Chapter 15

Even though his face didn't match the one I remembered from that night, those eyes were unmistakable. I'd recognize them anywhere. He was a master of disguise. That night, he'd loomed tall, around six foot one, but now he was hunched over, his visible skin appearing so aged he looked like an old man. The person who had killed me stood here, at the art exhibit, sending a chill down my spine. The memory of my last moments filled me with raw fear.

He'd been brutal, slipping up behind me silently and stabbing me with such precision and indifference, as if he'd done it a thousand times before. I'd always treated people kindly; I couldn't imagine having enemies who wanted me dead. Was he this skilled at hiding because he was a professional killer? But why would he be here if he'd already killed me? Was there someone else he was after?

My first instinct was to run, but then it hit me—I was already dead. What was there to fear?

Chase gave a casual pat to his shoulder, avoiding eye contact, and tossed off a careless, "It's nothing." Meanwhile, the man's gaze remained locked on me, cold and relentless, just like the stare that haunted me before my death. No emotion, no mercy, just ice.

Even though I was dead, the sight of him froze me. Could he see me?

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I heard Chase murmur, "Derek."

I snapped back to reality, realizing the man's eyes weren't on me, but on Derek, seated in a wheelchair. My tense nerves began to unwind.

Derek, drawn in by Chase's voice, turned as the man approached him. Remembering the killer's merciless nature, unease washed over me. Was he planning on claiming more victims? Instinctively, I moved to shield Derek.

But the man walked past Derek without incident. Jack wheeled Derek closer to Chase, and the look Derek gave Chase seemed to unnerve him.

"From what I hear, Amanda has been missing since the wedding, and yet here you are, enjoying an art gallery?"

I never expected such concern for my disappearance from someone unconnected to me, rather than family or a lover. "Amanda's not a kid anymore. She can go wherever she wants. She's always been headstrong. She'll be back when she's ready," Chase replied, his nonchalant tone clashing with Derek's serious demeanor.

"What if Amanda is actually in danger?" Derek pressed.

Chase's composure cracked momentarily, but Nicole jumped in, "Derek, nothing's happened to my sister. She's just flown to Cloudville."

Chase turned to her. "What did you say?"

"Chase, I just heard today from relatives in Cloudville that a month ago, she asked them to find her a place to stay."

Yes, I had often talked about my love for Cloudville, with its flower-lined paths, lush green hills, and endless snow-capped peaks. I dreamed of living there.

Half a month ago, I booked a flight to Cloudville for the day after the wedding. I planned to expose Chase and Nicole's scandalous affair at the wedding, knowing it would strain the ties between our families. After exacting my revenge, I intended to leave.

Nicole continued, "I checked to confirm, and she did book a flight to Cloudville for the 15th."