Chapter 2

Asher was anxious, and of all times, a company project decided to go sideways right now. Left with no other option, he hurried off to the office.

When the meeting finally wrapped up, a crowd clustered around him as he walked out. He efficiently assigned tasks to his team, ready to head out and find me again.

But as he finished speaking, he caught sight of someone in the lobby out of the corner of his eye.

"Elodie, what are you doing here?" Asher called out, rushing over, his voice gentle.

He reached out, wanting to check her forehead, but stopped himself, worried he might hurt her. "You're sick. You should be resting in the hospital, not running around like this."

Elodie stood there, pale as a sheet, barely holding herself up with the railing. "I-I couldn't stop worrying about you. Did you find Celeste yet?"

I drifted nearby, watching the tenderness in Asher's eyes, and my heart clenched so hard it hurt.

Back then, his company was a tiny studio. To score a big contract, I tagged along with him to endless drinking parties and business dinners.

One time, I drank way too much and landed in the hospital with a stomach bleed.

He stayed by my bedside for three days and nights without a wink of sleep, his eyes full of worry and heartache, like the way he was looking at Elodie now.

But ever since Elodie showed up, he'd never looked at me that way again. Now, all I saw in his eyes was resentment and disgust, like I was some unforgivable criminal. It was pathetic.

"No," Asher sighed, "Her phone won't connect, and there's no one at her place. I have no idea where she's hiding."

Elodie seemed to breathe a quiet sigh of relief at that.

"But..." Asher's tone suddenly shifted, colder and sharper.

Elodie instantly grew anxious, leaning in closer. "But what is it?"

"I stopped by her place earlier, and the neighbor told me she's dead," Asher let out a mocking laugh, his expression dripping with disdain. "Apparently, she bled out after donating her liver.

"Seriously? That's ridiculous. Someone like Celeste would never die. She's obviously faking it to avoid giving up her kidney."

Elodie's face instantly stiffened at his words. Her eyes darted away. "Asher, maybe we should stop looking. I'll try to find another way for the kidney thing."

"Is there any other way at a time like this?" Asher cut her off, frowning. He reached out and gently patted the back of her hand. "Elodie, you're always too soft-hearted.

"She pretended to be you and tricked me into marriage. Faking her death to dodge surgery? That's nothing for her. Don't defend her. She owes us, and she should pay up, no matter what."

I drifted nearby, sneering inwardly.

Asher thought Elodie was some kind of saint, but only I knew the truth. She was terrified the truth about my death would ever get out.

After I donated my liver, I was already barely hanging on.

Elodie went behind everyone's back and threatened the doctors to neglect my treatment. She said if I died, no one would ever discover she'd been pretending to be me, and she could finally be with Asher without any secrets.

The doctors, afraid of causing trouble, really left me to suffer. In the end, I bled out in agony.

"Asher, maybe we should stop," Elodie said, her voice laced with barely hidden panic. "This isn't working. What if she's struggling, too?"

"How could she be struggling?" Asher shot back, unwavering. "I don't care. I need to find her within three days. Elodie, trust me. I'll make sure you get that kidney. I won't let anything happen to you."

He helped Elodie sit down, then turned to Ronan. "Check every single relative and friend Celeste has, and everywhere she's ever been. Turn the city upside down if you have to, but you must find her."

Ronan replied immediately, "Yes, Mr. Whitfield."

Elodie sat there with her head bowed, and nobody caught the flicker of viciousness deep in her eyes.

When I watched Asher run himself ragged for Elodie, my heart went cold.

He'd never realize that the person he was so desperate to protect was actually the one who killed me.

And the one he despised, the one he was forcing to give up a kidney, used to be the person who would've done anything for him, given up my life.

Was there anything more twisted than this?