Chapter 1

The comments were still flying past.

[Wait, did the look in Joanna's eyes just change?]

[She should've wised up ages ago. Blake only has eyes for Keira.]

[Grab your popcorn. She's about to go full villain mode!]

Villain mode? No. It was just that suddenly, a lot of things clicked into place for me.

Blake Stone never let me meet anyone alone, claiming he was afraid I would fall in with the wrong crowd. And whenever I brought up getting a job, he would gently cut me off. "You don't have to. I'll take care of you."

It turned out that wasn't love at all. It was a cage.

I returned to the villa, feeling distraught. I started throwing my things into a suitcase robotically. As I walked past the study, the comments exploded again.

[Look at the computer! Blake didn't log out of his WhatsApp!]

[Oh no. If she sees those messages…]

[Danger! Time to protect Keira!]

A crisp notification sound came from inside the study. I pushed the door open. The monitor was still on, and a WhatsApp chat window between Blake and the male lead, Anson Griffith, filled the screen.

The most recent message was from Blake. "She suddenly turned down my proposal. Keep an eye on Keira these next few days. Don't let Joanna get near her."

Anson's reply was almost instantaneous. "Got it. You've really gone through a lot all these years."

I laughed at that. How ridiculous. Because of me, two men who were supposed to be the worst of love rivals had somehow ended up on the same team.

I scrolled up. The chat history was like a dull blade that slowly sawed through my skin and flesh.

Anson: "If I remember right, in the original story, Joanna doesn't ruin Keira's face. She even hires someone to assault her. Making you share a bed with that vicious woman every night is really asking too much of you."

Blake: "As long as Keira is safe, it's all worth it."

Anson: "She seems to be falling more and more in love with you. Do you think she'll lose it completely if she finds out the truth?"

Blake: "She won't find out. But if she does and dares lay a hand on Keira… I'll break her limbs and have her locked in a psych ward for life!"

He even added an exclamation mark at the end for added emphasis.

My hands turned cold as I stared at the screen.

The comments erupted.

["It's all worth it." Blake is so in love! I don't need to say who with, right?]

[Am I the only one who finds this terrifying? He's been scheming against someone else for six years just to protect Keira Lane.]

[Excuse me? Joanna is literally the evil villainess in this story. Blake is doing the world a favor while protecting his true love. It's a win-win situation!]

[Look at Joanna's face right now. Is she about to snap?]

[Girl, stop stirring up drama. Just run!]

Run?

I lowered my eyes and looked at my slender wrists. Yeah, I needed to run.

By the time I dragged my suitcase out the front door, night had fallen. I stood by the side of the road. For a second, I had no idea where to go.

The comments were more anxious than I was.

[Is she really leaving?]

[Hurry up already! Stop getting in the way of Blake and Keira being cute together!]

[Wait… Is that Blake's car in the distance?]

Headlights cut through the darkness, and a familiar black car screeched to a halt in front of me. Blake jumped out and ran over. His dress shirt was slightly rumpled, and his breathing was uneven. His face carried just the right mix of panic and heartbreak.