Chapter 2

Raina's POV

A fire-red sports car stopped arrogantly in front of me.

The window rolled down, revealing Bianca's face wearing a victor's smile.

"Get in."

She said sweetly from the driver's seat, not bothering to hide her gloating.

Lucas didn't look at me, just commanded.

"Get in. Don't make me say it twice."

I got in. In that cramped space, every inch of air made me feel suffocated.

The car started, speeding along the riverside road.

Suddenly, a ball rolled into the middle of the road, and then a child ran out after it.

Bianca panicked and jerked the steering wheel, mistaking the gas pedal for the brake and stomping down hard.

The sports car charged straight toward the guardrail along the river.

In the instant before impact, I clearly saw Lucas lunge forward.

Using his own body to shield Bianca in his arms.

From beginning to end, he didn't spare me a single glance.

After the tremendous crash came the cold and darkness of plunging into water.

Freezing river water poured madly through the shattered car window, flooding my nose and mouth.

My heart went utterly cold in that moment.

Before completely losing consciousness, the last scene I witnessed was Lucas smashing open the car window.

Holding the unconscious Bianca, swimming desperately toward the surface.

When I woke again, I was in the hospital.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?!"

It was Lucas.

My heart trembled involuntarily.

The doctor tried to explain.

"Mr. Ashford, Mrs. Ashford's unconsciousness may not only be due to drowning. Her physical condition-"

Before he could finish, a nurse's anxious voice interrupted.

"Mr. Ashford! Miss White is awake and crying everywhere looking for you!"

The hospital room door opened, and Lucas's tall figure appeared in the doorway.

Our eyes met as I'd just opened mine.

He turned without hesitation toward Bianca's room, not sparing me another glance.

I slowly closed my eyes.

That's fine. It's better that he doesn't know about my illness.

Otherwise, he'd probably just sneer "serves you right," then complain that I was dying too slowly and offending his sight.

I handled my own discharge procedures.

Returning to that empty villa, my heart was as calm as stagnant water.

I began calmly arranging my affairs for after death.

I first went to the old photo studio on the corner that had been there for decades and took a portrait for my funeral.

In the photo, I wore a clean white shirt and smiled.

I went to select the plainest white ceramic urn for myself.

Holding that small urn, imagining myself finally curled up inside it, I actually felt incredibly peaceful.

Finally, I took a taxi to the cemetery.

In front of Isabel Ashford's grave, I set down the white roses I'd brought.

"Isabel, I'm sorry."

"I'll be coming to join you very soon."

"Raina."

I stiffly turned around. Lucas stood in the distance, also holding a bouquet of white roses.

And beside him, intimately holding his arm, was Bianca.