Chapter 5

Back at the apartment,

I felt a wave of emptiness.

This place was once my safe haven. But now, the storm inside was too violent, and there was no room left for me.

Just as I finished packing my suitcase,

Ethan and Vivian burst through the door.

Ethan pinned me against the wall, his eyes bloodshot as he begged me not to leave.

"Iris, we love each other so much. Why are you doing this over a silly fight?"

"If you don't want me to protect other people, fine! I’ll be your exclusive hero from now on."

"It's too late tonight. Tomorrow, I promise I'll make Vivian move out, okay?"

Yes.

We used to love each other so much.

We had literally saved each other's lives.

The memories of his grand, romantic gestures flashed before my eyes.

Once, when I said I wanted pastries from a bakery in Paris, he rented a private jet to fly them over overnight.

On my birthday,

He rented out an entire amusement park just to put on a private firework show for me.

And when my father stabbed me, Ethan took two blows for me and bled out on the way to the hospital just to make sure I survived...

But no matter how beautiful the past was, when it's time to let go, you have to let go.

Looking back at the past is like trying to catch a ghost. You only torture yourself.

Ethan was stubborn.

I knew I had to play along to get away safely.

"Fine. I'll trust you one last time."

Ethan gasped in relief and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Go to sleep. I promise when you wake up tomorrow, there won't be a third person in this house."

That night,

I couldn't sleep.

At around 2:00 AM,

I felt a sudden draft of cold air.

I opened my eyes, and my heart stopped.

Standing by my window was the man I feared most in this world—my father, Frank.

He had somehow climbed up the pipes and slipped through the unlocked balcony door.

He rubbed his filthy hands together, his eyes gleaming with greed.

"Found you, you little bitch!"

"Give me the money, or I'm dragging you back to sell you to my bookie!"

The old terror paralyzed my lungs.

But this time, I refused to let him destroy me.

I clenched my fists, lunged forward, and bit down on his wrist with everything I had.

My teeth sank deep into his flesh. The copper taste of blood filled my mouth.

He screamed in agony and violently threw me off.

I crashed onto the floor.

My arm knocked over the burning aromatherapy candle on the nightstand.

The flame immediately caught onto the sheer, flimsy curtains.

In an instant, fire roared up the fabric.

Within seconds, the room was swallowed by thick smoke and bright orange flames.

Frank panicked. Forgetting about the money, he scrambled back out the window to save his own skin.

It wasn't until smoke began seeping through the cracks of the bedroom door that Ethan and Vivian finally realized what was happening.

Vivian, coughing from the smoke in the hallway, fainted right into Ethan's arms.

Ethan looked at the raging fire blocking my bedroom door, then looked at me trapped inside. His face twisted with conflict.

"Iris! This is between you and your father. Vivian is innocent, she shouldn't be dragged into this!"

"I have to get her to safety first! I'll come back for you!"

"You know fire safety! Find a way to survive! I'll be right back!"

The scorching black smoke stung my eyes, making them water.

I let out a soft laugh.

Since no one was coming to save me, I would save myself.

Maybe Ethan was right.

I couldn't wait for someone else to hold the umbrella anymore. I had to walk through the rain myself.

At that moment, I realized that the heart that chose me above all else... had always been beating inside my own chest.

I stopped looking at the locked door. I turned around and looked at the open balcony.

Below the balcony was a rushing, deep river.

It was my only way out.

I wiped the tears from my face, took a deep breath,

And jumped into the water.