water. The ripples were like countless shimmering blades, slicing into my skin until every inch of me screamed in agony.

Talulah's frantic yet confident voice rang in my ears. "I'm carrying your child, Kieran! Let's see if you have the guts to watch me die!"

Ice cracked and water splashed around us as Kieran leaped in after us and swam toward us like a madman. After hesitating for only a few seconds, he grasped Talulah and pulled her into his arms. "I know you're an expert swimmer; you can make it to shore on your own, but Tal can't!"

Talulah rested her head on his shoulder before turning around to flash me a triumphant grin. "I win," she mouthed.

I smiled back at her. "Who knows? Maybe it's a win-win situation?"

She was caught off guard, staring at me like a deer caught in headlights. However, I didn't call for help, nor did I swim toward the surface.

Kieran was right. I was an exceptional swimmer.

Merely moments ago, I suddenly realized that if I remained alive, I could never leave him. What if I faked my own death, though?

Sunlight shimmered faintly through the surface above me. I watched the two of them cling to each other as I silently sank deeper into the abyss.

"Goodbye, Kieran…" I thought to myself. I was just about to swim away unnoticed when the flickering silhouette near the water's surface suddenly froze.