"I fell for you the moment we met, and kept it buried ever since. Just hearing your voice was enough to make me feel like home no longer existed." — Evelyn Carter to Ethan

In a damp, dimly lit corner, a small figure curled up tightly, her body shaking uncontrollably.

She was filthy, hair hanging in messy knots, clothes crumpled and disheveled. Every patch of exposed skin was bruised in angry purples and blues.

"Ethan... Ethan... help me..."

Her voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. Each word came out like it was tearing her apart, and even in this broken state, his name left her lips over and over again.

"Ethan? You think you still get to say his name? Evelyn Carter, what do you think will happen if I send that video of you messing around with those guys to Ethan?"

At that voice, Evelyn’s eyelids trembled. Summoning all the strength she had left, she forced her swollen eyes open—only to find Scarlett Blake staring her down. Three greasy-faced men loomed behind her, eyes gleaming with sick delight."Oh, come on, are you still hoping Ethan will come save you? Wake up already! Ethan and I are getting married in just a few hours. Those guys? Yeah, he arranged them specially for you. You know where the wedding is? Right at the same spot your family hosted your coming-of-age party. Remember that? The decorations, the house—you picked them out yourself. Even the sofa over there? That’s Ethan’s favorite place to be with me..."

Scarlett stared her down, eyes full of cruel amusement—like a predator playing with its prey. That look said one thing: she’d won.

Evelyn Carter couldn’t keep lying to herself.

So this was the man she’d loved for all these years?

He’d been setting her up the whole time—pretending to care, whispering sweet nothings—only to stab her in the back when she least expected it, with help from the people she trusted most.

The three men watched her like vultures, vile grins stretching across their faces. Two of them crept closer, leering as their hands twitched, ready to rip off her clothes. The air felt rancid, thick with a disgusting stench that made her want to throw up.

"Get away... Don’t touch me..."

The more Evelyn struggled, the more twisted Scarlett’s smile became. She sauntered forward in her stilettos, took perfect aim, and stomped hard on Evelyn’s slender hand. The elegant curve of her lips never faltered, but the pressure—brutal and sharp—snapped Evelyn’s pinky with a sickening crack.

The pain was unbearable, like her whole body was being torn apart.But Evelyn Carter bit her lip hard, refusing to make a sound.

Scarlett Blake didn’t bother wasting another second. She threw a cold glance at the men, told them to “take good care” of Evelyn, then leaned in close and whispered, her voice laced with cruelty, “Relax, they won’t kill you. You’ve got plenty more ‘fun’ like this ahead. Every. Single. Day.”

She dusted off her dress like nothing had happened, turned to leave.

Just two meters from the door, she suddenly paused, turned back, and looked down at Evelyn’s broken form with mocking eyes. “Oh, and don’t hang your hopes on Lucas Bennett,” she sneered. “Want a fun fact? He’s already dead. Died for you. Not even a body left.”

Evelyn missed everything after that. Her mind stopped at “not even a body left.” That one phrase slammed her world shut. Her whole body trembled as silent, fat tears rolled from the corners of her eyes.

He’s gone.

He actually died.

And just like that, Evelyn stopped moving. The last bit of life in her eyes faded as she kept muttering those three words — “not even a body.”She hadn’t even gotten the chance to see him one last time. How could he be gone? How could this be real?

At that moment, all Evelyn Carter could think about was Lucas Bennett's face.

Lucas, if only I hadn’t been so blind chasing after Ethan Blake... If only you were still alive...

Her vision blurred as the light in her eyes faded. She collapsed onto the cold ground, her body limp. Yet she kept staring toward the direction Scarlett Blake had disappeared in, eyes full of hatred. Her hand clenched with every ounce of remaining strength, nails digging deep into her palm, breaking the skin.

Scarlett, Ethan... If I ever get another shot at this, I swear I'll make you pay for everything.

Before the three men nearby could react, her breath had already stopped.

She died with her eyes wide open.