The sounds around me were a blur, as though muffled by a thick, blood-soaked fog.
Someone roughly grabbed my limbs and dragged me into a damp, dark basement, tossing me onto the cold cement floor.
"Ms. Alba said not to let him die. We need him for tomorrow."
The iron door slammed shut with a deafening bang, and darkness swallowed everything.
I curled up in the corner, my body shaking with pain, while my heart had long since gone numb.
I didn't know how much time passed, but Celine's impatient voice finally cut through the silence, echoing through the brightened surveillance screen.
"Why can't I reach Kristian?"
"Celine, don’t worry, Kristian is probably just busy with work."
"Bullshit! He wouldn't ignore my calls no matter how busy he is! Besides, he promised me he’d take care of himself!"
Celine's voice was thick with panic.
My heart lurched, as if squeezed by an invisible hand, and I held my breath.
She was looking for me!
The next moment, Celine received another call.
The voice of her friend, Theo, came through clearly. "Celine, is Kristian with you? His phone’s been unreachable!"
Celine suppressed her anxiety, pausing for a moment before responding in a calm tone. "He's probably secretly working overtime. You know how obsessed he is with his work."
Theo immediately denied it. "Impossible! Tomorrow is the wedding. He wouldn’t still be working at this hour!"
Celine fell silent for a few seconds before hurriedly pulling out her phone to check the surveillance footage for my whereabouts.
My heart raced, and a tiny spark of hope flickered.
Would she notice something was wrong?
Would she recognize that the person nearly killed by her hands today was me?
"There's no one at home. Looks like I was right. Don't worry, Theo. Kristian is either still working or just taking his time getting home."
She hung up the phone and turned to those around her, ordering, "Get the car ready. I'll take Liam home first."
The hope that had started to build was immediately crushed.
She would rather believe I was just dawdling on the road than face the reality that the gambler she had tortured almost to death was her fiancé.
"Celine, aren’t you going to play a bit more? You’re leaving so early?"
Her friends, disappointed by the way things turned out, hadn't fully enjoyed themselves.
Celine’s expression instantly turned cold. "Tomorrow is my wedding with Kristian. If I’m not going back to be with him, am I supposed to stay here with you?"
The group fell silent.
But Liam boldly wrapped his arm around her waist, pouting. "Celine, can you stay with me tonight? From tomorrow on, you won’t belong to me anymore, I’m so sad..."
"Liam! You need to know your place. I said I’d spoil you tonight to help you unwind, and you should be grateful. I don’t like greedy men!"
Her harsh words were easily shattered by Liam. "Celine, I bought the suit you love. Tonight, you can enjoy it to your heart's content..."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
I could hear Celine’s breathing growing heavy, her eyes swirling with lust.
She pulled out her phone and sent me a voice message in a tone so sweet it seemed fake. "Kristian, I had a bit too much to drink at the bachelorette party, so I’m staying at my friend's place tonight. Be good and sleep well, and tomorrow, I’ll marry you."
As soon as she finished, she jumped into Liam’s arms, kissing him passionately.
I watched them leave in a hurry, their backs full of impatience. Silent tears streamed down my face, but the pain from the cuts on my face made it so I couldn’t even cry properly.
So this was her kindness.
So this was her love.
I closed my eyes, and memories rushed in like a tidal wave.
Two years ago, when Celine accepted my proposal, her eyes were filled with starlight.
