Chapter 3

Raina's POV

Lucas stepped forward and kicked away the white roses in front of the grave.

"How dare you show your face here?"

"Get lost! Don't defile my sister's place!"

I supported myself against the gravestone and slowly stood up.

"I just wanted to visit Isabel."

"Visit her?"

Lucas acted as if he'd heard the world's greatest joke.

"What right do you have to visit her?"

He suddenly lunged, slamming me back against a nearby tree.

His hand closed around my throat.

"Why didn't you save her back then? Why did you let her die alone so miserably!"

His roar was raw, his eyes bloodshot.

The air vanished at once. My breath was stolen piece by piece. Death's shadow fell, but I only felt release.

I gave up struggling and slowly closed my eyes.

Dying by his hand might also be a form of repayment.

Just as my consciousness began to fade, the grip on my neck suddenly loosened.

Lucas released me, his chest heaving violently.

I leaned against the tree trunk, coughing severely.

Bianca walked up sweetly and took Lucas's arm.

"Lucas, it's so hot here in the sun. Let's go. Don't waste time on such a vicious person."

Lucas gently placed the white roses before the grave and didn't look at me again.

"Oh, my foot hurts so much."

Bianca suddenly cried out delicately.

Lucas immediately crouched down in front of her, naturally lifting her onto his back.

He walked down the cemetery steps steadily, one step at a time.

Watching that familiar back, my heart felt like it was being cut repeatedly with a knife.

Lucas used to carry me like this too.

That time they went to pray at the church, and the long stone steps made my legs go weak.

I stubbornly refused to walk, so he indulgently crouched down and carried me on his back.

He walked very steadily, step by step, whispering promises in my ear.

"Raina, I'll carry you for a lifetime."

At the time, Isabel was teasing us from the side, laughing at our sweetness.

The promise still echoed in my ears, yet now another woman rode on his back.

I silently followed behind them.

Lucas placed Bianca in the car, then turned back to see me, coldly ordering.

"Get in."

When I didn't move, he impatiently added another sentence.

"Every second you stay here disgusts me."

I got in the car and sat in the back seat.

Inside the car, Bianca deliberately pressed her entire body against Lucas.

"Lucas, I want..."

Lucas hit the brakes and stopped the car at a deserted riverside viewpoint.

He turned to me and said.

"Get out."

I couldn't believe what was happening.

"Get out."

His voice was full of violence.

I trembled as I pushed open the car door and got out.

As soon as I steadied myself, the car door behind me slammed shut and locked.

Then that fire-red sports car began to shake violently in a rhythmic pattern.

On the silent viewpoint, a woman's deliberately suppressed yet seductive moans and a man's heavy breathing clearly penetrated the car window, torturing my eardrums one sound at a time.