Meanwhile, Avery flooded my phone with more videos, each one more explicit than the last. They were of her and Rocco, caught in various compromising positions: by the tent, in the woods, near the river.
I kept my thoughts to myself, counting down the days in silence.
On the last day, I methodically destroyed everything that had once belonged to me, leaving nothing behind but my wedding ring.
The diamond glinted mockingly. Rocco had personally designed and polished it, and I had once believed it symbolized his love. Now, it felt like a reminder of a cruel lie.
The fire couldn’t touch it, so I carelessly discarded it, tossing it into the trash.
From the photos Rocco had sent over the last few days, it was clear they hadn’t been near Liora Cliff.
To avoid any mishaps, I wrapped myself tightly and stepped out into the cold.
What I hadn’t counted on was how treacherous the mountain roads were at night, nor how much I had overestimated my sense of direction.
Instead of reaching the base of Liora Cliff, I found myself teetering on the edge.
Gazing down into the pitch-black void, I tried to steady my racing thoughts, but then a beam of light sliced through the darkness. Avery stood there, holding a flashlight, her eyes glinting with amusement as they met mine.
“Ah, it really is you, Valerie.”
I froze. I had dressed like a bundle, with only my eyes exposed. How had she recognized me?
Avery’s smirk deepened as if she could hear my thoughts. “Don’t underestimate a woman’s intuition. Who else would be foolish enough to come all the way out here looking for Brother Rocco?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could speak, another flashlight beam appeared, cutting through the night.
Rocco’s voice echoed through the dark, “Avery, who are you talking to?”
A frown tugged at my lips. It was almost midnight. If Rocco showed up, slipping away would become a lot trickier.
What I hadn’t expected was for Avery to suddenly grab me, pulling me desperately toward the edge of the cliff while shouting in panic, “Brother Rocco, help! I don’t know this person; they’re trying to hurt me!”
I was tall and often dressed in a gender-neutral style. With my hat, mask, scarf, and dark down jacket, I probably resembled a man.
Trying to stay unnoticed, I pushed Avery away, frantically signaling that I meant no harm.
As I turned to leave, Avery clutched her stomach, collapsed onto the ground, and began wailing, “Brother Rocco, my stomach hurts so badly. Our baby is in pain!”
Rocco’s face darkened, and in an instant, he rushed over. Without warning, he kicked me in the stomach and slammed a camera into my head.
Warm blood trickled down my forehead.
The blow sent me stumbling backward, and before I could regain my balance, I found myself falling over the edge.
I managed to grab hold of a tree branch, my clothes torn to tatters.
Rocco stood at the cliff’s edge, holding Avery in his arms, his flashlight beam piercing through the darkness and glaring straight into my face.
Rocco’s face hardened into a mask of icy fury.
“How dare you touch my woman and child? You’re begging for death!”
This was a desolate wilderness, after all. A fall from a cliff wouldn’t raise a single question.
At precisely midnight, my wristband buzzed, a colleague’s voice crackling through.
“Valerie, the time shuttle has arrived at the destination. It’ll only be here for thirty seconds, so please board immediately.”
Clinging desperately to the branch, I barely managed to whisper, “I’m hanging off a cliff.”
“Oh? That’s quite the boarding method,” the voice replied casually. “Don’t worry, I’ll activate the special boarding system. Just jump.”
Despite my barely audible voice, Rocco caught every word.
His expression shifted from anger to sheer panic.
He shoved Avery aside, leaning dangerously over the edge, his eyes burning with urgency. “Who are you? Take off your mask! I said, take off your mask!”
His voice trembled, fear creeping into every syllable.
A fear so raw, so suffocating, it was beyond comprehension.
I raised my other hand, peeled off my mask, and spoke slowly, my voice steady under Rocco’s wide-eyed gaze. “Rocco, as you wished.”
Without another thought, I let go.
The wind rushed around me as I plummeted.
“Valerie!!”
