Chapter 5

After leaving the hospital, Celine began collecting her things. She gathered every item that belonged to her from Stellan's home, discarding some and burning the rest. She didn't want a single thing of hers left behind. Stellan noticed this and asked, confused, "Celine, have you been getting rid of a lot of stuff lately?" "I'm just throwing out what I don't need," she replied indifferently. Stellan frowned. Something felt off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Alright. If you want new things, I'll buy them. But you should rest since you just got out of the hospital. Let the housekeeper handle this." Celine didn't pause in her movements. She said, "I don't want anyone touching my things." Stellan studied her, an uneasy tension settling in his chest. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was keeping something from him. As he watched her tidying up, he hesitated before finally speaking. "Celine, it's been a while since we've gone out. I booked a private room to celebrate your hospital discharge and our engagement." Celine adjusted her glasses and gave him a detached glance. She was leaving soon and didn't want any complications before then. So, she nodded in agreement. Inside the room, Stellan's friends were already waiting. Celine eyed them, disgust coiling in her gut. She stifled the rising revulsion, forcing herself to go along with it. Halfway through, Noel abruptly spoke up. "Stellan, didn't you leave a gift for Celine in the car? Get it. She'll surely love it!" Stellan hesitated momentarily before rising from his seat and exiting the room. "Celine, wait here. I'll be right back." She gave a silent nod in acknowledgment. Whatever the present might be, it held no significance for her now. The moment Stellan was no longer there, his friends began inventing reasons to depart. "Celine, my stomach's acting up. I'll be back in a minute." "Celine, I've got to take this call." As the last few people took their leave, Celine's sense of unease intensified. She rushed for the exit, but the door slammed shut just before she reached it. She shoved against it repeatedly, but it didn't budge. Her stomach dropped. She pounded on the door, but no one responded. When she fumbled for her phone, she realized that it was gone. Suddenly, the lights cut out, plunging the room into complete darkness. The darkness closed around her like a vise. Her muscles locked. Each breath came short and panicked. A violent tremor wracked her body. The memory struck without warning—that pitch-black night, the driving rain, and the gang of thugs who'd yanked her into a shadowed alley. They'd beaten her, forced pills down her throat, and ripped her clothing to shreds. She'd fought like a wild animal, but resistance was futile. The icy rain had needled her exposed flesh, and the raw terror of that night had never left her. Now it seized her completely. The perpetrators' distorted faces flashed before her, and their lecherous laughter echoed in her skull. Celine pounded on the door desperately, screaming for Stellan in blind terror. "Stellan! Stellan, help me! Please, Stellan…" Her breathing turned shallow and rapid. Slumping against the door, she slid to the floor and clamped her hands over her ears. She coiled into a tight ball, tremors coursing through her body in relentless waves. She was seconds from her breaking point when the door swung open without warning. Harsh light flooded in, blinding her. When she looked up, it wasn't Stellan who stood there, but a group of unknown men. They crept forward, faces twisted into mocking, leering grins.