His Sweet Menace

Chapter 1 On a whim, my older sister, Lilith Moore, had run away to escape her wedding. Thus, I was sent to serve Charles Bowman, the scion of Grouchester, in her stead.

However, the moment Lilith returned, I was immediately tossed to the side.

For the past three years, I had been the one who had stayed by his side and taken care of him. I was also the one he had humiliated for his entertainment.

Everyone thought I was madly in love with him. Even Charles himself believed so.

However, on the day that he proposed to me with great fanfare, I tossed the ring in his face. The smile on my face was both cold and unfeeling. “We’re just having fun. Don’t tell me you took me seriously?”

…

“Shay, I lost the best. You’re to spend the night with him.”

I had been with Charles for four years when he wagered me off at the poker table. He had lost me to his rival, Horace Langsten.

At that moment, I was sitting in his lap, dressed in a dress made from a light fabric, and holding a lighter so I could light his cigarette.

When I heard his words, I nearly burned myself on the flame, and my eyes immediately misted over.

“Charles, I don’t want to be with him. I’m yours alone.”

In my panic, I leaned in to try to kiss him, but he merely stopped me absentmindedly. He ruffled my hair affectionately and said, “Be a good girl, Shay.”

Then, he tossed me onto the poker table like I was a piece of trash.

The overhead lights shone down on me as I curled in on myself, feeling the brunt of the scornful gazes from those around.

They had a right to feel contempt. I was someone who could only stay in the shadows, a mere plaything that Charles entertained himself with. I wasn’t even fit to be called a lover.

The person he truly loved was Lilith, my sister in name, and a princess who had received all the love since the day she was born.

I, Shayla Moore, on the other hand, was the illegitimate child that the Moores had reclaimed a few years ago. To the public, I was the younger Ms. Moore, but truthfully, I was no different from the help.

Three years ago, Lilith had escaped the country on the eve of her wedding to Charles.

Not long after, I found my way back to the Moores and took the opportunity to replace Lilith, shamelessly crawling onto Charles’ bed.

Since then, he had firmly believed that I had forced Lilith to leave the country and that I was nothing more than a gold digger. Thus, he subjected me to endless humiliation.

Right then, Horace’s predatory gaze lingered on me as he sought confirmation. “Charles, are you sure? A beauty such as her will likely be half dead by the time I’m done with her.”

Everyone in the circle knew Horace had certain violent proclivities. Any woman who had spent the night with him would always be seen with bruises littered over her body, and they would always tremble at the mention of his name.

I turned my head around to plead with Charles. “Charles, please…”

“As beautiful as she is, you still get sick of the same thing after three years.” Charles ignored my pleas and slowly lit a cigarette. Then, he made a request. “Do whatever you want with her, but do it here.”

“Very ruthless of you, Charles. And very kinky, too.”

Horace wasn’t one to deny someone else’s pleasure. As he stalked toward me, he said, “Since Charles wants a live show, I can’t very well say no.”

He grabbed onto my ankle and dragged me under him. With tears in my eyes, I stretched a hand out to Charles as I cried and begged, “Charles… Save me… I’m really scared…”

Wisps of smoke curled around him, making it so I was unable to see his expression clearly.

Instead, I heard him cough a few times and, with a voice as cold as ice, say, “Don’t embarrass me, Shayla.”

Hearing his cough, I bit down on my lip hard. My manicured nails broke from pressing against the table, and blood seeped from my fingers.

I tried my best to squeeze out a smile. “I’ll do what you say, Charles. You have a heart condition. Don’t get upset.”

Charles had congenital heart disease, so he needed to avoid dramatic surges in emotions.

Three years ago, before his wedding to Lilith, he had risked his life to undergo a heart transplant.

I figured he must have truly loved her and had wanted to grow old with her.

In the end, Lilith ran off. And though his surgery was a success, the news still dealt him a massive blow , and he nearly died because of it.

For the past three years, I was the one who had stayed by his side night and day and helped him through those horrible, pain-filled moments. Who knew that after all that, he would just hand me off to someone else?

While I was lost in my thoughts, Horace had already lowered his body onto mine, and cheers erupted from the sidelines.

I started to struggle. I used everything I had to fight back.

I knew Charles very well after spending three years with him. He was an extreme clean freak when it came to certain things.

Usually, if any man so much as touched me accidentally, he would bathe me himself. So, if Horace really did do anything to me tonight, Charles would definitely not want me anymore.

While struggling, my fingernails scratched Horace across the neck. He slapped me hard across the face, and then he grabbed my hair and smashed my head against the table.

Though dazed, I could feel one of his hands around my throat while the other pulled on my dress. His smile was sinister as he warned, “Acting all tough? I like that. Go on. Keep fighting me!”

With that, he twisted my arm with one hand, and the other snaked out to fully rip my dress open.

“Enough,” someone finally spoke out at the critical moment.

It was none other than Charles. His voice was calm, and his expression unreadable.

“I said you could play with her, not kill her.”

I raised my head with much difficulty and locked eyes with him. “Charles,” I whimpered.

He averted his gaze and turned to Horace instead. “Let her go, and that piece of land upstate is yours.”

A woman for a piece of land—clearly a worthwhile trade.

When Horace let me go, I hurriedly crossed my arms across my chest and shot Charles a sweet smile.

“I knew it, Charles. I knew you wouldn’t have the heart to—”

“Lily, are you happy with this proof that you wanted?”

Chapter 2 As the words dawned on me, I finally noticed the woman standing behind Charles.

Lily.

There was only one person who would be called that, and that would be my older sister in name, Lilith.

As expected, the woman walked up to me with a look of pity on her face. “Shay, I didn’t expect our first meeting to go like this.

“Charles, I just wanted you to prove that you had no feelings for her. Yet, she was nearly defiled by others. You went too far,” she chided.

She then continued, “I’m sorry, Shay. We were just playing a joke earlier. You’ve clung to Charles for the past three years, so I got a little jealous and made an offhand remark about giving you to someone else.

“I didn’t think he would actually do it. That was too much of him. You weren’t scared, were you?”

If one paid close enough attention, one could see the mockery in her eyes and hear the smugness in her voice.

“Lilith, you’re too softhearted. She’s nothing more than an illegitimate child, but she kept seducing Charles while you were gone. If it were me, I wouldn’t let her go so easily. In fact, I’d make sure she was brought to ruin,” said someone from the crowd, rushing to appease Lilith by tearing me down.

“Everyone knows that Charles and Lilith are childhood sweethearts, and yet here she is, thinking so highly of herself. Three years of hard work and scheming all for nothing, and now, she’s back at square one!”

I lowered my head and touched my swollen cheek. A flash of laughter flickered across my eyes.

Thinking so highly of myself? Three years of hard work and scheming all for nothing? Back at square one?

I thought not!

Charles didn’t have the heart to go through with it in the end. If I was a mere plaything to him, then why would it matter if Horace had his way with me?

He had wagered me off, then used a piece of land to trade me back. It seemed like I was pretty valuable.

It was good that he didn’t have the heart to go through with it. That meant that my past three years of diligence hadn’t been in vain.

My dress had been ripped by Horace, leaving a shoulder exposed. I looked at Charles and didn’t say a word. Instead, I let my tears stream down quietly.

“Charles, I want you to stay with me tonight,” said Lilith with a pout as she hugged his arm.

“Okay,” Charles answered.

But before he left, he tossed his coat at me, covering up every inch of my exposed skin.

Lilith tensed when she saw this. “Charles, I thought you were a germaphobe?” she asked a little unhappily.

“She touched it, so I don’t want it anymore.”

This explanation satisfied Lilith.

“Shayla, Charles doesn’t want you anymore. How about you be with me instead?” Horace asked with a chuckle just as Charles and Lilith were leaving.

I noticed Charles’ footsteps falter. Then, I stumbled off the poker table and declared, “He didn’t say he doesn’t want me, and I also refuse to be with you!”

I ran out of the club. It was snowing heavily that winter’s night, and the temperature was already below 32°F. It was so cold that I couldn’t stop shivering.

I braved the snow and wind and managed to catch Charles and Lilith before they got into their car.

“Lilith, I know that I’m not worthy to compete with you, and Charles only loves you… But I really, really like him. I just want to be closer to him. I’ll be content just as long as I can see him.”

Lilith’s expression darkened, and she dealt me a swift slap across the face. “Shayla! How can you be so shameless!”

My face swelled up again after yet another blow, but I still pleaded, “Lilith, please don’t be angry. I won’t do anything, and I promise I won’t cause you any problems…”

Hearing this, Lilith was so enraged that she wanted to hit me again, but Charles caught her hand in time.

“Lily, doesn’t your hand hurt from hitting her?”

“Charles, she isn’t giving up! She still wants to seduce you!” Lilith complained.

Charles finally looked at me and scoffed. “Let her follow us. She can watch us enjoy our night with her very own eyes.”

In the end, I got what I wanted and was brought back by Charles to the mansion.

He didn’t let me past the front doors, though. Instead, he punished me by having me stand outside—in the middle of winter.

The night fell, and the shadows of two bodies became intertwined in the main bedroom upstairs.

I shouldn’t have been able to hear anything from where I stood, but Lilith had purposely opened the windows and moaned especially loudly.

By midnight, when I was so cold that I nearly keeled over in the snow, Charles finally made his way down and walked over to me.

“Does it hurt?”

He was much taller than me. He gently lifted my chin, and his fingers brushed over my swollen cheek.

I shook my head obediently and nuzzled against his palm. “No, it doesn’t. I’m just worried you’d find me dirty and not want me anymore.”

Charles’ expression darkened at my reminder. “Where did Horace touch you?”

I hurriedly explained, “He didn’t touch me anywhere. He just tore the dress you gave me.”

He stared at me deeply and asked, “Do you blame me, Shay?”

“I don’t blame you. I just don’t want to be separated from you.”

I had barely finished speaking when he suddenly leaned in to kiss me and pressed me against the side of the car.

Then, he opened the car door and laid me down on the back seat. Just as he lowered himself down on me and kissed my neck, I tilted my head and glanced at the upstairs balcony.

At some point, the supposedly asleep Lilith had been standing there, glaring at me unblinkingly like a phantom in the shadows.

Chapter 3 As for why Lilith had run away from the wedding so many years ago, Charles was no idiot—he had naturally guessed the gist of it.

Even though he often blamed me for it, deep down in his heart, he knew better than anyone that Lilith had been worried that his heart transplant wouldn’t be successful, and thus he wouldn’t live long.

Lilith had been spoiled by him. She hadn’t wanted to be married to someone who was about to die soon, and more importantly, she hadn’t wanted to spend the rest of her life as a widow.

The thing was, the Bowman family stood at the apex of the social pyramid, and Charles was their only heir. He was practically a modern-day prince in his own right. Thus, even if he died, the Bowmans would never allow his wife to remarry.

For the past three years, I was the one who had stayed with him, taken care of him, and allowed him to use me for his entertainment.

I had finally gotten through to his heart, and now, Lilith wanted to reap the rewards? Why would I be okay with that?

Childhood sweethearts might be nostalgic and all, but wasn’t a sincere heart that came through when one needed it the most just as moving?

Charles had said that the act of giving me to Horace was to prove something to Lilith. But truthfully, he had something to prove to himself.

He couldn’t admit that he had started to develop feelings for me. He assumed that once I was defiled by others, he would be able to do away with me.

Fortunately, I had long since woven a net of tenderness and love and had slowly tightened it around him bit by bit.

And in the end, he had caved.

When my pleasure peaked that snowy night, I deliberately yelled out loudly so that Lilith, who was still on the balcony, could hear.

“I’m sorry, Charles. I couldn’t hold it in,” I said as I quickly clasped a hand over my mouth.

Charles let out a light chuckle in the cramped car. “No worries. Yell out. I like hearing the noises you make.”

After a while, he lowered his head and kissed my eyes.

“Shay, has anyone told you that your eyes hide a heartless soul? You keep saying that you love me, but even after three years, I still can’t bring myself to believe you. I have this feeling that you approached me with a goal in mind.”

I nearly panicked. I quickly lowered my head to hide my expression and made my voice as aggrieved as possible when I asked, “Then, what do I need to do for you to believe me, Charles?”

He was someone who sat on the throne of power. Thus, it was natural that he was exceptionally shrewd. He had still managed to catch glimpses of my secret, though I had done such a good job of hiding it.

Of course I had a goal in mind when I approached him. I might be a two-faced manipulator, but I wasn’t born shameless.

Charles didn’t answer me and, instead, pulled me back into the throes of passion.

By the time I dragged my tired body back to the Moore residence, I was immediately swarmed by the help the moment I stepped inside.

Lilith had a box of contraceptives in her hand. She shoved a pill into my mouth and forced me to swallow it down.

I had barely swallowed when a kick sent me falling to the floor.

“Shayla Locklear! Don’t forget your place! You’re just an actress hired by my family!”

Indeed, I had never actually been the illegitimate daughter of the Moores.

When Lilith had thrown a tantrum and escaped the country, the Bowman family was thoroughly outraged. The Moores were unable to handle the frustration, but they were also worried that Charles was going to die soon, leaving Lilith a widow for the rest of her life.

Thus, they secretly hired someone to pretend to be their illegitimate daughter and had her delivered to Charles as a scapegoat instead.

That scapegoat was none other than me.

Three years had passed, and Charles was still alive and well, which meant that the heart transplant had been successful. Hence, Lilith finally returned to the country.

As for me, the scapegoat? Well, it was my time to leave.

Since the beginning, I had been Shayla Locklear and not Shayla Moore.

“Shayla, we’ll send you out of the country, and we’ll transfer the rest of the money to you,” said Lilith’s father, Patrick Moore, coldly.

Lilith’s mother, Andrea White, gave me a thinly veiled threat instead.

“Mr. Bowman only kept you around because he thought you were the daughter of the Moore family. If he knew you were nothing but an orphan, he’d want you…

“Shayla Locklear, you’ve tricked him for three years! He’d never forgive you if he found out. We’ll send you out of the country, and we’ll even give you some extra money. You should be content. Stop entertaining any unseemly thoughts!”

Chapter 4 I had come when the Moores needed me. Now, after suffering for three years, they wanted to send me away. I thought not.

“Alright.”

I wasn’t dumb. I had no choice but to submit while under their roof.

“Thank you. I promise I’ll go far, far away and never come back,” I said, pretending to be very grateful.

“Mom, Dad, she’s so full of herself right now! She even slept with Charles last night! The shameless bitch! I’ll kill her…”

Lilith was so outraged that she wanted to hit me again, but this time, I managed to dodge her.

“Ms. Moore, Mr. Bowman likes gentle women. If you leave marks on my face, it’ll affect his impression of you.”

“You bitch! Charles only sees you as his plaything! You’re nothing but my stand-in!” Lilith spat out, but in the end, she didn’t try to hit me again.

Instead, she stared at me as she bragged, “Just wait. Charles is going to propose to me tonight. After tonight, you can pack your bags and get lost!”

Propose?

I lowered my gaze as I clenched my fists so tightly that my fingernails dug into my palms.

…

That night, as reluctant as Lilith was, she still brought me along with her to the private hotel that belonged to Charles. The venue was decorated lavishly, showing just how much he cared for Lilith.

She shot me a look of contempt before she was ushered upstairs by a group of people.

I wasn’t feeling great, so I sat on the couch to rest for a bit.

While I sat there, more and more guests arrived. These were all prestigious people that stood very high up on the social ladder.

This was turning out to be quite the grand proposal.

I started to grow frustrated. What was I going to do once Charles proposed to Lilith?

I got up and headed to the balcony, wanting the cold breeze to clear my head.

Just as I was about to head back in, I suddenly overheard a male voice.

“Charles, are you sure you’re going to propose tonight? That little lover of yours seems quite interesting.”

The male voice belonged to Horace.

I stiffened when another male voice—clearly Charles’—responded nonchalantly, “She’s watched too many TV shows. She thinks she can win me over so easily. I’m just fooling around with her.”

Horace snorted. “Regardless, she’s been by your side and tending to you for the past three years. You’ve really never been moved by her?”

“She’s just doing it for the money. Her sincerity is nothing but an act. What is there to be moved about?”

As I heard that, my face ashened, and my heart plummeted.

Had Charles… Had Charles discovered my true identity?

I rushed off in a panic, not daring to listen any further.

Not long after, the banquet started, and Charles walked into view. Lilith accompanied him onto the stage, and there wasn’t a woman there who wasn’t envious of her.

I felt a dull ache in my heart as I watched them.

What about me? What was I to him?

I could hear the mocking jeers from someone nearby. “What a sad little two-faced thing, ending up with nothing!”

The scene in front of me became too glaring, and I couldn’t stay there any longer. I turned and fled out the hall.

Thus, I didn’t see Charles’ expression harden when he saw me leave.

While I stood outside lost in thought, Horace came up to me.

“Ms. Moore, Charles’ engagement party is about to start. Surely, you can’t miss it,” he said with a frown.

Then, he instructed his bodyguards to grab hold of me. I was unable to break free of them and was thus dragged to the yard.

Snowflakes fluttered through the air, and roses covered the snowy ground. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

My breath was once again taken away when I saw Lilith dressed in her white wedding dress. She looked as elegant as a white swan as she stood at the end of the roses-filled path.

The moment I appeared, everyone’s gazes fell on me, making me seem even more like a joke.

Lilith walked over to me, the train of her dress sashaying in the snow. And because she was in heels, she was about a head taller than me.

“Shayla, don’t be too sad. Your brother-in-law just promised me that he’d personally pick a good man for you to marry,” she said, her tone merciful.

Then, she leaned in right next to my ear and, with a voice so low that only I could hear, hissed venomously, “Shayla Locklear, someone as low-class as you is only fit to be a plaything. Who are you to even dream of having Charles?”

Chapter 5 I stood there in a daze, well aware that I wasn’t worthy. I wasn’t going to be able to stop the proposal that night.

I thought back to the reason that made me approach Charles in the first place, and I felt a wave of sadness in my heart.

“Oh, no! Fire!”

Things took a sudden turn right then. Flames erupted across the hotel. There was a strong gust that winter night which only fanned the flames and made them spread faster.

Thankfully, the guests were all already outside to witness the proposal.

The person in charge hurriedly did a head count, only to realize they were short one person. More horrifyingly, the person missing was Charles.

The person in charge’s face turned ashened in an instant. “Where’s Mr. Bowman?”

Shock colored everyone’s faces when they heard this. Charles wasn’t out there with them? If he wasn’t, then where could he be?

The worst possible outcome popped into everyone’s minds.

“Charles said he was going back upstairs to get the ring,” someone mumbled.

Those words sent a chill down everyone’s spine as it confirmed their worst fear.

The fire was still spreading, and it had already formed a sea of flames at the entrance of the hotel.

Even from afar, one could feel the fiery heat. If someone were to run in and try to save him now, the chances of dying inside were much more likely than pulling off a successful rescue. And who didn’t fear death?

Lilith was completely terrified. The smug expression she had just been wearing a few moments ago had turned into one of stark horror. “How could this happen…”

“Ms. Moore, Charles went in to get the ring for you.”

Horace’s words had everyone suddenly turn to look at Lilith.

“It’s because of you that Charles is trapped inside the fire. Are you not going to save him?”

The suggestion horrified Lilith so much that she started crying. Her lips trembled as she inched backward unsteadily.

“Horace! Are you insane, or do you think I’m insane? The fire’s too big, and Charles has a heart condition! How am I supposed to save him? If I went in now, I would only die alongside him!”

“So, you’re not willing to die alongside Charles?” Horace scoffed.

Everyone else fell silent, not daring to breathe a word. They were also considering the possibility of the Bowman family blaming them and taking their fury out on them should Charles die in the fire tonight.

“What about you, Shayla? Aren’t you always insisting that you love Charles?” Horace asked yet again.

Now, everyone’s gazes became fixated on me instead, and the emotional blackmail started.

“That’s right. Shayla has been so devoted to Charles for the past three years. She has always behaved like she can’t live without him, so why is she not reacting at all right now?”

“I had believed she was sincere about Charles and had even found her a tad pitiful, but I guess that was all an act. She was just in it for Charles’ status only.”

Horace sighed and continued to look at me. “It’s no wonder Charles always said that you’re a gold digger. He’s inside right now, likely to be burned alive any second, and you’re just standing there doing nothing? I guess your love for him isn’t all that, after all, Shayla.”

The blazing fire lit up everyone’s expressions, showing their true colors.

I closed my eyes and, at that moment, I made a decision.

“Charles will be scared if he’s alone.” Tears fell out of the corners of my eyes while I stared at the fire. “If he’s going to die, then I’ll die alongside him,” I said earnestly.

My words shocked everyone. They exchanged glances with each other, clearly believing that I had lost my mind.

Horace was the first to come back to his senses. With a cigarette between his lips and disdain etched all over his face, he said, “Shayla, it’s easy enough to say that you’ll die alongside Charles, but there’s no way you’d—”

He hadn’t even finished his sentence when I—amid the shocked gasps of everyone—took a deep breath and ran headfirst into the blazing hotel.

“Damn it! Has she lost her mind?” Horace yelled, his cigarette falling out of his mouth.

“Shayla, come back out! Charles…”

Chapter 6 I didn’t catch the rest of Horace’s words because I had already been engulfed by the fire.

A fire in the dead of winter was destined to be a catastrophe. I was basically betting with my life when I dove into the inferno.

Truthfully, even though I hadn’t caught the rest of Horace’s words, I could still manage a guess. He was probably going to say that Charles wasn’t inside the hotel.

That would only make sense, as Charles was someone of such importance and always had bodyguards follow him everywhere.

If he had been trapped in the hotel during this sudden fire, the bodyguards would’ve rushed in to save him ages ago. Otherwise, if anything happened to him, the bodyguards would definitely be held accountable.

The Bowman family would certainly not let things go, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they demanded a life for a life, either.

Yet, here was Horace instigating me and Lilith to go into the burning hotel to save Charles, all while the bodyguards stayed put.

This could only mean that this was all but a setup.

I knew. I knew everything, but I still needed to do this. Because only by putting my life on the line could I prevent Charles and Lilith from rekindling their relationship.

Also, Charles had always doubted me. He never believed in my sincerity. Thus, if his doubts could be erased, then it’d be killing two birds with one stone.

The inferno continued to grow, and the heat licked at my skin, causing an indescribable sharp pain.

I did my best to protect my face. I didn’t want to disfigure myself, lest Charles become disgusted with me.

Before I knew it, several spots on my body had become scorched, and it was becoming very difficult to breathe from the heavy smoke.

Finally, I couldn’t hold on anymore, and I collapsed at the bottom of a staircase.

Was I going to be burned alive?

Just before I fully lost consciousness, the image of a handsome man popped into my mind.

He was wearing a white shirt, and his expression was gentle. He extended a hand out to me and said affectionately, “Come on, Shay. Let’s get up.”

“Carl…”

I curled in on myself as I muttered unconsciously, “I miss you so much… I don’t think I can hold on any longer…”

Right as I was on death’s door, several bodyguards stormed in and pulled me out.

“Charles, you have a heart condition! You can’t go in!”

The moment I was brought out of the inferno, I heard Lilith’s voice frantically pleading, “The fire is out of control. The bodyguards have already gone in. Shay… Shay might have already…”

“Look! The bodyguards got to her!”

Lilith had probably meant to say that I might have already been burned to death before she was interrupted.

In a matter of seconds, Charles came to snatch me into his arms, and he held me tightly without saying a word.

The surrounding crowd’s whispers came one after the other.

“I guess Shayla’s feelings toward Charles were more sincere in the end.”

“I always thought it was shameless of her to steal her sister’s fiancé, but my impression of her is changing now…”

“Was it really stealing, though? Lilith chose to leave the country when Charles was undergoing his surgery. Have a good think about why she would do that.”

With much difficulty, I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was Charles’ eyes, dark and endless, like an abyss ready to swallow me whole.

“Charles… As long as you’re okay…”

There was barely any color in his face, likely because of the strain on his heart. I nuzzled against his chest and apologized weakly, “I didn’t know you weren’t inside. I’m sorry that I caused you trouble.”

I probably looked like a nightmare right then. But that was also what made it perfectly clear that none of this was an act.

I purposely raised my hand and revealed the burns on it. “Charles, I got hurt… It really hurts…”

Since this was all a setup, then my performance should satisfy him, right? He should be able to shed his suspicions and finally believe that I was sincere, right?

“That’s right! Feel the pain! That way, you’ll learn your lesson!” Charles finally huffed.

His words were full of hostility, and yet, the way he held my hand was so gentle, as if I were a fragile piece of treasure.

“Charles, it really hurts… Can you blow on it and make it better?”

I felt the change in him and thus wanted to just test my luck a bit more.

In the next second, Charles Bowman, the proud scion of the Bowman family, lowered his head and blew on my burns right in full view of everyone.

Everyone fell quiet, and their gazes all turned in the same direction—the direction where Lilith was standing.

I caught sight of her out of the corner of my eye. She, in her wedding gown, should’ve been the most gorgeous person there. But right then, it was like she had lost all her pride and poise.

Her face was as white as a sheet. It was clear she had lost to me.

I didn’t need to force myself to stay awake anymore. I allowed my tense nerves to relax and let myself fall into unconsciousness.

In the haze, I heard Charles calling out my name, his voice carrying a trace of subtle concern.

“Shay!”

I also heard Horace say gleefully, “Charles, oh, Charles. Looks like you’ve fallen for her.”

He had fallen for me. That had been my goal from the start.

In order to achieve the ultimate goal, I had shamelessly thrown myself at Charles for the past four years. Finally, I succeeded. And finally, I could put the rest of my plans in motion.