Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hear what?" I asked, feigning confusion.

A visible wave of relief washed over his tense features.

I turned away and moved to swing my legs out of bed.

"I should head back to my apartment."

Cyrus caught my wrist and gently pressed my shoulders back against the mattress.

"This is my room. Just stay here and rest."

I looked at the nightstand, where a framed photo caught my eye.

It was Cyrus and Nina in their high school uniforms, smiling brightly under the summer sun.

In our five years together, Cyrus had never taken a single photo with me.

Whenever I tried to snap a quick selfie to keep as a memory, he would snatch my phone away in irritation.

"Stop taking pictures. You know I hate cameras."

Noticing my gaze, Cyrus quickly flipped the frame facedown on the desk.

"That's Nina, my cousin and your old college classmate. Don't read too much into it."

"Okay," I replied flatly.

Cyrus hesitated, seemingly unsettled by my lack of reaction.

"Aren't you going to ask anything else?"

I met his eyes, digging my fingernails into my palms to steady my voice.

"Is there anything you want to explain?"

Cyrus parted his lips, a flicker of irritation crossing his brow before he looked away.

The atmosphere between us had irrevocably changed since that staged fire.

I was being far too quiet, far too compliant.

In the past, I would have begged for reassurance and demanded to know why he never took photos with me.

We would have gotten into a screaming match, leaving me in tears while he slammed the door and stormed off.

Silence stretched thick between us until a bubbly voice echoed down the hall.

"Cyrus! I heard your girl is staying over. Let me see her!"

The bedroom door flew open, and Nina strolled in.

She was even more glamorous than in college, draped in designer clothes with sweet dimples framing her smile.

Compared to her, I looked like a battered stray covered in bruises.

I forced a tight smile. "Long time no see, Nina."

Before Nina could speak, Cyrus grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the hallway.

The door didn't shut completely, allowing their hushed whispers to drift right into the room.

"What are you doing here?" Cyrus scolded softly. "I told you two shouldn't cross paths."

Nina's voice dripped with childish grievance.

"You've been ignoring my texts all day! Everyone said you brought her to your house, even though you promised your bed was only for me!"

I held my breath, feeling a sharp pang in my chest as I clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Keep your voice down!" Cyrus snapped. "What if she hears you?"

"You're yelling at me over her?" Nina whined, sniffing softly.

Then came the unmistakable sound of Cyrus pulling her in and kissing her tenderly.

"Be good, princess. Just give me a little more time, okay?"

Nina let out a soft whimper before laying out her demands.

"My birthday yacht party is in three days. You have to stay by my side the entire night, and Gwen has to be there too."

"I want to break her heart right in front of everyone. When the fake emergency alarm goes off, we'll shove her into that wooden dinghy and cut the rope."

Cyrus's tone grew cautious. "What are you planning?"

"I want her out of our lives for good! Let her drift away into the open ocean!"

"That's dangerous, Nina!"

Nina raised her voice petulantly. "You swore you'd do anything for me! Besides, she knows how to swim, so what's the big deal?"

Cyrus sighed and softened his voice. "Fine, fine. I promise. Just stop crying..."

Hearing their footsteps approaching, I quickly lay back down and closed my eyes.

Nina bounded back into the room with an innocent grin plastered across her face.

"Gwen, I'm hosting a yacht party for my birthday in three days. You'll come, right?"

Cyrus stood in the doorway, his jaw clenched and his expression dark.

I looked Nina straight in the eye and smiled warmly.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

You want to watch me drift away?

I'll gladly give you the performance of a lifetime.

The three days passed in a blur.

The yacht was packed with wealthy socialites and loud music.

Just as planned, Nina made her grand entrance on Cyrus's arm, basking in the compliments about what a perfect match they were.

Whispers and sneers followed me around the deck, but I ignored every single one of them.

Midway through the evening, a sudden wail of sirens pierced the music.

"Fire on the lower deck! Everyone evacuate!"

Panic swept through the crowd as guests scrambled toward the railings.

Nina sprinted over, grabbed my arm in fake desperation, and pointed to a small wooden dinghy tied to the stern.

"Gwen, jump in first! Hurry!"

Without a single second of hesitation, I leaped down into the boat.

As soon as my feet hit the floorboards, wild laughter erupted from the deck above.

"Look at that idiot! She actually fell for it!"

I tilted my head back and met the mocking stares lining the railing.

Nina theatrically brandished a pair of heavy shears.

With a swift, triumphant slash, she severed the mooring line.

"Have a nice drift, loser!"

Just then, Cyrus shoved through the crowd, his eyes wide with pure terror.

He lunged over the railing to grab the falling rope, but his fingers slipped.

"Are you insane?!" Cyrus screamed at his friends. "There's a real explosive on that boat! Gwen will die!"

I looked down at the countdown timer attached to the crate beside me and allowed a slow smile to spread across my lips.

The ocean breeze whipped my hair around my face.

Seeing Cyrus completely unravel with panic was the most satisfying sight of my life.

After five years of being manipulated, it was finally my turn to play the game.

"Are you satisfied with your fiftieth revenge, Cyrus?" I called out.

The wind swallowed most of my voice, but I knew he heard every syllable.

Cyrus froze in horror.

Before the timer hit zero, I turned and dropped through the hidden hatch into the churning sea below.

A deafening blast ripped through the air, and a massive fireball lit up the night sky.

Goodbye, Cyrus.