Chapter 3

Lily, 19 years old, a student at Harvard, excellent in both character and academics. That's all the information I could find. The rest was hidden by James. In the end, I still didn't get into their house. Under James's extremely cold gaze, I followed him down the stairs obediently. "How did you get here?"

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"Why didn't you tell me you returned to the country?"

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"How long have you known?"

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James took a deep drag of his cigarette. "What do you want?" I sneered. Finally, we were getting to the point. "What do you think I should do?"

James tilted his head, looking at me. "It's not as sordid as you think between her and me." "She's not well, I'm just taking care of her, that's all." I let out a casual "Oh." "What if I don't believe you?"

James's face suddenly turned gloomy. My warm demeanor disappeared completely. I got out of the car, slamming the door shut. "Lila."

I turned around. The next second, the roar of the engine filled the air. James gripped the steering wheel with one hand. As the car sped toward me, his gaze never left me. Watching my pupils dilate, my body stiffen. The screeching brakes. The car's front stopped at my knees. Brakes engaged.

My mind went blank for a moment, as if a thunderclap exploded in my ears. The car reversed, changed direction, and drove to my side. James looked up at me. "Don't touch her." This wasn't a plea. It was a warning.

"Lila, are you alright?" Katy stumbled over, her face ashen, eyes full of fear. As I collapsed, I suddenly understood it wasn't my imagination—he really intended to kill me.