Chapter 4

The Death of the Star

"Julian... Ugh, stop it! Don't bite me!" Cassie slapped Julian as he bit her lip.

"Keep going like this, I will love you," Julian said.

"I regret ever knowing you! I want to leave! Please..." Cassie only wanted to be released from Julian's grip.

"Impossible! You are my woman. The mistress I love." Julian continued to move his hips. Cassie was, of course, forced to make love until the man was satisfied, even though he had a legal wife.

Every day, she was forced to be Julian's plaything because his legal wife was an honourable woman who would never submit to a man, let alone indulge Julian's specific desires in bed. Only Cassie was the woman who would submit to him.

That night turned into morning. As usual, Julian was not beside Cassie. She decided that the suffering she endured was enough. She stared into the mirror in the bedroom; her face was pale, her eyes empty. Her body was thin, and there were whip marks because Julian had forced her to make love only after whipping her the night before.

"I have to get out of here. I cannot stay forever with a crazy man like him. I love him, but he treats me so cruelly."

The next day, that chance came sooner than expected. Julian's legal wife, Elena, arrived, wearing a white coat. Her face was still elegantly beautiful even without make-up, but it looked cold.

The woman approached Cassie, who was about to escape through the window.

Cassie panicked upon being discovered by Elena. "Why are you in my room? I just want to run away from your man. Let me go! Miss Elena, I cannot bear to be here any longer."

"I know Julian keeps you locked up here. I know you are my husband's secret lover," Elena replied.

"Have you come to kill me? Have you come to ensure I can't escape? Are you going to tell Julian?" Cassie asked, terrified.

"No. I came... to end this. I want you to leave Julian's life. But I cannot kill you myself."

Elena placed a car key on the small table beside the bed, then spoke: "Go. There is a car in the back garage. There will be no guards there for the next two hours. I ordered them to leave, and I shut down the CCTV in this mansion."

"Why are you helping me?" Cassie was hesitant to accept Elena's kindness.

"I only have a shred of conscience; I don't want you to die at that man's hands. This is more dangerous than you think," Elena replied, merely pretending.

At that moment, a video recording played right in front of Cassie. Julian was seen talking to someone wearing a mask.

> [Kill Cassie! Don't let her live. If she lives, then my reputation will be ruined. Elena's parents already know about my relationship with Cassie; they won't let me live in peace. I don't want to lose Elena and my good name. If my relationship with her, even my confining her and turning her into my doll of lust, becomes known to many people, then the good image I have built will be destroyed.]

"Did you hear that? It is Julian who wants to kill you, not me," Elena said.

"What? He is so heartless; he made me his slave, sleeping with me day and night. And then, for his good name, I am to be killed. Thank you. If you help me tonight, I will repay you someday."

Cassie couldn't wallow in sadness over the fact that Julian wanted to kill her. She had no more time. She grabbed the key, ran out of the mansion, and got into the car. She quickly drove away from the place before Julian returned.

'You stupid woman! Actually, this is just my plan, so that you and Julian will hate each other. You don't know this video is fake. Julian, don't blame me if I'm cruel because you were the one who started having a mistress behind my back.' Elena was the one who planned all this.

Cassie drove the white car as fast as she could, speeding along the winding road out of town. The night wind slammed into her face, her hair was a mess, but her chest felt light—for the first time in years, she felt free.

"Goodbye, Julian. I will never see you again. I will not die by your hands," she muttered between the roaring engine. "You will not hurt me anymore."

But suddenly—

Scrreeech!

The steering wheel felt strange.

The car shook violently. Cassie turned the wheel, but the brakes did not respond.

"No... no! What is happening? What's wrong with this car?"

The engine shrieked, a tyre exploded, and the car slid wildly towards the roadside barrier.

In a matter of seconds, the car smashed through the barrier and plunged into the ravine.

Cassie screamed—the headlights spun, the world flipped upside down, and then a huge explosion sounded.

Boom!

Flames licked the night sky.

In the distance, police car sirens wailed.

The next morning, the news spread quickly: Actress Cassandra Vance has died in a tragic accident.

Photos of her face filled television screens, accompanied by sweet, fabricated statements from Julian Sterling in front of the media:

"Cassandra was a talented and kind woman. The world has lost a great star today. Although she had a scandal, she remained a gifted actress at my company."

All her fans wept. Despite being involved in a scandal, she remained a major star whose talent was undeniable, having won many awards over the past five years.

In a distant place, at the bottom of the ravine, amidst burning metal and lingering smoke, something moved.

A man wearing a black coat emerged from the shadows. His face was concealed beneath a hat; his eyes sharply focused on the half-burnt body—still weakly breathing.

The man lifted Cassie into his arms.

"Calm down... you are not dead yet. I will save you."

The man immediately took Cassie to a nearby hospital. Her beautiful, angelic face was now severely scarred and covered in burns.

The next morning, Cassie woke up. She looked around and saw a man watching over her. Her voice was hoarse, and her entire body was in agonising pain from the car crash.

"Are you awake?" the man asked.

"Who are you?" Cassie managed to whisper.

"I am the one who saved you from that car accident," the handsome man replied.

At the same time, the television facing Cassie was broadcasting news that she was reported dead. Even Julian was clarifying to the media that his beloved actress had indeed died in the accident.

> 'I hate you! You planned to kill me. Because of you, I suffered. I know this was all your plan, to destroy me. From the betrayal, the scandal, the doll for your lust, and even my death—it was all planned!'

>

Cassie stared at the television screen, crying.

"Don't worry, I will help you. When you crashed, several people immediately rushed to your exploding car. I am certain this was a planned murder," the man said.

"It turns out that man truly was behind this. Someday, I will make you regret this, Julian. You made me into this."