Chapter 5

Tristan was utterly enraged when he learned of my engagement to Leo.

The next day, I received a text message from Leo's number, asking me to meet him at a suburban sanatorium.

But when I arrived, it was Tristan I found.

"What, couldn't marry me, so you immediately found a replacement? Skylar, you con artist, are you that desperate, rushing to get a man to sleep with you?"

"Who I marry, and when, is my freedom, Mr. Thorne. It has nothing to do with you, does it?"

I glared at him with disgust.

I turned to leave, but two bodyguards blocked my way.

"Don't be in such a hurry to leave, Skylar. Don't you want to see what your fiancé has become?"

Just as he spoke, a muffled thud echoed from within the sanatorium.

My heart pounded with anxiety. I yelled at him:

"What did you do to Leo?!"

The smile on his lips deepened. He clapped his hands.

Brooke pushed out a wheelchair.

Leo was tied to the wheelchair, his chest bound with several bombs, their timers counting down.

"You claim to be an innate conduit, capable of bringing people back from the dead, don't you?"

Tristan held up his phone, the screen facing us, and started a live stream.

"I'll let everyone see if you can truly save Leo's life."

I bit down on my teeth in fury.

Leo and I hadn't consummated anything. How could I perform the Life-Exchange Ritual?!

After a long pause, Tristan finally relented, looking at me as if bestowing a favor.

"However, Skylar, considering our years of history, as long as you kneel before Brooke and apologize, admitting you were jealous and stole her place, I'll let Leo go."

Looking at Leo's pale face and the stark red countdown on his chest, I had no choice.

My knees buckled, and I sank heavily to the ground.

"Please, Ms. Brooke, I beg you, let us go."

Brooke's face lit up with a triumphant smile.

"Sister Skylar, you don't have to do this. I'll immediately plead with Tristan to let you both go!"

But the very next second, Leo's face turned ashen.

Blood gushed from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

He clutched his face in terror, but he couldn't stop it.

I slowly stood up, a cold sneer forming in my heart.

Before coming here, I had already sensed something was wrong and had called the police.

The live stream's comments exploded instantly.

"Brooke, what are you waiting for?! Didn't you say you could save Mr. Thorne?"

"Quick, save him! You must be able to perform the Life-Exchange Ritual too!"

Brooke was pushed into a corner. She could only pretend to pat him a few times, muttering something under her breath.

A moment later, Tristan's bleeding actually stopped.

I rushed forward to untie Leo.

Brooke was a fake innate conduit; her actions were nothing more than pathetic charades.

I didn't have time to bother with her. I looked at Tristan mockingly, a cold smile on my face.

"Tristan, are you feeling a churning in your gut right now?"

Tristan froze, then felt a sharp, twisting pain in his chest.

Brooke patted his back, feigning innocence.

"Sister Skylar, I know you're jealous of me. But now the truth is out, you're just a fraud! Why are you still trying to slander me?"

Tristan clutched her hand, glaring at me.

"Skylar, you're incorrigible! Guards, tie her and Leo up!"

The moment he spoke, there was a *gurgle*.

A large mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, splattering onto Brooke's designer dress.

Everyone cried out in panic.

"Mr. Thorne, what's wrong?!"

The live stream's comments section exploded again.

"What's going on? Didn't Brooke just save him?"