Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Gabriella froze. She only snapped out of it when she saw Reynald pick up Vanessa and rush after him.
“I didn’t push her. She fell on her own…”
“Gabriella, how many people have to die for you to be satisfied?”
Reynald placed Vanessa in the car. Before leaving, he shot her a look full of hatred. “Why aren’t people like you in hell already?”
The car sped off. Mud splashed all over her, seeping into her wounds. It burned.
She suddenly laughed. Not even she knew whether she was laughing at herself or at Reynald.
He was wrong. Staying alive was her hell.
Gabriella walked home alone. At 2 a.m., Reynald’s bodyguards broke in and dragged her to the hospital.
“Vanessa lost too much blood. You’re a match. Give it.”
“I don’t want to…”
He didn’t give her a choice. The bodyguards pinned her down. A cold needle pierced her vein. She flinched in pain.
“Take more. Save some for Vanessa.”
As he said that, Gabriella suddenly went quiet. She stopped struggling.
She just stared at Reynald, hard, like she was burning his face into her
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Chapter
soul. This life was enough.
Next one, and the one after that–she wanted nothing to do with him.
Bag after bag of blood was drawn. Her vision went dark. The moment they let go, she slumped back in the chair.
Reynald looked at her, something strange churning in his eyes. Uneasy.
“Rey.” Vanessa came out in a wheelchair.
“You shouldn’t be out.” He frowned. “Go back inside.”
Vanessa shook her head. “I’m not that bad. The doctor said I’ll recover. I don’t want her blood. It’s dirty.”
Reynald froze, then smiled. He tossed all the fresh blood bags into the trash. “Yeah. Disgusting.”
Gabriella just sat there, silent.
Then Reynald’s phone chimed. The ringtone was Gabriella’s voice, bold and bratty.
“Reynald, my birthday’s in two days. You forget my present, and you’re dead meat!”
A flicker finally passed through her eyes.
She’d set that up five years ago—one custom–réminder for every birthday from age 20 to 99.
She’d almost forgotten. Once, she could be carefree and spoiled in front of him.
A beat later, Reynald broke the silence.
“Perfect timing. I can still catch your last birthday before I die. Let me
throw you a proper party, yeah?”
He smiled, but there was nothing kind in his eyes.
Gabriella smiled back. “Sure.”
One last time. If he dared to play, she’d go all in.
On her birthday, Reynald booked a hotel and picked her up himself.
Outside the banquet hall, wreaths lined the walkway. A giant screen displayed black words on a white background, “Happy Birthday, Gabriella!”
At the end of the path stood a coffin. Propped beside it was a funeral portrait of her taken by Reynald himself.
–
The moment she appeared, the room exploded with laughter. Mocking stares rained down on her.
“You said you’d die.” Reynald grinned wickedly. “I didn’t want to miss your death anniversary, so I gave you a funeral now. Here. Your birthday gift.”
He handed her a white box. She opened it. Another round of laughter.
It was a burial shroud.
“Put it on and lie in the coffin. If you don’t ‘die,‘ how are we supposed to honor your soul?”
Gabriella laughed.
She put the shroud on. Then, in front of everyone, she climbed into the coffin and closed her eyes.
Just like he said–played dead.
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Chapter 6
Silence fell like a bomb.
Reynald’s smile froze.
