Chapter 5

In the beginning, Asher was wonderful to me. We spent every moment glued together, and I felt that a lifetime like that wouldn't be bad at all.

But when Blair appeared, Asher's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn. He personally tore the sweater I'd knitted for him to shreds and glared at me fiercely.

"Blair was the one who saved me, but you stole all the credit for yourself. How can your heart be so malicious? A monster truly is a monster."

From that day on, Asher ignored me more and more. Blair's health was fragile, and he somehow heard that a mermaid's heart could cure all illnesses. That was when Asher started targeting me.

For her, he had my heart removed nine times!

"I hope this isn't your doing. Otherwise, don't blame me for what I do next."

Asher's thoughts pulled me back to reality. He took Blair's hand and left the room. As he went, he glanced at me, the warning in his eyes unmistakable.

Watching their retreating backs, I looked at my current state. My feet were almost transparent, and even my body was slowly becoming translucent.

Asher, I'm like this, and you're *still* suspicious of me?

This sudden ache in my heart was more painful than all the nine times he took my heart. I painfully crawled to the bathroom and filled the tub with freshwater.

Gazing at the calm water, I knew what awaited me, but I didn't hesitate. I plunged in. The intense burning sensation tore at my body, but my mind and soul felt an unprecedented sense of peace.

I even saw my mother, who had already ascended, waving to me, a serene smile on her face. As mist rose, my body gradually dissolved into foam.

The moment my body completely turned to foam, dark clouds gathered above the Vance family estate. Bolts of lightning surged within them. In a nearby wing, Grandpa Edward's face instantly turned ashen. As if sensing something dire, his dragon-headed cane clattered to the floor.

"It's here. The Vance family's reckoning has come."

He rushed out with a group of bodyguards, desperately searching for Asher, who was outside, asking him where I was. Asher initially didn't want to tell him, but seeing Grandpa Edward's face, dark as a pot bottom, he finally led them to the room.

But by then, the room was empty. Asher's face fell. Just then, the sound of water from the bathroom caught everyone's attention. A dreadful feeling surged in their hearts.

Pushing open the door, they saw the last trace of my body dissolving into foam. At this sight, Grandpa Edward collapsed to his knees, clutching the bathtub, crying out in anguish.

Asher, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot, muttering:

"No… Mermaids can heal, can't they? How could she die? This can't be real!"

At the same time, Grandpa Edward's phone began to ring. He answered, and his secretary's frantic voice came through—a Vance family property had suddenly faced catastrophic financial ruin, losing hundreds of millions.