Chapter 2

"Cedric, are we really allowed to do this in your fiancée's room?" Arianna softly asked. Her legs were pinned against his chest, and her voice broke into fragments with each thrust. "She's your fiancée, after all." "You little tease." Cedric laughed. "Isn't this exactly the kind of excitement you like?" He buried himself in her, driving harder until Arianna shivered and trembled in pleasure. When it was over, Cedric leaned back against the headboard and lit a cigarette. Through the haze of smoke, our eyes met at the doorway. "If you're going to leave, do it now. Don't stand there and ruin Ari's mood," he said. I didn't respond. I merely walked straight in and began packing my things. Through the drifting smoke, Cedric's face seemed completely unfamiliar. He was no longer the boy I remembered. In my past life, he had followed Richard to bury me, and one lone tear had fallen from his eye and onto my face. For that tear, I had kneeled before the Lord of the Underworld for 49 days straight, begging until he'd finally sighed and struck a wager with me. "Human hearts are fickle. You've already passed beyond the bounds of life and death, and you shouldn't meddle with fate. "This is your trial. If he truly cares for you, I will grant an exception, allowing you to extend his life and remain with him in the living world for one lifetime. But if he fails, you must accept your destiny and move on." I'd dropped to my knees in gratitude. Yet, returning to the living world was far from easy. I'd endured every torment imaginable, from scalding oil and searing flames to crushing stones, slicing blades, and steaming vats—I passed through every level of hell. Only after surviving it all was I able to return with Richard and stand before Cedric as his childhood betrothed. I liked him. He was the only one who had ever shed tears for me. My heart wavered despite myself as I saw the man he had grown into. For his sake, I scoured the world for rare treasures and cast aside all pride to beg the Lord of the Underworld for 99 chances. Even then, I'd lost everything. I hurriedly packed my things, eager to get away. Meanwhile, Arianna remained nestled against Cedric's chest and shot me a provocative look. "Cedric, you're so good to me. I have a gift for you too." She reached under the pillow and pulled out a collar. Dangling from it was the Eternity Bell, the very bell I had fought through agonizing trials to retrieve from the River of Lost Souls—all to preserve Cedric's life. "Give it back!" I shouted, lunging forward. Cedric grabbed my wrist. "It's just a bell. If Ari likes it, it's hers." "Cedric! She can have anything else I own, but not that!" He slapped me across the face. "Why not? Tanya, you're nothing but a leech who tricked my grandfather to stay with the Stone family. What gives you the right to refuse? If you care about it that much, I'll smash it right in front of you." He threw the bell to the floor and crushed it under his foot. I screamed and lunged forward, only to be held down by the bodyguards. "Cedric, that bell was meant to save your life! You've desecrated it and destroyed it. You'll pay for this!" I desperately yelled. Even though I no longer loved him, I couldn't bear to watch him lose more of his life. "Desire between a man and a woman is only natural," Cedric coldly said. "How can you call that desecration? If that's what you think, then I'll show you how to cleanse it properly." He undid his pants and urinated over the bell. Black smoke immediately rose up, ruining the bell beyond repair. My heart shattered as I stared at the bell I had risked everything to retrieve. "Cedric, why are you doing this to me?" Cedric's hand clamped down on my chin. "Why? Tanya, you stole a hundred million dollars from my grandfather. Do you really think I wouldn't see through it?"