Chapter 14
Even though he looked different from that night, I would recognize those eyes even if they turned to ashes.
What a master of disguise he was. He had appeared as a tall man of at least six feet one inch that night. But now, with his aging skin and back hunched over, he looked like an old man.
Seeing my killer right here at the art exhibit, the agony of my death resurfaced. I could feel fear creeping over me.
He was ruthless. Silently, he had appeared behind me, stabbing me without hesitation or remorse. It was as if he had rehearsed it thousands of times.
I had always been kind to others. I couldn’t imagine having enemies who wanted me dead. Given his mastery of disguise, could he be an assassin?
But if he had already killed me, why would he be here now? Did he have another target?
My first instinct was to flee, but then it dawned on me I was already dead. What was there left to fear?
Shane dusted off his shoulder without even glancing at the man. He brushed the matter off
with a dismissive, “It’s fine“.
Yet, the man’s gaze was locked onto me, just as it had been when he followed me before my death. It was cold, cruel, and utterly devoid of emotion.
Even though I already died once, I couldn’t shake my fear of him. My body froze in place as if paralyzed.
Could he see me?
Just as the thought crossed my mind, I heard Shane mutter, “Damon.”
Snapping out of my trance, I realized the man was looking right through me and straight at Damon, who was seated in his wheelchair. Only then did I relax slightly.
Damon drew his attention to Shane, who strode toward Damon.
Recalling the man’s brutal methods, a sense of unease washed over me. Was this deranged. killer planning to claim more lives?
Instinctively, I stood before Damon and spread my arms, shielding him. The man left Damon’s side without attempting anything unusual.
Jose brought the wheelchair to a stop in front of Shane. As Damon’s sharp, venomous gaze bore into Shane, it left him visibly unsettled.
“I heard Allison has been missing since the wedding. Yet, here you are at an art exhibit?”
To my surprise, it wasn’t my family or lover who raised concerns about my disappearance, but a mere acquaintance.
“Allison isn’t a child. She has the freedom to come and go as she pleases. She’s always been headstrong. She’ll return eventually once she’s done sulking.”
Shane’s indifference sharply contrasted with Damon’s stern expression.
“What if something bad has really happened to her?”
For a brief moment, Shane panicked. But before he could speak, Amber interjected, “Damon, with how my sister is, how could she possibly get into trouble? She’s probably already flown off to Gildford.”
Shane turned to her in surprise. “What did you just say?”
“I just heard from a relative in Gildford today that a month ago, Allison had asked her for help finding a place to stay.”
It was true. I’d often mentioned how much I loved Gildford’s flower–lined streets, lush green mountains, and snowy peaks. I’d also mentioned how I’d love to settle there.
Two weeks ago, I’d booked a flight to Gildford for the day after the wedding. I had planned to expose Shane and Amber’s shameless affair at the ceremony.
I knew doing so would strain the ties between the Schultz and Lundberg families, so I intended to leave right after I exacted my revenge.
Amber continued, “To confirm it, I checked and found out she booked a flight to Gildford for the 15th.”
Shane’s expression shifted from concern to fury. “No wonder she’s gone without a trace. She just upped and left without saying a word!”
“Don’t be mad, Shane. You know how Allison is. She’s never cared about anyone else’s feelings. She comes and goes as she pleases. We’re all used to it by now.”
If only Shane bothered to investigate, he’d have known that although I booked the flight, I never boarded it that day. It was funny how he didn’t even attempt to verify the truth, believing Amber’s words just like that without question.
