GENERAL

The sound of shattering glass echoed across the mansion. The maid rushed to the scene, her eyes widening as she saw the messy floor. She quickly ran back and returned with a dustpan and broom. Just as she was about to start cleaning up, Gerald's mother snapped at her.

"Are you dumb? Did I ask for your help?"

Her body shook vigorously at the sharp, menacing tone. Her mouth parted, but before she could say a word, Gerald's mother lashed out again.

"Leave before I scrub the floor with your shapeless body." She glared at her.

The maid bolted away on weakened legs.

As soon as she left, Gerald's aunt moved closer to his mother and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't need this. You don't need to hurt yourself over this," she reminded her.

"I've never been this humiliated in my life, Barbara. My friends were there. They saw everything. I could see the mockery on their faces as they left," Gerald's mother cried out. "I'm sure that bastard Knox did that intentionally. He snatched her away from my son so he could avenge his parents' death." She bit her fingers as she paced around the room.

"I can't take this. We can't keep swallowing his disrespect and bullying. No," Gerald's mother shouted, shaking her head.

Her forehead was covered in beads of sweat. She shuddered slightly. "Who knows what he would do next? What if that bastard comes for our heads next?" Her voice croaked.

A flicker of fear crossed Barbara's eyes as realization dawned on her. They had been lenient with the situation, even though they knew who Knox truly was. He could come for them at any time to avenge his parents.

"We have to do something about this," Aunt Barbara said. "We can't keep feeding his madness. We have to curb this before it truly comes back to bite us."

Meanwhile, in one of the bedrooms in the mansion, Gerald paced back and forth, still unable to shake off the shock. He kept seeing images of Knox and Sarah smiling and holding hands, and it tormented him deeply.

How did everything happen so fast?

She had never slipped before. Never resisted. Never chosen anyone else. He could control her however he wanted.

So how did she slip away from him?

Different questions flooded his mind, but he had no answers. He never saw the switch coming. Everything had been fine between them. They had no fights or arguments. Even if there had been one, Sarah would have apologized and settled things before it escalated.

Amara stared at him unblinkingly, her vision gradually becoming blurry from his constant movement.

"You're making me dizzy, Gerald." She sighed, anger evident in her tone. Her face was still red from the slap.

Gerald rushed to her side, gripping her shoulders tightly. He searched her eyes. "Sarah didn't leave me for my uncle, right? Whatever happened at the event hall... it could be a prank." He swallowed. "Sorry, I mean... That wasn't real, Amara. Tell me you know that wasn't real." His lips quivered as the words left his mouth.

Amara was surprised by his denial. What did it matter to him whether it was real or not? Wasn't this what they had always wanted?

"What are you saying? You saw how excited she was when your uncle put the ring on her finger," she snapped, shoving his hands off her shoulders. "I just don't think Sarah, who always acts innocent, would be a cheater. I'm certain she planned everything with your uncle and didn't really date you because she wanted to," she added, rolling her eyes and folding her arms.

Gerald shook his head, refusing to accept the truth. There was no way Sarah would choose his uncle over him.

"She promised to stay with me since I was the one who saved her from drowning," he said.

"But you and I both know your uncle saved her, not you. You know the truth already. We just... used it to our advantage." she replied.

Then she paused, processing the situation. "Wait a minute, Gerald... I thought your relationship with her was fake, and the one you have with me is real? Why are you acting like she actually broke your heart?"

A flicker of realization appeared in Gerald's eyes. His body stiffened for a moment as he searched for an excuse. Then he turned and walked toward her.

"That's not it, Amara. I'm not heartbroken. I just find it crazy that she suddenly became smart. She's supposed to be our pawn until we accomplish our goals. What now?" he lied without hesitation.

Amara considered it and nodded.

She let out a breath. "I was scared for a moment. I thought you were actually in love with her," she mumbled.

"Do you know the craziest part? She slapped me. Me. Look at what she did to my face." she continued, showing him her reddened cheek.

Gerald's worry deepened when he saw the mark. He didn't know what was going through Sarah's mind, but could she really dump him?

"Don't worry, baby." He kissed her cheek. "I'll make sure she apologizes to you," he promised.

"And how will you do that?" she asked, her brows furrowing.

"I'll talk to her," he replied. "She'll come back. She always does. I don't know what she's doing with my uncle, but she can't slip away from me so easily." He paused, straightening. "Your sister is madly in love with me. Everyone knows that."

Amara chuckled. "You're still in denial, Gerald. Sadly, our little toy has become smart."

"No, Amara!" he snapped, his veins popping. "Don't say that again."

Amara almost jumped at the sudden outburst. She had never seen Gerald act this way before. He had never raised his voice at her, except when they were pretending in front of her sister. But this time, it wasn't an act. He was genuinely angry, just because she suggested Sarah had truly left him.

At that moment, she realized things weren't as simple as she had thought. Gerald might be lying about not loving her sister.

His actions said otherwise.

He was in love.

For the first time, fear settled deep in her bones.

This was never part of the plan.

GENERAL

When the car stopped in front of the mansion, Knox stepped out and rushed to the other side to open the door for Sarah.

It was the first time he had done that, and something about it made her smile.

Leonard and the other men around exchanged glances and blushed at their boss's not-so-gentlemanly action. They had never seen that side of him before. No one had.

The mighty Knox never opened doors for anyone. Instead, thousands of people opened doors for him, and would gladly lie on the floor for him to step on.

As soon as Sarah stepped out of the car, her phone rang. She brought it out to check the caller ID and realized it was Gerald. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly hid the screen before Knox could catch a glimpse. She knew exactly how he would react if he saw the name. And she had already had a long, hectic day; all she wanted was to spend the rest of the night in peace.

But unknown to her, Knox had already seen it and was now anticipating her next move.

"Who is that?" Knox asked as they walked into the house.

"My mother," she mumbled, causing him to stop in his tracks. Rage surged through him instantly, and his eyes darkened.

He smirked, suppressing the urge to explode.

The phone stopped ringing at that moment. However, before she could sigh in relief, it started ringing again.

"Didn't you already talk to her in the car?" he asked, still watching to see how far she would go with the lie.

"I... Maybe she just remembered something,"  She forced a smile. "Let me quickly take this." She rushed into the bedroom before Knox could respond.

As soon as she tossed her bag onto the bed, she picked up the call.

"Sarah... Sarah..." Gerald's voice echoed from the other end. It was shaky, as if he had been crying. "Today was supposed to be our engagement. Why my uncle? Why not me?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed, suppressing the urge to snap at his annoying voice.

"I thought you loved me. I thought you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me." He paused. "We had plans, Sarah. We had so many plans. We promised to travel around the world together. To have our own garden and plant your favorite flowers everywhere..." His voice trailed off.

"Gerald, are you drunk?" one of her brows lifted. She didn't expect him to react this way. He never loved her. He should be relieved she didn't force herself on him. So why all the drama?

"Sarah, you can't do this to me. You know how much I hate Knox. Even if you want to leave me, Knox shouldn't be the next man you choose," he said.

Sarah snorted. "Calm down, Gerald," she muttered. "Things aren't what they seem. I might be engaged to Knox today, but it doesn't mean I love him. You need to understand that my engagement to Knox is to protect you," she explained, her eyes glinting with mischief.

She couldn't cut Gerald off yet. Letting him go now would mean letting him go unpunished. No. She didn't want that. They needed to feel everything she had felt-twice over.

"Are you serious, Sarah? What are you talking about?" The weakness in his voice vanished instantly.

Sarah's lips curled. The same voice that had sounded broken a moment ago was now firm and steady. Gerald, his manipulative skills were sharp, but not anymore. She would teach him how the game was really played.

"Yes, Gerald. He threatened me. He said he would kill you if I went ahead with the engagement with you." She paused and forced her voice to tremble, pretending to cry. "What was I supposed to do? Let him kill you? I had no choice but to accept his proposal." She lied and broke into sobs, though no tears fell from her eyes.

"I don't know if my sister told you this, but I slapped her when she tried to talk to me about you," she continued, laying everything out at once to avoid suspicion. "Knox was nearby at the time, and I had no choice but to slap her to convince him I was ready to be his." Her expression fell. "I made an unforgivable mistake. Do you think Amara will ever forgive me?"

Gerald gasped on the other end. "Knox, that bastard. I knew it. I knew you wouldn't betray me." His jaw clenched. "Don't worry, Sarah. Just stay with him for now. I'll find a way to save you from him," he assured her. "And don't worry about Amara. I'll talk to her. I'm sure she'll understand your intentions."

"I'm scared, Gerald. He could hurt me. What if I try to escape?" she asked. "But what if he decides to hurt you after I leave? Your uncle seems dangerous. What if he kills you because I escaped?"

Sarah asked deliberately.

"No, Sarah. No, please. Don't escape. Don't leave," he pleaded, panic lacing his voice.

Sarah almost laughed at his reaction. He proved her right.

"Just stay there. Stay with him until we find a way out of this mess. Please, babe. Just endure everything for me," he said, his voice trembling with fear and desperation.

"Alright, Gerald. I just want you to trust me. I have nothing-absolutely nothing-to do with your uncle."

"I trust you, babe," he replied immediately. "I fucking trust you with my whole life. You don't have to worry about anything, Sarah. I love you," he added softly.

Without responding, Sarah ended the call and tossed her phone onto the bed. She let out a deep breath.

"That was a lot of work," she murmured.

She wondered how Gerald and Amara had managed to act for years without getting exhausted. Maybe deception came naturally to them.

Meanwhile, the door hadn't fully closed, and Knox stood silently, having heard everything. He stood there, silent and still, as something dark settled behind his eyes.

KNOX

Sarah is a chronic liar.

She lied without batting an eye. I wouldn't have cared if she had told the truth about the caller ID... or maybe I would have had a bit of a problem with it. Just maybe.

But it didn't fucking justify her reason for lying to me.

I couldn't stop myself from eavesdropping, and the things I heard afterward were enough to make me erupt like a bomb.

She was with me to stop me from hurting her little lover? I scoffed.

Anger spread through me-fast, consuming, unstoppable. Tightening my fists, I clenched my jaw and dashed into my room. I was afraid staying there for another second would make me lose it completely.

I let my guard down. For a moment, I thought she was genuine. I believed she was genuine. The way she looked at me felt too real to be fake. I was ready to trust her, but who would have thought that I was just a pawn in her game of chess?

In my bedroom, I tried to sit, but I couldn't stay still. Standing seemed impossible too. I ended up pacing all over the room, hoping it could quench the fury burning aggressively within me.

Hell, nothing worked.

Her words replayed in my head. She had everything mapped out. Her plans were perfectly lined. Fuck! What exactly is she after?

Why must it be my stupid nephew? How is he better than I am?

"Boss, is there a problem?" Leonard asked. He had been in the room for more than ten minutes, watching me pace. "Is something disturbing you?"

"Do you still love yourself, Leonard?" I growled.

His eyes flickered. "Yes, boss," he gulped.

"Then mind your fucking business," I warned.

Leonard was my most trusted man, and he knew better than anyone not to speak further. Pursing his lips, he nodded and stepped away.

After pacing for another five minutes, I couldn't hold it in anymore. Sarah needed to tell me everything. What the hell was she planning? To run away from me?

I stormed out of my room.

⸻

SARAH

As soon as the call ended, I felt someone's presence behind the door. My heart skipped. Could someone have been eavesdropping? That would be a lot of trouble.

I rushed to the door and opened it but found no one. A sharp breath escaped my lungs. For a moment, I thought Knox had been there. That would have been dangerous. I didn't want to imagine what the situation would look like if he had actually heard what I said to Gerald.

After the call, I sat on the bed and thought about everything. Everything had been going smoothly since I was reborn. Too smoothly. Too perfectly. It felt too good to be true. Was there something I hadn't taken note of? Something I had missed?

I tried to think deeply but couldn't grasp anything.

Hissing, I stood up and yawned.

I was just being paranoid for no reason. What if things were going smoothly because I had already paid the price with my blood in my past life?

Well, whatever it was, I was certain I had everything under control and would deal with it as it came.

The zipper of my dress was pulled downward, and I had just dragged it off my shoulder when the door of my bedroom flew open. Before I could turn to see who it was, Knox was already in front of me.

The aura he emanated was so strong, defensive, and dangerous that it made my knees weaken before I even knew what was wrong. He was close to me, yet cold and distant. No matter how I looked at it, it felt like we were miles apart rather than standing close.

"Knox, is there-"

He didn't let me finish.

His hands gripped my shoulders. In a flash, I was dragged and pinned against the wall.

My breath hitched, and my chest heaved as I tried to steady myself. When I looked into his eyes, they were filled with darkness and coldness-enough to knock anyone off their feet. The slight affection he had shown me earlier was gone. There wasn't a trace of it... as if it had never existed.

"Why-"

Again, he cut me off by capturing my lips with his. At first, I thought he was driven by desire; I was ready to respond, but I was all wrong. I didn't expect the aggression and roughness that came with it. He didn't let me respond. He didn't let me breathe. It felt more like punishment than intimacy.

There was no tenderness; he just kept crushing my lips against his. I tried to move, but he held me in place.

My chest burned from the lack of air.

Then he bit my lips sharply. The pain shot through me, and I couldn't stop myself from crying out against his mouth, yet he didn't stop.

A metallic taste filled my mouth, but still, he didn't stop.

My knees weakened further. I squirmed and struggled against him, but he showed no mercy.

Again, he bit my lips, sending another wave of pain through me.

I couldn't take it anymore. With all the strength I could gather, I shoved him away.

"Are you crazy, Knox?" I shouted.

He smirked sinisterly and stepped closer again. When he reached me, I struck his face hard. "You're crazy, no doubt."

Blood lined the edge of his lips. With a dark smile, he ran his tongue over them.

"What did I tell you, little girl?" he growled, his eyes dark and expressionless. "I told you not to deceive me. Deception always comes with a cost," he added.

I was confused. What the hell was he talking about? How had I deceived him?

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Drop whatever game you're playing, girl. I gave you a ring and marked you mine." His heavy breath almost swallowed his words, but I still caught them. "You're going nowhere, Sarah. You're mine now... whether you like it or not." His voice was cold and menacing, sending a chill down my spine.

My gaze deepened at his words. It felt like he was speaking in riddles.

He stared at me for a few seconds longer, then released my chin. Before I could say anything, he was already gone, leaving behind the remnants of his anger and cold aura.

What did I do wrong?

Could it be that he overheard my convers-?

Hell no. I shook my head with a strained smile. No fucking way. Christ forbid that.

If he knew the truth, this would have been much worse.

⸻

Knox didn't return to his room after leaving Sarah's. He stormed outside.

When his men saw him, they gathered immediately.

"Leonard," Knox called.

"Yes, boss." Leonard stepped forward, bowing slightly.

"Send five of our strongest men to my nephew as a gift. I want his bones crushed and broken," he commanded.