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The air inside the Rosewood Mansion was thick with velvet and unspoken anxieties. Gabriella, usually a whirlwind of rebellious energy, moved like a ghost. She had just stepped through the towering oak front doors, and now, she was ascending the grand, winding staircase, her gaze fixed on some far-off, invisible point.
The mansion itself was an opulent prison, a three-story fortress built in the early 1900s—all dark mahogany paneling, crystal chandeliers that glittered coldly, and heavy, damask curtains that smothered the moonlight. Gabriella felt strangely heavy, a contrast to her light, airy mood just hours earlier. Her pale skin was now almost translucent, and the small diamond studs in her ears seemed to be the only thing reflecting light.
"Gabriella! You're home, dear!"
Her mother, Roselette, a woman whose beauty was perfectly preserved behind a mask of delicate pearls and polite smiles, called from the entrance hall. Gabriella didn't flinch. She just kept walking.
Roselette turned her attention to her nephew, Han, who was just closing the front door. Han was Gabriella's rock, her cousin, and the only person who knew the truth about the missing piece of her soul. He wore a simple, dark-wash denim jacket and a black t-shirt, his clothing a deliberate contrast to the mansion's stuffy grandeur. He flashed his aunt a smile that didn't quite reach his intense, amber eyes.
"Auntie Roselette, good to see you."
"And you, darling Han!" Roselette's gaze darted to the retreating figure of her daughter. "Is she alright? She seems… preoccupied."
Han shrugged, managing to look genuinely tired. He lied effortlessly with in a second's. "She's exhausted, Auntie. Spent the whole day with Dona at the new town arcade. She probably just crashed." He paused, leaning into the lie. "I actually wanted to drop by and see you in person, so I hitched a ride with her."
Roselette's face softened. "Oh, sweet boy. Come, sit. How is your grandmother? She's always missing our Gabby ."
As Roselette headed to the kitchen for snacks, Han sank into the plush, velvet sofa. He pulled out his phone, scrolling to an ignored message.
Selina: Han, I called you so many times. Why didn't you pick up?
"Selina," he whispered, a complicated mix of affection and cold suspicion tightening his jaw. He was about to type a quick excuse when a new voice, sharp and unsettling, cut through the silence.
"What really happened to her, Han?"
Fiona. Gabriella's aunt, Roselette's husband's sister. A powerful business mogul who dressed in tailored, steel-grey suits and had eyes that missed nothing. She stood in the doorway, a predatory smile stretching her lips.
"I know her well. Tell me. Don't lie to Auntie Fiona."
Han stood up, his practiced smile firmly in place. "Auntie Fiona. Nice to see you. Just a long day, as I told Auntie Roselette."
Fiona closed the distance, her gaze locking onto his. "I saw you two enter the gate. My car was parked down the street. She looked… empty. Don't waste your energy. I've known you since you were two. Something's off."
Han fought the urge to flinch. "I just got a message. I need to submit an assignment by tomorrow. I have to go, Auntie."
"In a rush, are we?" Fiona chuckled, a cold, brittle sound. "Didn't you just tell Roselette you wanted to spend time with her?"
Han was stunned. "How did you know…?"
"I was standing here when you talked to Roselette Auntie , dear. Did you think I could read minds?" She laughed, then dropped the humor, her voice turning to ice. "But I know some psychology. Now go."
Han offered a quick goodbye and bolted. Fiona watched him go, a single eyebrow raised. This kid is literally telling a lie.
📞 The Fearing Fiancé
Outside the mansion gates, Han paused, the weight of the day—and the lies—crushing him. His phone rang. It was Selina.
"Why didn't you pick up my calls?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
"I was busy, Selina. Sorry, I forgot." Another lie.
Selina's tone instantly softened. "I heard you won the quiz competition! Congratulations, my fiancé. Listen, I bought you a tailored suit for Raina's birthday party. I'll send you pictures. Tell me how it is!"
Han forced a smile. "Sure, thank you."
Then, Selina received a call. She ignored it. It rang again. She sighed, annoyed. "Ugh, I think it's a spam call."
Spam call. The words triggered a memory: Gabriella, right before the near-accident, whispering, "I was wrong all the time."
Suspicion, cold and venomous, coiled in Han's gut.
"Selina," he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you or Raina planning anything against Gabriella?"
Selina froze on the other end. "Why are you asking me that? I don't…"
"What about Raina?"he narrowed eyes.
"I don't know, Han, but I'm not! Are you suspecting me?" Selina swallowed audibly, terror creeping into her voice.
Han's warning was clear and brutal. "If you don't, it's good. Otherwise, I won't leave you alone, even if you are my fiancé."
"Don't worry," she said, her voice now a strained, fearful whisper. "I won't. I know how much you love your sister. I… I gotta go to bed. Bye."
She hung up, but on the other side of the line, Selina's face was a mask of sheer panic.
"What would he do if he knew?" she whispered, biting her nails until they hurt. "If he knew I was the one who set that… that pervert to humiliate Gabriella before…"
I will be dead meat.
Her phone buzzed. A message. She opened it.
A voice from an unknown number: I have sent a video to you. After you watch it, contact me at this number.
"What? Hey, who are you? Calling me with foolish things! Do you know who you are calling?" she shouted, but the line went dead. Annoyed, she opened her messenger app.
She watched the video.
Selina's eyes widened, her jaw slack. The phone slipped from her nerveless fingers, hitting the expensive hardwood floor with a sharp crack.
"No way," she whimpered, staring at the screen of the fallen phone.
🔪 The Serpent's Kiss
The next morning, the campus of Brighton Wisdom High—a prestigious school of red brick and ivy where every student drove a luxury car—buzzed with the energy of wealthy, entitled teens.
Raina stepped out of her black sedan. She wore the standard uniform: a crisp white shirt, dark green blazer, and matching tartan skirt, but on her, the ensemble looked like a costume of power. She was the queen, sharp and untouchable.
Han and Selina arrived shortly after. Selina rushed to Raina, clinging to her, desperate for the comfort of her friend's dominance.
"Raina!" Selina chirped.
Raina smiled, but her eyes were on Han, who was already walking toward the entrance, his back a wall of silent indifference. "What happened to him?"
"He's being overly protective of his sister," Selina whispered, casting a nervous glance at Han's retreating figure. "She nearly had an accident yesterday."
Raina froze. "What?" Did he know? Did he know about the chandelier I made fall on the stage, targeting Gabriella?,Raina thought .
"Yes," Selina continued, oblivious. "Gabriella almost got hit by a car."
Raina let out a silent breath of relief. "Oh."
"Why were you so tense when I first told you?" Selina's eyes widened suddenly. "Don't tell me you did the chandelier thing?"
Raina punched her arm. Aha! Selina squeaked.
Han, ten steps ahead, paused and turned back, his gaze questioning. Selina flashed a fake, bright smile. "Nothing!"
Han turned and kept walking.
"You're so loud, that's why I pinched you," Raina hissed. Then, cold and final, she admitted, "Yes, I did that."
Selina was terrified. "If Han knows, he won't leave us alone!"
Raina narrowed her eyes. "Why won't he leave us ? I'm the one who did it, not you. Why are you afraid?"
Selina pleaded, "Raina, please don't do anything else against Gabriella. Otherwise, not only you, but I will get into trouble too."
Raina, annoyed, turned her gaze across the campus. She stopped dead.
Ronnie and Lara. Walking hand-in-hand. Lara, a vision of quiet loveliness, and Ronnie, who was supposed to be Raina's instrument of revenge. They looked like a couple in love.
Ronnie noticed Raina's intense stare. He didn't flinch. He returned the gaze, his face a smooth, blank wall.
"Why are you staring at your friend? Just talk to her, Did you guys fight " Lara whispered softly.
Ronnie turned to Lara, the coldness vanishing, replaced by a devastatingly gentle smile. "No, we don't."..he smiled playfully "I can't take my eyes from you...What about we meet later ?"
Lara tapped her finger on his chest. "I have to go to the library. Lunch break?"
"Only lunch? No, I can't wait," he teased, leaning down to her. "How about we sneak out from class?"
Lara laughed, pushing him playfully. "Are you serious? I can't. I have to study." She headed toward the library. Ronnie watched her go. When she looked back, he gave her a perfect, charming wink. She smiled and disappeared.
Ronnie turned and walked directly toward Raina and Selina.
"Hi," he greeted them smoothly.
Selina couldn't help but tease, "Don't tell me you've actually fallen for her?"
Ronnie's playful smile widened. "You are right. Ask Raina; she knows everything."
Selina shocked, "What ? "
Raina's eyes were locked on him, burning with fury. "Come with me, Ronnie."
She marched to a less crowded area of the school, Ronnie following easily. Selina was left standing, watching the drama unfold.
When they were alone, Raina spoke, her voice flat and empty of emotion. "What are you doing, Ronnie?"
Ronnie chuckled. "Can't you see what I'm doing?"
Raina's eyes flashed red. "Are you questioning me? Why didn't you kill her yet?"
Ronnie's smile evaporated. His voice, for the first time, was entirely serious.
"I don't. And I won't."
Raina was shocked into silence. "What?"
Ronnie stared straight into her furious eyes. "Yes. I can't kill her. Because I love her."
Raina let out a bitter, choked laugh. "Love her? What will you do when she turns against you, Ronnie? When she gets her memory back?"
"She won't. I believe her." He paused, his commitment unwavering. "If she goes against me one day, when she gets her memory back—it's fine. I accept whatever she decides. But I can't ruin our present moment because of that future."
Raina hissed, "You are an idiot! You can't see reality! Why don't you listen to your friend?"
"Yes, I am an idiot," Ronnie agreed, his voice suddenly sharp with a dark memory. "Are you forgetting, Raina? You were madly in love with that fool guy before, and you couldn't even see us, your friends!"
Raina's eyes turned molten red. She lunged, grabbing his neck with one hand, her fingers digging in.
"If you call him a fool one more time, I will forget you as my friend!"
She pressed hard, staring at him. Ronnie didn't struggle. He didn't choke. He just stared back at her with a depth of cunning way.
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What dark secret is Raina hiding, and what video did Selina just watch that terrified her?
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