Chapter 4
“You’re awake, Elara! Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
Damien gripped my hand tightly, his face full of worry.
I pulled my hand away expressionlessly, but he quickly grabbed it again.
“What happened last night was your fault. It was just a dog.”
“Go apologize to Lana later. She’s not petty and will forgive you.”
My heart had long been numb from pain.
4
t
4
I closed my eyes, not wanting to argue with him.
But Damien kept chattering on.
I interrupted him, “Where is this?”
Damien looked somewhat guilty, “Lana has claustrophobia, and Lila likes bright, open rooms. The master bedroom and guest bedroom are both for them.”
“Elara, please bear with staying in the basement for now.”
As soon as Damien finished speaking, his phone rang.
In his panic, he accidentally hit the speakerphone.
Lila’s sweet voice came through, “Damien, where did you go? The wedding dress designer is here. Come quickly!”
Damien looked at me awkwardly, “Darling, just handling some work matters. I’ll be right back.”
After hanging up, he stood up.
“Elara, you rest first.”
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He got up and hurried out, looking as happy as he did on our wedding day.
I don’t know how much time passed before I heard footsteps outside.
Lana and Lila walked in, mocking me as soon as they saw me.
“Wow, still here? Didn’t expect you to want to stay longer by playing the victim?”
Lila spat at me. “Pathetic. You’re even trying to copy our little drama ‘Running Away From Home.’ Ridiculous, you’re acting like a desperate midlife crisis case.”
“If you have any self-respect, get out yourself!”
“Otherwise…”
Lana walked up to me with a mocking smile on her face.
“Elara, you don’t really believe Damien still has feelings for you, do you?”
“Want us to help you prove whether he cares more about us or you?”
With that, she pulled out a bottle of gasoline with a crazed look in her eyes.
I frowned and tried to avoid them, “What are you doing?”
But they grabbed me and then lit the gasoline!
Lila immediately called Damien, “Damien, help! We came to visit Elara out of kindness, but she’s trying to burn us alive!”
Flames immediately shot up. I rushed toward the door, but they dragged me back.
The fire was about to spread to me, and my nostrils were already full of thick smoke.
I desperately broke free from them, soaked the curtains, and pressed them firmly over my nose.
The next moment, the door was kicked open.
Damien saw me and picked me up, “Elara, are you okay?”
But before I could answer, Lana and Lila started screaming behind us.
“Help! Damien, help us!”
Damien immediately put me down, grabbed them, and rushed out of the basement with them.
The huge impact knocked me to the ground. I crawled on the floor, desperately grabbing Damien’s sleeve for help, “Damien…”
The man who was rushing out of the basement suddenly turned back, but was distracted by Lana’s groaning, “Lana, hold on, I’ll get you out right away!”
He shook off my hand and left without looking back at me again.
The moment I was swallowed by flames, I closed my eyes in despair…
“Bang!” The basement glass shattered.
The death I had imagined didn’t come, “Elara.”
When I turned around, a man’s figure was running toward me.
The moment I was carried onto the private jet, the roar of engines filled my ears, and behind me was a night sky ablaze with fire.
I opened my hand and without hesitation threw Damien’s cufflink from my palm into the flames that devoured everything.
“Damien, I won’t give you a second chance.”
The plane slowly took off, and I looked down at the manor engulfed in flames from above.
I was very much looking forward to what expression Damien would have when he received his “surprise gift” in a month.
