Chapter 3

It started one evening when Serena suddenly blocked my bedroom door.

She held a black bottle in her hand, eyeing me up and down with disdain:

"Claire, I didn't think you could endure so much.

I've brazenly taken over your life and made you the laughingstock of the entire elite circle, yet you're still stubbornly clinging to the Hayes family, refusing to leave."

"Then again, your grandmother died last month, didn't she? Without that powerful protector, you'd be clinging to Julian like a drowning person to a life raft, wouldn't you?"

At this, Serena suddenly remembered something amusing:

"Claire, remember that day you were crying and begging Julian to fly you by helicopter to the hospital to see your grandmother one last time? Do you know why he refused?

Because, darling, he'd promised to take me to the beach to watch the sunset that day.

Look, this kissing photo on my phone screen? That's when we took it."

*Smash!* I knocked Serena's phone from her hand, my patience snapping, and gripped her neck.

The bottle in Serena's hand slipped, and I immediately caught a strong whiff of gasoline.

In the struggle, a flustered Serena accidentally ignited the gasoline on the floor.

Thick smoke billowed, and flames raged.

Having just been discharged from the hospital, I quickly became weak from the smoke, collapsing to the ground.

That's when I heard Julian's voice:

"Claire!"

Followed by the maids' frantic shouts of protest:

"Sir, it's too dangerous inside, you can't go in yet! Wait for security to bring the fire extinguisher before—"

"Get out of my way! Claire is still in there!"

He, after all, disregarded the danger and rushed into the burning house.

He just didn't expect Serena to be in there too.

"Julian, darling, help—"