Chapter 5

The days after the accident blurred together.

Every morning, Kaelis came. Every afternoon, Selene followed.

Sometimes they came together. Sometimes they arrived separately. But neither of them ever stopped visiting. It was as though they believed enough gifts could erase betrayal.

I never accepted a single one. The flowers ended up in the trash or I’d have them give it to the next ward room. The desserts remained untouched. Even the books Kaelis carefully selected stayed unopened beside my bed.

The nurses admired him.

“Mr. Virel hasn’t missed a single day.”

“They’re so lucky to have each other.”

Lucky.

If only they knew.

A week later, the doctor finally announced that I could be discharged.

Kaelis arrived early that morning carrying another bouquet. Selene stood beside him, smiling as though nothing had happened.

“I picked these myself,” she said sweetly.

Before I could answer, Kaelis placed the flowers on the bedside table. The fragrance drifted through the room.

Within seconds, my throat tightened. My skin began to itch and I struggled to breathe.

“Nyra!”

Kaelis’s expression changed instantly.

The monitor beside my bed began beeping wildly.

“She’s having an allergic reaction!”

Kaelis immediately turned toward Selene.

“What flowers did you buy?”

Selene frowned.

“I didn’t know she was allergic.”

“You should have checked!” His voice echoed through the room.

For the first time in days, they argued.

I pushed myself upright.

“I’m fine.”

Ignoring both of them, I walked out of the room and headed toward the nurses’ station.

After taking my medication, my breathing gradually returned to normal.

When I felt better, I walked back to collect the rest of my belongings.

As I reached my room, I noticed the door wasn’t fully closed. Moaning voices drifted through the narrow opening.

Selene sounded annoyed yet ecstatic.

“You made me apologize to her.”

A low chuckle answered. “So?”

“You worried about her. You even blamed me over those flowers. Then what's the point of bringing me here? Ahh. You’re so big.”

Kaelis groaned as he spoke.

“I gave you two choices,” he said. “Apologize to Nyra… or apologize to Orin instead.”

Selene scoffed.

“Over my dead body.”

She laughed again as she rode him.

“I’d rather die.”

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Selene went down and kissed Kaelis.

Then Kaelis’s voice came again, quieter this time as he embraced her.

“You really are a stubborn woman. I’ve known that ever since the day you stood outside my mansion in that thunderstorm.”

Selene laughed softly.

“You remember that?”

“How could I forget?” he replied. “You took advantage of Nyra’s coma, stood outside in the pouring rainstorm, and refused to leave until I opened the door. You didn’t even say a word. You just throw yourself immediately at me.”

His voice carried a faint smile.

“And from that night on, you refused to let me push you away.”

She laughed and bounced her buttocks hard.

“Kaelis Virel… aren’t you the shameless one? You were the one announcing revenge while throwing me into that room full of toys, insisting I’d regret provoking you.”

She burst into laughter.

“In the end, you were the one who couldn’t stop coming back.”

My body froze. So these two were complete psychos.

Selene challenged as she seductively bit Kaelis’s nipples. “So you’re really marrying her?”

The room became silent enough that I could hear my own heartbeat.

Finally, Kaelis answered.

“I promised our families.”

His voice remained calm yet slightly gasping.

“The wedding will happen.”

“And me?”

His reply came without hesitation.

“I’ll marry Nyra as promised.”

There was another pause before he continued.

“But the marriage registration with the government will be yours.”

My breathing stopped.

Selene laughed triumphantly.

“I knew it. I always knew you’d choose me.”

I couldn’t listen anymore.

Whatever was happening inside that room, whatever promises they were making to each other, I didn’t want to hear another word.

I turned and ran.

I no longer cared about the belongings I had left behind.

The image alone was enough.

My hospital bed, the room where I had cried, the place where I had struggled to survive, they had turned it into something so disgusting it makes me want to vomit.

My trembling fingers pulled out my phone as I hurried down the empty corridor.

The call connected after only one ring.

“Please, take me away from here.”

Moments later, several men disguised as doctors pushed an empty stretcher through the hallway.

Without attracting attention, they escorted me through a staff exit.

No one noticed I was gone.

…

I didn’t return to the Virel estate. Instead, I went to Orin’s grave.

The cemetery was silent except for the sound of shovels striking the earth.

An inspector stood nearby as workers carefully dug through the soil. Every handful of dirt felt like another weight crushing my chest.

Please… Please let her have lied.

The digging continued.

Minutes later…

One of the workers suddenly froze.

“Inspector…”

He carefully lifted several bones from the grave. His expression changed immediately.

“Oh…” He swallowed hard, “These aren’t human.”

The inspector stepped closer. After only a brief examination, his face turned pale.

“They’re cow bones.”

The world around me went silent. My knees gave way. Tears streamed down my face. I cried until there were no tears left.

Then I wiped my face.

“This is the last time,” I whispered to the empty grave.

“The last time you’ll ever see me cry.”

At that moment, my phone began ringing. It was from Kaelis. I watched the screen until it stopped.

A second later, a message appeared.

Kaelis: Where are you? Why aren’t you home? Are you checking your wedding dress again? We’ll continue the ceremony tomorrow. See you soon, future wife.

I stared at the words for several seconds. Instead of replying, I dialed another number.

Cassian answered almost immediately.

“I couldn’t wait any longer,” I said. “My decision hasn’t changed.”

A brief silence followed.

“I want everything. The evidence. The truth.”

I looked at the empty grave before me.

“Let’s meet now.”