Just then, a shadow flickered past and vanished into the darkness.
But Samantha didn’t seem to notice at all. She casually led us to the door of the luxury suite like nothing happened. As soon as she unlocked it, Bernard stepped inside and couldn’t help but exclaim,
“Damn, even abandoned, this place puts budget hotels to shame. Five-star quality for sure!”
Samantha beamed with pride.
“Of course! Back then, a night here would’ve cost at least seven or eight grand. Without me, do you think you’d ever get the chance to stay in a room like this?”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. Suddenly, something clicked.
Last time, I had been too terrified to take a proper look at the suite. But now, as I scanned the room, everything felt hauntingly familiar. The layout, the wallpaper, even the view—it all matched the crime scene from a serial murder case a few years ago. The news had been censored heavily, but I still remembered it.
The man who killed me in my previous life—he wasn’t just a murderer. He was the serial killer from the headlines.
And the murder? It happened during the Labor Day holidays.
I felt the blood drain from my face. Had Samantha known this all along? Did she deliberately bring me to this exact room?
And Bernard… in my last life, I opened the door after hearing his voice. Could it be… he knew the killer
Had they planned this together?
My scalp prickled with fear. I had never imagined that the two people I trusted the most were the ones who had wanted me dead.
At that moment, Samantha gently pushed Bernard and me toward the suite.
“What are you two dawdling for? Go on, get in!”
The memories came rushing back in full force. Instinct kicked in.
I stepped back and snapped,
“This suite is disgusting! It’s pitch black inside—not even a working light. You two can stay if you want, but I’m not spending the night here.”
Without waiting for their reactions, I grabbed my luggage and stormed downstairs, ignoring the shift in Samantha’s expression.
I told myself—if I can get out of this hotel, I won’t end up with my throat slashed. Not this time.
But just as I stepped outside, Bernard chased after me and grabbed my arm. His breathing was heavy, his tone coaxing.
“Don’t be mad, baby. I know you’re afraid of the dark, so I brought a flashlight for you.”
He smiled, but something about it felt off—too slick, too rehearsed.
“You even sleep with your eyes open. Tell me, what are you planning, huh?”
I was about to brush him off with a half-hearted excuse about dim lighting… but then he pulled out a heavy-duty tactical flashlight. When he flicked it on, the whole area lit up like it was broad daylight.
My heart sank. He wasn’t just trying to comfort me. He was making sure I had no reason to leave.
He wanted me back in that suite.
But I wasn’t that naive girl from my past life anymore.
I clutched my stomach and put on a pitiful face.
“Okay, I’ll go back. But I’m starving. I’ll grab something to eat at the convenience store across the street.”
I handed him my luggage with a sweet smile.
“You go on ahead and wait. I actually prepared a surprise for you tonight.”
Before he could react, I bolted across the street, ducked into the store, and immediately crouched in a corner to watch him.
Bernard stood by the hotel entrance, frowning. A moment later, he lowered his head and made a phone call. His voice was low, but I didn’t need to hear the words to understand.
He was talking to Samantha. Plotting.
My heart twisted with a bitter ache.
The man I loved… the best friend I trusted for over ten years… both of them conspiring to kill me. Last time, I’d been too shaken to notice the signs. But this time, I wasn’t going down so easily.
I bought a few random snacks, then slipped out the back door of the store.
Hotels were fully booked for the holiday, so I found a nearby bathhouse to stay in for the night.
