Chapter 7

The entire night, the Slater residence remained brightly lit. Alyssa sat anxiously on the couch, her nails digging so deeply into her palms that blood trickled down her hands. Yet, she did not even seem to notice. She just sat there, staring unblinkingly at the clock on the wall. She watched as the hour hand slowly moved from midnight to 7:00 am. The very moment the clock chimed, hurried footsteps echoed from outside, growing closer and closer. Then, Enzo stepped inside, his dark eyes filled with pure rage, so intense that it sent a shiver down Alyssa's spine. A deep, cold dread spread through her as she watched him take a whip from a housekeeper's hands and approach her step by step. Enzo asked, "Alyssa, do you even realize what you've done? Nadine and the baby almost died because of you." Alyssa was overwhelmed with shock when she heard his words, but she soon snapped back to reality. She recalled that this was exactly when she had gotten pregnant in her past life. However, this time, she had pushed Nadine toward Enzo to relieve his effects from being drugged. Hence, it only made sense that the one carrying his child now was Nadine. Nonetheless, Alyssa did not have time to dwell on that thought. She stared at Enzo, who was so furious he was willing to punish her just to vent Nadine's anger. Alyssa's eyes turned red, and she struggled to explain."I didn't do anything to that wedding dress, and I never wanted to hurt her. From the kidnapping to the anonymous love letters at the gala, and now this dress—don't you think it's strange that all of this keeps happening? Even if I wanted to frame her, how could I succeed every single time?" She thought that, after saying this, the usually cautious Enzo would at least start to see the holes in the situation. Unfortunately, his fury had completely consumed him. His voice was ice-cold as he said, "So what? Are you saying Nadine is the one setting you up? I love her, and I'm marrying her. Why the hell would she go out of her way to ruin you?" That was exactly what Alyssa did not understand. "I don't know—" Before she could finish, a sharp cry of pain escaped her lips. She did not even notice when Enzo had raised the whip, but the moment it lashed across her body, a searing pain ripped through her. Enzo hissed, "Alyssa, you're just as stubborn as ever." Her face went pale as the corners of her lips twisted into a bitter smile. Nadine was the one Enzo held closest to his heart. So, how could she still foolishly think, even for a second, that he might believe her? Alyssa's instincts screamed at her to run, but before she could move, the guards rushed forward, pinning her down. Another lash struck her back, and Enzo's furious voice boomed through the room. "Alyssa, do you admit your mistake?" Alyssa trembled from the pain, her entire body shaking, but she clenched her fists and refused to make a sound. Seeing her remain silent, Enzo's grip on the whip tightened, and he brought it down even harder. "I'll ask you one last time—do you admit it?" Yet, the girl on the floor kept her lips tightly sealed, refusing to say a single word. After all, she had not done anything wrong, and she would never admit to something she did not do. Enzo grew even more furious when he saw how stubborn she was. The whip lashed across her back repeatedly, each strike heavier than the last. Before long, her entire back was a mess of torn flesh and blood, yet she still refused to admit to something she had not done. Finally, Andrew, the butler, could not stand by any longer. He stepped forward and grabbed Enzo's wrist, stopping him. "Mr. Slater, if you keep this up, you're going to kill her." Only then did Enzo finally let go, tossing the whip aside with an icy expression. He warned, "Alyssa, don't let there be a next time!" The moment he finished speaking, Alyssa's body gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, losing consciousness completely. ... For the next few days, Enzo did not return home. Meanwhile, Alyssa was beaten so badly that she could barely move, and she was left bedridden in unbearable pain. It took her several days of rest before she was finally able to get out of bed again. On the day she fully recovered, immigration officials notified her that her permanent residency had been approved. With her residency card now in hand, Alyssa had no reason to stay in the Slater residence any longer. She picked up the documents, returned to her room, and packed the last of her belongings. Dragging her luggage behind her, she was ready to leave. However, just as she stepped out the door, she ran straight into Enzo. Before Alyssa could even react, his cold voice cut through the air. "Alyssa, how old are you? Are you seriously still playing this childish runaway game?" His expression darkened as he added, "I've told you countless times—stop having those kinds of thoughts about me. Yet, you refuse to listen and keep trying to harm Nadine. What, do you think I punished you unfairly?" Alyssa was getting exhausted by this treatment. She did not know how many times she had to say it before he would finally believe—she truly did not like him anymore. Seeing her remain silent, Enzo's irritation only grew. He rubbed his temple in frustration before sighing. He mumbled, "Forget it. If you want to get some air, fine. Nadine's pregnancy has been unstable, and I've been busy with the wedding. Keeping you here might only tempt you to cause trouble again." Without another word, he reached for her luggage and said, "I'll take you to the airport myself." Alyssa did not argue or explain, simply following him without a word. Then, the car sped toward the airport. When they arrived at the terminal, she quietly grabbed her luggage and prepared to leave. Just as she stepped out, Enzo finally asked, "Where's your flight headed?" Alyssa was about to answer when he cut in coldly. "Just stick to nearby places, and don't go too far. Once the wedding is over, I'll come pick you up." This time, Alyssa did not say anything. She simply nodded and replied, "I got it." With that, she picked up her luggage and walked toward the terminal. Under his watchful gaze, she stepped into the airport without looking back. It was not until she saw his car drive off into the distance that she took out her phone, blocking every single one of Enzo's numbers. Then, without a shred of doubt, she walked straight toward her gate. She thought, "Pick me up? That won't be necessary, Enzo. I'm never coming back."