CHAPTER 3

That day, I was in so much pain that I fainted.

When I woke up, it was daytime. That was six days before the incident.

After the rain, the sun was shining brightly. I struggled to get up from the ground. The blood between my legs had already dried.

"I'm scared, Damien. What should we do?"

Juliet's cries were coming from the living room. She kept shaking as she said she was targeted by the killer.

She was afraid to die.

"Damien, we've checked the surveillance footage. Juliet was indeed targeted. Should we call the police?"

"No, Damien… Don't call the police. This killer is cruel and specifically targets young women.

"The police have already found six bodies, but they can't even find him. If we were to anger him…

Juliet shook her head in fear. She didn't want to call the police at all.

"Juliet, don't be afraid." Damien held onto Juliet as he comforted her gently.

It wasn't like he didn't know how to be gentle. It was just that he had never shown me the slightest bit of gentleness.

I stood still and felt awkward. It felt wrong to leave. But it didn't feel right to stay either.

"Juliet, when you were in Serenity Lane yesterday, what were you wearing?" Damien's best buddy, Zack Ziegler, asked.

"A red one–piece dress." After Juliet said that, she glanced at me. "Sophia…"

I didn't say anything and avoided her gaze. I walked to the kitchen with my legs shaking. I wanted to get something to eat.

"Damien, I have a plan. Let's lure out the killer and catch him before we call the police.

"That way, we can prevent him from seeking revenge on Juliet if we fail. At least, it feels safer that way," Zack suggested as he looked at Damien.

Damien nodded. "Continue."

"Let's find a woman to wear Juliet's dress and go to Serenity Lane at midnight to lure that guy out. There'll be cameras everywhere, and we will be watching closely. Nothing will go wrong."

Damien frowned. "What a terrible idea. Are you letting your girlfriend do it?"

Juliet's gaze fell on me once again. She asked softly, "Sophia, you don't look too well. Are you okay?"

"Why care about her? She almost got you killed." Damien held tightly onto Juliet as he spoke with annoyance.

My hand froze, even with a cup of hot coffee in it. The pain in my heart instantly spread all over me.

"Then, let her do it! We already have a candidate here!"

"She almost got Juliet killed. She owes Juliet one, so let her atone for her sins!"

"That's right! Let Sophia do it. She resembles Juliet a little anyway, so she should go!"

I looked at Damien in panic, hoping to hear him reject the idea.

He clearly knew that I was afraid of the dark. Why in the world would I go somewhere shady like that…

Damien was stunned for a while. He looked at me with his cold gaze for a long time before speaking.

"You owe Juliet one, so you must do it."

That one reply from him felt like a thousand arrows piercing through me.

My fingers went numb. I lost grip of the cup full of hot coffee, and it spilled all over my hand.

Even though the coffee was piping hot, I felt as if I had lost all senses.

I wasted a decade of my life and still failed to warm this man's heart.

On the other hand, Juliet did it without lifting a finger.

"I'm not going…" I rejected. There was no way I would risk my life like this.

"Damien, don't force Sophia…" Juliet's eyes teared up. "Sophia didn't mean to push me down the stairs."

"Stop defending her!" Damien suddenly erupted with rage.

Even Juliet was shocked.

Damien got up and rushed toward me.

I shook my head in dread. "Damien, I'm not going!"

"It's not up to you!" Damien was determined to make me go.

"We'll be keeping watch and not let you die." It sounded like Damien was making a promise to me.

I looked to the ground as burning tears filled my eyes.

"Make it up to Juliet, and I'll consider that you've turned over a new leaf. I won't ever target you anymore."

Damien lowered his voice. It was like he was giving me hope, and I actually believed him.

"Can you… really ensure my safety?"

"Of course." Damien was getting irritated.

"Damien, I don't owe Juliet anything. After we catch the killer, can you promise me something?" I desperately looked at him.

I wasn't negotiating with Damien. Instead, I had something I needed to tell him.

"Don't push it." Damien's expression instantly changed.

I looked back to the ground and stopped talking.

Since I was living with the Coleman family, I had to depend on them. I loved him and was scared of him at the same time.

"Alright… I'll go." I agreed to the plan. "I'll do it to repay you for saving me back then."

I entrusted my life to Damien.

Once the whole thing was over, I would propose dismissing the marriage agreement myself. I would give him his freedom and leave the country. I would leave the Coleman family forever.