Chapter 2

"Are you hot? Why are you sweating so much?"

I shook my head, unsure what to say that wouldn't arouse his suspicion.

Fortunately, he didn't press the issue.

Instead, he opened his arms and pulled me into an embrace.

We had already been close, but now there was practically no space left between us.

"Of course I'm your husband," he murmured beside my ear, his deep voice carrying a strange undertone, as if he had finally recovered something he thought he'd lost forever.

The vibration of his chest as he spoke sent a tingling sensation across the edge of my ear.

I said nothing, but my mind was racing.

Doubt and distrust were poison to any relationship. Jayden and I spent years together, building a life side by side. None of those feelings had been fake.

Although this masked man looked exactly like Jayden, I couldn't shake the conviction that he wasn't my husband.

As for why he had willingly assumed Jayden's identity, I hadn't the slightest clue.

If he hadn't shared Jayden's face, I doubted I could have kept up this charade for so long.

After remaining in his embrace for a while, I finally broke the awkward silence.

"Honey, you've worked hard on this trip. You just got back, and you're covered in dust. Why don't you take a shower first?"

I needed to find a way to save myself.

I couldn't keep pretending with him forever.

Once he went to shower, I could call the police, then leave the apartment and hide somewhere public. That would greatly improve my chances of surviving.

I wasn't even sure whether he would agree.

In all seven previous lives, he appeared only as a killer. It was only because he took on Jayden's identity this time that I dared make such a request.

"Sure."

He agreed immediately.

I barely breathed a sigh of relief when he continued, "Honey, we've been apart for so many days. Why don't we shower together?"

My heart skipped a beat, though I kept my expression calm.

My mind immediately began searching for a way out.

"Together?" I forced out a laugh. "You go ahead. I already showered earlier."

"That's fine. You can shower again." He raised an eyebrow. "Besides, it's been days since we've seen each other. We should spend some quality time together."

The meaning behind his words couldn't have been more obvious.

His expression made me momentarily lose focus.

The truth was, the two of them were incredibly alike.

For a split second, my lapse in concentration nearly made me nod and accept his invitation.

"Honey, I'm really sorry."

I intertwined my fingers and lowered my gaze, putting on a guilty expression. "It's that time of the month for me. It really wouldn't be appropriate for us to shower together."

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Alright. Then forget it."

A moment later, he added, "Are your cramps still bothering you?"

His hand settled naturally against my lower abdomen.

I immediately stood and pushed him away, eager to send him into the bathroom as quickly as possible.

"I'm fine. Go take your shower. I'll make you something to eat."

The moment the words left my mouth, cold sweat broke out across my back.

I had spent far too much time with that face.

It was too familiar.

For a brief moment, I had forgotten that the man standing before me was the killer who murdered me seven times.

I cautiously glanced at his expression.

Only after confirming that there was no anger or murderous intent on his face did I secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

"Alright."

He smiled and nodded.

I watched him walk toward the bathroom, and only then did the tension slowly leave my body.

Three steps.

Two.

One.

I was only a single step away from success.

Then the man suddenly turned around.

"Oh, right, honey. Could I borrow your phone for a moment?"

If I hadn't already died at his hands seven times and known he wasn't nearly as harmless as he appeared, I might actually have handed it over without a second thought.

After a brief internal struggle, I reluctantly surrendered my phone.

At last, he stopped lingering and headed into the bathroom.

I silently comforted myself.

At least we weren't sharing the same space anymore.

Remembering the excuse I had just made up, I decided to head into the kitchen, not because I intended to cook.

I'd thought of another plan.

The kitchen was equipped with a smoke detector connected directly to the fire department's emergency dispatch system.

If I could trigger it, then once the firefighters arrived, I'd be saved.

It sounded like a good plan.

But the more I thought about it, the more flaws I found.

What if the masked man realized what I was doing after the alarm went off and killed me before help arrived?

Yet as the sound of running water from the bathroom suddenly stopped, I realized I had no time left to think.

I turned on the gas and poured a generous amount of cooking oil into a pan.

The temperature climbed steadily.

Just a little longer...

Click.

A hand reached over and mercilessly turned off the burner.

I followed the arm upward.

Standing beside me was the masked man, freshly showered.