Romance

When the effects of the pseudocide pill receded like a tide, I woke up in sharp agony.

It wasn't physical pain, but a scorching imprint of betrayal deep in my consciousness.

"He left me there to die, just like he would kick aside a stray dog who got in the way." My voice was hoarse, but it sounded abnormally calm, as if I were stating something that had nothing to do with me.

Anna's eyes reddened as she gripped my hand tightly. "Vivian, it's all in the past—"

I cut her off, struggling to sit up. "No, this is just the start."

…

At Viper's secret base, I reached an agreement with him and his men.

I gave them all the details about Casper's family. Their weaknesses, trading network, and personnel structure—I laid it all out like I was dissecting a specimen.

I was no longer anyone's blade. Instead, I was the one maneuvering all the chess pieces.

My tactics were insidious and precise,

A month later, all the prominent figures in both legal and criminal circles gathered in Savon's grandest church, St. Marlow Cathedral.

They held glasses of champagne as they prepared to witness the wedding of Don Leone and his "pure angel", Rebecca.

As for me, I was sitting in a secret chamber in the building across from the church. A hidden camera offered me a clear live view of the wedding of the century.

On the screen, Casper gazed at Rebecca with a possessive and protective look.

I picked up the glass of red wine next to me and swirled it, a cold smirk curving on my lips.

They could show off to their heart's content. After all, this would be the last performance of their sickening love story.

The priest stood at the altar, waiting for the newlyweds to make their vows. 

Casper's reply rang loud and clear, powerful beyond doubt.

When it was Rebecca's turn, her voice was gentle 

After taking care of everything, I locked myself in my room and no longer looked for Casper.

He spent all day indulging in Rebecca's warmth to the point that I heard he was even neglecting the family's affairs.

By the time I received Anna's pseudocide pill through a back channel, it was already evening.

I hid the capsule in my tight-fitting clothes. That was when my emergency communicator rang. Our enemies had attacked a cargo ship that was about to return to the dock, and all high-ranking members were ordered to provide backup immediately.

In less than ten minutes, Casper pushed the door open and looked at my miserable state in revulsion.

"There's a situation at the dock. Come with me."

I knew the long-awaited opportunity had arrived, so I scoffed and taunted him, "You'd let a traitor like me help? What a joke."

"You're the most experienced at dealing with these matters. This is an order, not a request." 

Without waiting for me to retort, he forcefully hauled me out the door and shoved me into a bulletproof limousine that had stopped by the entrance.

Rebecca was in the front passenger seat. Hearing us arrive, she turned and raised her chin at me, then shot me a fake smile.

I turned my head to look out the window, filled with disgust.

It looked like Casper had really gone insane—he was even bringing his blind, feeble lover along at a time like this.

The car pulled to a stop, and Casper eagerly carried Rebecca out in his arms. The territory we had captured all those years ago had become a site to show off their love.

Rebecca's attention seemed glued to Casper, and she even exclaimed over how he assigned his subordinates tasks.

Casper seemed to be eating it all up, and he smiled, reaching out to help her fix the collar of her coat. "It's windy, so don't stand in the draft."

I lay sprawled across the blindage, preparing to snipe our enemies. When I saw how intimate Casper and Rebecca were acting, I almost threw up.

Just as I narrowed my eyes and aimed at them, ready to fire a shot, a sudden earsplitting explosion sounded from the sea.

The entire dock instantly fell into chaos. Flames shot into the sky, and the enemy's speedboats surrounded us from all directions.

"Damn it! It's a trap!" Casper roared, picking Rebecca up in his arms. "Everyone, bring up the rear and cover our retreat!"

I endured the sharp pain and crawled up, jumping off the containers and stumbling over to the far end of the dock.

The safehouse Casper and I had constructed together years ago was over there. It was a secret only the two of us knew.

But just as my fingers were about to brush the doorknob, Casper suddenly rushed over and shoved me to the ground. I crashed heavily onto the gravel, and my knee was slashed deeply to the bone.

He didn't look back as he helped Rebecca into the safehouse immediately. Then, he also slipped in and prepared to swiftly lock the door.

"Casper! You've gone mad!" I roared. "This is our safehouse. If you let her in, what about me?"

Rebecca shrank behind the door, looking pitiful as she tugged at Casper's sleeve, her eyes welling up with tears. "Casper, what's going on? I'm scared…"

Casper's stern expression immediately softened. He gently stroked Rebecca's head and said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Then, he turned to me, his voice carrying an unquestionable command. "Vivian, you've received professional training. You can work this out yourself."

"No! You can't cast me aside and run away yourself!" I cried. 

His foot suddenly shot out to kick me away. The force behind that kick was so great that a metallic taste instantly rushed up my throat.

I clutched my aching chest, unable to say anything else. I watched helplessly as he closed the safehouse's door, his face devoid of any expression.

Almost at that exact moment, the second explosion erupted from a much closer distance. 

I spat out a mouthful of blood. With my survival instincts, I quickly found the largest container nearby to hide behind.

Fresh blood kept dripping from my mouth. I took my phone out and sent Anna a final message. "Commence the plan. Come to this location to pick me up."

Then, I took out the pseudocide pill and swallowed it with the help of the fresh blood in my mouth.

I thought, "Casper, embrace your little lily and enjoy your final moments of happiness."

The show was about to begin.

When the effects of the pseudocide pill receded like a tide, I woke up in sharp agony.

It wasn't physical pain, but a scorching imprint of betrayal deep in my consciousness.

"He left me there to die, just like he would kick aside a stray dog who got in the way." My voice was hoarse, but it sounded abnormally calm, as if I were stating something that had nothing to do with me.

Anna's eyes reddened as she gripped my hand tightly. "Vivian, it's all in the past—"

I cut her off, struggling to sit up. "No, this is just the start."

…

At Viper's secret base, I reached an agreement with him and his men.

I gave them all the details about Casper's family. Their weaknesses, trading network, and personnel structure—I laid it all out like I was dissecting a specimen.

I was no longer anyone's blade. Instead, I was the one maneuvering all the chess pieces.

My tactics were insidious and precise, causing Casper to be constantly weighed down by "accidents" and "setbacks".

Meanwhile, I used Vipe

Chapter 6