Chapter 3

That day, I was in so much pain that I fainted. When I woke up, it was daytime. That was six days before the incident. After the rain, the sun was shining brightly. I struggled to get up from the ground. The blood between my legs had already dried. "I'm scared, Michael. What should we do?" Yasmin's cries were coming from the living room. She kept shaking as she said she was targeted by the killer. She was afraid to die. "Michael, we've checked the surveillance footage. Yasmin was indeed targeted. Should we call the police?" "No, Michael… Don't call the police. This killer is cruel and specifically targets young women. "The police have already found six bodies, but they can't even find him. If we were to anger him…" Yasmin shook her head in fear. She didn't want to call the police at all. "Yas, don't be afraid." Michael held onto Yasmin as he comforted her gently. It wasn't like he didn't know how to be gentle. It was just that he had never shown me the slightest bit of gentleness. I stood still and felt awkward. It felt wrong to leave. But it didn't feel right to stay either. "Yasmin, when you were in Serenity Lane yesterday, what were you wearing?" Michael's best buddy, Zack Ziegler, asked. "A red one-piece dress." After Yasmin said that, she glanced at me. "Stephie…" I didn't say anything and avoided her gaze. I walked to the kitchen with my legs shaking. I wanted to get something to eat. "Michael, I have a plan. Let's lure out the killer and catch him before we call the police. "That way, we can prevent him from seeking revenge on Yasmin if we fail. At least, it feels safer that way," Zack suggested as he looked at Michael. Michael nodded. "Continue." "Let's find a woman to wear Yasmin's dress and go to Serenity Lane at midnight to lure that guy out. There'll be cameras everywhere, and we will be watching closely. Nothing will go wrong." Michael frowned. "What a terrible idea. Are you letting your girlfriend do it?" Yasmin's gaze fell on me once again. She asked softly, "Stephie, you don't look too well. Are you okay?" "Why care about her? She almost got you killed." Michael held tightly onto Yasmin as he spoke with annoyance. My hand froze, even with a cup of hot coffee in it. The pain in my heart instantly spread all over me. "Then, let her do it! We already have a candidate here!" "She almost got Yasmin killed. She owes Yasmin one, so let her atone for her sins!" "That's right! Let Stephanie do it. She resembles Yasmin a little anyway, so she should go!" I looked at Michael in panic, hoping to hear him reject the idea. He clearly knew that I was afraid of the dark. Why in the world would I go somewhere shady like that… Michael was stunned for a while. He looked at me with his cold gaze for a long time before speaking. "You owe Yasmin one, so you must do it." That one reply from him felt like a thousand arrows piercing through me. My fingers went numb. I lost grip of the cup full of hot coffee, and it spilled all over my hand. Even though the coffee was piping hot, I felt as if I had lost all senses. I wasted a decade of my life and still failed to warm this man's heart. On the other hand, Yasmin did it without lifting a finger. "I'm not going…" I rejected. There was no way I would risk my life like this. "Michael, don't force Stephie…" Yasmin's eyes teared up. "Stephie didn't mean to push me down the stairs." "Stop defending her!" Michael suddenly erupted with rage. Even Yasmin was shocked. Michael got up and rushed toward me. I shook my head in dread. "Michael, I'm not going!" "It's not up to you!" Michael was determined to make me go. "We'll be keeping watch and not let you die." It sounded like Michael was making a promise to me. I looked to the ground as burning tears filled my eyes. "Make it up to Yasmin, and I'll consider that you've turned over a new leaf. I won't ever target you anymore." Michael lowered his voice. It was like he was giving me hope, and I actually believed him. "Can you… really ensure my safety?" "Of course." Michael was getting irritated. "Michael, I don't owe Yasmin anything. After we catch the killer, can you promise me something?" I desperately looked at him. I wasn't negotiating with Michael. Instead, I had something I needed to tell him. "Don't push it." Michael's expression instantly changed. I looked back to the ground and stopped talking. Since I was living with the Ford family, I had to depend on them. I loved him and was scared of him at the same time. "Alright… I'll go." I agreed to the plan. "I'll do it to repay you for saving me back then." I entrusted my life to Michael. Once the whole thing was over, I would propose dismissing the marriage agreement myself. I would give him his freedom and leave the country. I would leave the Ford family forever.