It was dark, rain pounding violently against the windows of the massive mansion. Inside, a young man pinned a woman against the wall.
His eyes burned red with anger, his grip tightening around her wrist as he glared at her, struggling to restrain himself.
Tears streamed down the lady's face. Her delicate figure trembled, and though her body was flawless, her ugly and unsightly face made her appear pitiful.
"Why do you still love him? Why?" he growled through clenched teeth. "You've seen his true nature! He's only cheating you, Anthena!"
Anthena lifted her tear-filled eyes and opened her mouth, voice breaking. "Y-You… you set everything up," she cried, shivering violently. "You just want to ruin our relationship. I hate you!" More tears spilled down her cheeks.
Grinding his teeth, the man slammed his fist into the wall to vent his fury. His gaze remained fixed on her—dark, dangerous, terrifying.
"Anthena!" he roared, clenching his fist. "Whether you believe it or not, whether you want it or not, you can only be mine. My wife. Your will doesn't matter anymore." His voice dropped to a deadly cold tone.
He released her, letting her body slide weakly down the wall.
He grabbed his jacket and stormed out, leaving Anthena alone with her sobs.
"Alone again… it's so dark…" she whispered, hugging herself tightly. No one was there to comfort her. She was truly alone in the enormous mansion.
After crying for a long time, she finally stood up and turned toward the stairs—but suddenly paused. Slowly, she walked to the front entrance. She hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door.
To her shock, it opened.
A small, hopeful smile bloomed on her face. Without a second thought, ignoring the pouring rain, she ran out barefooted. She didn't dare look back; she was too afraid of being caught.
---
After running for what felt like forever, Anthena finally reached her destination. Standing before a massive house, she squeezed the water from her clothes and hurried to enter the passcode. But—
It was wrong.
"How is it wrong?" she muttered, reentering it but....wrong again. Her heart dropped. "Did he change it?" She lifted her head, panic rising.
"I'll just climb over then," she murmured.
Ignoring the pain, she climbed the wall, injuring herself in the process but successfully getting inside. She found the main entrance tried to open it but it's—locked from within.
Her uneasiness grew sharper.
"The kitchen…" she whispered, hurrying there. To her relief, the door wasn't locked, and she slipped inside.
"Maybe he's asleep," she breathed, glancing at her soaked appearance. "I should change first."
She headed toward the bedroom, but just as her hand touched the door handle, she froze.
Two voices echoed inside. One belonged to Alex—the man she loved. The other was a woman's voice, sharp and unfamiliar.
"Alex, when will all this end? That useless girl is too soft. She's no help at all," the woman complained bitterly.
Anthena's blood ran cold.
Alex's voice followed, dripping with irritation. "What do you want me to do? That ugly bitch is the only one he's interested in. You think I enjoy pretending to be the victim? I'm tired of all this."
Anthena's breath caught.
"Just kidnap her and threaten him with her!" the woman snapped. "All we want is his wealth. That dull girl has provided nothing useful over the years!"
Alex stayed quiet for a moment before responding. "It's useless. That guy is far more powerful than we imagined. Kidnapping her is risking our lives."
"Then what should we do? I'm running out of patience," the woman hissed.
"Don't worry. Their relationship is breaking little by little," Alex voiced calmly. "As long as I keep telling her he's the one framing me and threatening me, she'll eventually turn against him. We just need to wait."
"This is insane," the woman muttered. "Come here. Let me redo the fake injuries. Go to her tomorrow and tell her he hurt you again."
"She'll definitely mention eloping with me," Alex uttered, sounding bored.
"You'll know how to stop her. She irritates me already. That ugly girl's foolishness is annoying," the woman scoffed. "But come here first so I can fix the fake wound."
"The night is still young," Alex chuckled, voice shifting to a perverse tone. "It's raining heavily. Why don't we warm up first? Let's forget about her for now"
"I'm not in the mood," the woman muttered.
"Well, you'll have to be in the mood for me, baby," he laughed, closing in on her.
Moments later, the room filled with moans and breathless groans.
Anthena's body went numb. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes lost focus. Tears streamed uncontrollably.
"I'm… just… a tool… to him…" she whispered brokenly. "He never… loved me... Everything… was a lie…"
She backed away, expression lifeless, and left the house like a ghost.
Walking aimlessly in the rain, she felt nothing but emptiness. She fumbled for her phone, hands shaking, and dialed a number.
It rang… and rang… until someone finally picked up.
She didn't speak at first. Tears choked her voice. "R-Rayven…" she breathed.
Before she could utter another word, her mind went blank. Her body collapsed helplessly onto the wet ground as consciousness faded.
The rain beat down mercilessly, but she didn't move.
---
Logan Bar
"Smoking like that—did you fight with her again?" a blond-haired man remarked, eyeing the dark-haired, dangerously handsome man beside him, who was smoking harshly with an icy expression.
"No one asked for your opinion," the black-haired man replied coldly, a terrifying aura radiating from him.
"Love can't be forced, Rayven. You should let her go," the blond man suggested carefully.
Rayven's gaze darkened. "Are you seeking death?" he uttered in a frigid tone, looking at him like he might kill him on the spot.
The blond man stiffened, biting his lip. "I didn't mean it like that," he muttered. "But you're too harsh on her. She's only becoming more afraid."
"I didn't ask for your advice. Leave before I lose my patience," Rayven warned sharply.
Before the blond man could reply, another voice chimed in cheerfully.
"Well, well! Look who we have here. Lucky me—running into you tonight!" the newcomer laughed as he sat beside them.
"The atmosphere is awful. What happened?" he asked.
"Same issue," the blond man muttered.
After a quiet pause, the newcomer spoke. "Why not take her somewhere she likes? Locking her alone in that huge mansion won't solve anything."
Rayven paused. "Do you think that will work?" he questioned, staring intently.
"How would we know if you don't try?"
Rayven was about to respond when his phone rang.
The shock that crossed his face was rare. He didn't even need to look at the caller ID—the special ringtone told him exactly who it was.
He answered instantly.
After several seconds of silence, he finally heard a voice—weak, trembling—speaking his name.
His heart dropped.
There was no time to think. Whatever happened to her was serious.
He bolted out of the bar, panic flashing across his face.
He could only pray—desperately—that he wasn't too late.