Chapter 3

3.

Seeing Lucas, the calm, mask-like expression on Jasper’s face finally cracked.

“Lucas Sterling, what kind of saint are you trying to play now?”

“Don’t think I don’t see it. You were always so close to Elena because you wanted her for yourself!”

“Maybe this whole vanishing act was something you planned!”

Lucas’s gaze, hidden behind his spectacles, turned ice-cold.

“I was indeed in love with Elena. But everything else? That’s just your own twisted projection.”

I was stunned. I never knew Lucas had feelings for me.

In my mind, he was always just a gentle, clear-headed older brother who kept the perfect amount of distance.

That was why I only ever saw him as my best friend.

But it did make me wonder―why was Jasper so convinced I’d just run away?

Was someone deliberately feeding him that narrative?

Lucas seemed to realize it too. He stared into Jasper’s eyes, asking word by word: “Have you never considered that someone who hasn’t surfaced in three years might actually be dead?”

Jasper visibly flinched at the thought, then shoved Lucas hard.

“Stop your nonsense. How is that possible?”

“Why are you so toxic? Cursing like that! Or was this something Elena taught you to say?”

Perhaps realizing Jasper was too far gone to reach, Lucas didn’t react to his explosive temper.

He just looked down at Jasper, his eyes full of pity.

“Are you refusing to believe it, or are you just afraid to? You know deep down, Jasper Reed.”

Just as Jasper was about to retort, Officer Miller’s phone rang. He ran toward them, looking frazzled.

“Captain! There’s a pile-up on the Northside Expressway. Your fiancée was in one of the cars!”

“What?” Jasper’s face went pale. He instantly dropped his investigation and the argument, pulling his gear off and sprinting away.

He didn't look at my remains once, just like on the last day of my life, when he failed to answer that final call from me.

A wave of utter desolation washed over me. It seemed we were destined to always miss each other…

I could only watch his retreating back as he ran―he had once promised to move mountains to reach me, but now he was doing it for another woman.

He truly didn't belong to me anymore. Only in this moment did it sink in completely.

My soul drifted to the crash site with him.

Chloe had her eyes closed, blood trickling from her temple as she was loaded into the ambulance.

Jasper scrambled to follow, watching her with nothing but terror and concern in his eyes.

“Jasper, don't leave…”

Chloe murmured in her sleep, her face as white as a sheet, looking as if she were trapped in a nightmare.

Jasper wrapped his broad, warm hand around hers, finally bowing his head.

“Chloe, it’s my fault. I didn't take care of you…”

His eyes were filled with such raw tenderness and empathy.

Watching this, my heart throbbed with an unstoppable ache.

So, this was the kind of woman he loved―fragile, dependent, and constantly in need of his protection.

I, on the other hand, had always been independent, clear-headed, and just as strong as he was. Neither of us was ever willing to bow down.

But seeing how he treated Chloe, I finally realized the truth.

Two people who are too similar can’t last; it’s the ones who complement each other who stand the test of time.

An "innocent flower" like Chloe was his true love.

Fast forward to the hospital room. Jasper sat by Chloe’s bed, tenderly tucking the blankets around her, watching her sleep with a look of adoration I had never once received.

A light breeze blew, and a lock of hair fell across her face, making her frown in discomfort.

Jasper noticed instantly. He stood up, leaning over her, his hands moving with the grace of a man tending to a treasure.

Just then, Chloe opened her eyes and lunged into his arms, clinging to him as if she wanted to fuse their bodies together.

“Oh, Jasper, I thought I’d never see you again…”

Their warm breaths mingled as they stared into each other’s eyes, the atmosphere turning thick and heavy with unspoken desire.

Jasper lowered his eyes, saying nothing, before leaning in to kiss her.

Watching them lose themselves in each other, I felt a wave of bitter coldness.

My nose stung, but I had no tears left to shed.

I’d forgotten―I was dead. I wasn’t a person anymore.

I never imagined that after suffering through their relationship while I was alive, I’d be forced to watch them play house after I was gone.

I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to ignore them, but the sounds grew heavier, leaving me so uncomfortable I felt like I wanted to crawl into the earth and vanish.

Just as I was drowning in my own misery, the sound of something falling hit the floor, drawing my attention.

I focused on it. It was a cufflink I remembered all too well. It looked aged, and the gem that had once adorned it had fallen out, looking lonely on the floor.