Chapter 6

Stephen quickly pushed open the door, only to see the stray cat Luciana had taken in. He let out a quiet breath of relief. As long as it wasn't Luciana who caught them, everything would be fine. He shut the bedroom door tightly behind him. Across the hall, Luciana's fists clenched so hard that her nails bit into her palms. Grief surged like a tidal wave, swallowing her whole. The scar on her right wrist, rough and scabbed, seemed to sneer at her helplessness. Her legs felt weak, barely holding her up as she forced herself to the desk. She switched on the laptop, and the Messages application popped up. There were only two pinned contacts on Stephen's list. Her cursor hovered, then clicked on Josephine's chat. From the very first year he had sponsored Josephine, she had clung to him like a shadow. She went from being ignored at first, then getting occasional replies, to him eventually taking the initiative to report his whereabouts. Luciana scrolled quickly, watching the gradual collapse of his self-control play out message by message. Then, she saw a photo sent three months ago—two red lines on the pregnancy test stick. That was the moment Josephine sealed her place in Stephen's heart. Luciana stared at the screen for a long time. Then, after making a copy of everything, she opened the email from Blake. When it was done, she quietly left the study. Stephen happened to come out from the bedroom, panic flashing across his face. "Lucy! You… When did you come home? Did you… see anything?" She thought he was being hilarious. He had the guts to do the deed, but not admit it. "What's wrong? Did you do something shameful behind my back?" Luciana asked. "You look nervous." Not bothering to expose his clumsy act, she walked out of the villa and headed into her car. The entire villa reeked of their passion now, and everywhere she looked was a reminder of them. With nowhere left to go, she decided to stay at the hospital for the night, find an empty bunk, and wait out the last few days. Just a few more sunrises, and she could finally leave all of this behind. However, before her hand could even touch the steering wheel, something icy pressed against her collarbone. In the rearview mirror, a twisted face slowly emerged—Jordan. "You bitch," he spat through gritted teeth. "Think you can steal my sister's man? Guess you're tired of living!" … The car tore down the road, heading west until it reached a desolate mass grave on the outskirts of the city. A cold wave washed over Luciana. Every nerve in her body went rigid. Without warning, Jordan kicked her hard in the stomach and shoved her into a pit filled with bodies. It was one of Northton's unmarked burial sites, a slum where the unclaimed dead were dumped, buried, and forgotten. Her head went numb, her body shaking uncontrollably as her eyes darted downward to a broken, yellowed hand lying right by her foot. She screamed from sheer fright, then tightly shut her eyes to save herself the horror. Her face was drained of color. "Jordan, please!" she cried. "My dad saved your life once! Can't you just let me go this time? I can give you as much money as you want!" Luciana swallowed hard, her words tumbling out in panic. "I've already filed for divorce from Stephen. I'm leaving this country for good! I swear, Josephine can marry him all she wants! I'll never come back!" "Bullshit!" Jordan spat, a cruel smile twisting his face. "Josephine said we'll be set for life, only if I kill you. We won't ever have to worry about money again!" He was broke, blowing every last penny at the casinos, so he was desperate enough to do anything for cash. "I'll pay you double what she promised you!" Luciana exclaimed, voice cracking. Her offer was enough to make him pause. His eyes gleamed with greed as he tossed his phone toward her. Hands shaking, she grabbed the phone. The dial tone echoed once, twice… Finally, on the third ring, the call connected. "Stephen! Please, I need you to wire me ten million right now. It's an emergency!" she quickly said into the phone, her heart pounding so wildly that she felt like running out of breath anytime. If Stephen sent the money, she could still make it out alive. Stephen's voice came through, muffled by pounding bass and the thump of electronic music in the background. "Lucy? What kind of prank are you pulling on me now?" Before she could explain, a flirtatious voice drifted through. "Come back, Stephen! I can't take it anymore…" Luciana froze, every muscle in her face tightening until she could barely move. Then, the call ended. Stephen didn't even give her the chance to explain. "I gave you a chance," Jordan sneered, a twisted grin stretching across his face as he weighed the brick in his hand. "Too bad, you blew it." She turned to bolt, panic clawing up her throat, but he grabbed her hair. The next second, the brick came down hard against the back of her head. "If anyone's to blame, it's your useless husband and my sister."