Chapter 6

Then, as if struck by a thought, he pointed a finger at me.

"Oh, right. Jasmine, my brother is sick. Do you remember him? Say hello."

Jasmine looked at me coldly. Seeing my haggard state, she clapped her hands and laughed—a manic, grating sound.

"Husband! It serves this bad person right! I hope he dies of sickness!"

She hid behind Landon, making a grotesque face at me.

"Big villain! Drop dead!"

"Sorry, brother—Jasmine is just simple like that. She doesn't hide her likes and dislikes." Landon glanced at me smugly, hugging her close as he turned to leave.

They had barely taken two steps when Caroline Sawyer appeared at the end of the corridor.

She watched their retreating backs before turning to me.

"Family?"

I shook my head.

Caroline scoffed.

"Two fools. A perfect match. Stay away from them—stupidity is contagious."

With a stony face, she shoved a three-tiered, expensive-looking insulated lunch box into my hands.

"Here. The chef made too much. Don't waste it."

At the sight of Caroline Sawyer, the color drained from Landon's face.

He looked back at me, eyes swirling with disbelief and devastation. It wasn't until Jasmine tugged at his sleeve, asking what was wrong, that he gritted his teeth.

"It's nothing. I just think it's ridiculous how some people are merely toys being played with, yet they take themselves so seriously."

He dragged Jasmine away.

From that day on, Caroline brought me food daily.

But as I ate, suspicion grew. For a family as wealthy as the Jiangs, why were the chef's dishes so... home-style? So ordinary?

***

After recovering, I returned to school.

I assumed Caroline and I would return to being parallel lines. Never intersecting again.

I was wrong.

She chose the same electives as me. Joined the same student union department. Even at my part-time job, I would look up to find her lingering nearby.

Finally, I snapped.

"Caroline, what is your game?" I cornered her. "Did I do something wrong?"

Her face darkened. Defensive anger flared.

"You think I'm looking for revenge?"

Her voice cracked, composure shattering. She looked like she was throwing caution to the wind.

"I'm *chasing* you! Can't you tell?"

I froze.

The next second, I bolted.

In my previous life, my brother's tragic ending was a thorn lodged in my heart. No matter what, I didn't dare get close to someone like Caroline Sawyer again.

Perhaps she sensed my terror. From that day on, she vanished from my side.

Six months passed.

Despite myself, I couldn't stop listening for news of her.

My classmates stared when I finally asked. "You didn't know? Caroline is prepping to study abroad."

My blood ran cold.

The memory of the plane crash from my past life slammed into my mind.

Suppressing the frantic pounding of my heart, I pressed for the date.

"In two weeks. December 10th."

My mind reeled.

I whipped out my phone and dialed her number.

"Don't go, Caroline."

On the other end, she let out a soft, mocking laugh.

"You won't let me go? Who are you to stop me?"

Silence stretched between us.

Before I could explain, before I could find the words, she spoke again. Her voice turned indifferent.

"I'll give you a chance. Have dinner with me on the night of December 9th."

"Convince me face-to-face. If your reasoning holds up, I'll stay."

"If you can't, I leave tonight."

I agreed without hesitation.

That night, I arrived at the hotel address she'd sent. The front desk informed me a private room had already been booked and directed me straight there.

I shoved the door open, breathless. Before I could take a step inside, someone slammed me viciously against the wall.

Jasmine McLaughlin stood there, draped in a designer gown, clinging to Landon Joyce. His eyes were bloodshot, fixing me with a glare of pure hatred.

"Daniel Joyce." Jasmine's voice dripped venom. "I told you. The day I regained my clarity, I would kill you with my own hands."

She stepped closer. "You ruined the purity between Landon and me. And now you have the audacity to seek revenge? You want his other leg broken?"

Ice crept into her gaze. "Then I'll let you taste what it feels like to be a cripple. Break three of his limbs."

A dismissive wave of her hand.

I struggled against the grip of the thugs pinning me. "I didn't! Jasmine, I didn't do any of that!"

She looked at me like I was something rotting on her shoe.

My phone buzzed. Caroline Sawyer.

Before I could answer, Landon snatched it from my pocket.

"So this is the shameless woman my brother was talking about?" He put the phone to his ear. "My brother already has someone he loves. Why don't you get the hell away from him?"

Silence on the other end.

He scoffed. "What? You don't believe me?"

A cruel, jagged laugh tore from his throat. He pulled Jasmine close, snapped a few intimate photos—carefully angling them to hide their faces—and hit send.

"Take a good look. My brother and his girlfriend. So intimate."

He glanced at the screen, a smug smile playing on his lips. "Brother, Ms. Sawyer says she understands. Her flight is tonight. She's leaving the country and won't return for the rest of her life."

He leaned in, his breath hot against my ear. "Your daydream is over."

A chill like plunging into an ice cavern seized my body.

Jasmine kissed Landon's forehead, her expression sickeningly doting. "Husband, let's go. Don't dirty your eyes with this trash."

The door clicked shut.

I was thrown to the floor. Batons rained down. Pain exploded across my body, and my vision blackened in waves.

*Thud.*

The private room door was kicked open.