Chapter 36 Ghost of a Life
+8 Pearls
Adeline froze for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. She lifted her chin and stared him down, her voice unwavering, “It’s still better than staying with the Layton family.”
“Better?” Christopher let out a cold laugh, thick with mockery. “You think marrying into a powerful family is some kind of paradise? Let me tell you–it’s just another kind of hell.”
“So what?” Adeline shot back, her eyes as sharp as blades, cutting through every layer of his pretense. “It’s my choice. Whatever comes of it is nobody’s business but mine.”
Her words only ignited the fury in his eyes. He grabbed her shoulders and backed her into the wall, his face inches from hers, his presence overwhelming. “Your choice? What if your choice gets you killed? Have you even thought about the consequences?”
“I already died once.” Her voice was like ice, each word falling like snow in the dead of winter. “The day I went to prison. I stopped existing. The person standing here now is a ghost–a ghost who doesn’t believe in anyone anymore.”
Christopher faltered. He stared at her pale, stubborn face, a flicker of unreadable emotion flashing through his eyes. But it passed quickly. He stepped back, composed once again, and said with a sneer, “Then good luck. Just don’t overestimate yourself–or underestimate the people around you.”
Adeline didn’t respond. She turned and opened the fire exit door.
But just as she stepped forward, a hand yanked her back–hard. Christopher grabbed her arm and pulled her inside again.
“Let me go!” Her voice shook slightly as she struggled against his grip, but his hand clamped around her wrist like a vice, He stared at her, eyes dark and unreadable, as if trying to see straight through her.
Inside the dimly lit emergency stairwell of Vale City Central Hospital, the cold light struck the concrete walls, casting long shadows. The tension between them felt like a drawn bow, ready to snap. Adeline’s glare was frigid and unyielding. Her wrist ached where he held her, but the pain in her heart was far more unbearable.
“Are you insane?” Christopher growled, barely containing his anger. “You’re going to marry Justin? Do you even know what kind of man he is?”
TIE
“I do.” Her voice was steady as still water. She met his gaze, unwavering. “He’s-” She paused. “He’s not the one.”
Christopher blinked, clearly caught off guard by her bluntness. He let go of her wrist but didn’t step away, continuing to scrutinize her like she was a puzzle that refused to be solved.
“If you know that, then why go through with it?” His voice was low and dangerous, filled with a suffocating pressure. “Are trying to ruin your life?
you
“My life has been a joke for a long time,” she said with a bitter laugh, laced with self–mockery. Three years ago, when I was thrown into prison, I lost everything
Her words stabbed him like a knife. His brows drew together, lips parting as if to speak–but nothing came out at first. After a beat, he finally asked, “So this is how you plan to get back at the Layton family?”
“Revenge?” She shook her head. “No. I just want to survive.”
Christopher laughed, but it was hollow and bitter. “Survive? Adeline, do you really think marrying Justin will save you? That’s jast another cage–one worse than the Laytons. Filthier. More dangerous.”
“At least in that cage, I won’t have to see Michelle again.” Her words were blades–icy and merciless.
The air froze. A heavy silence fell between them. Christopher took a deep breath, trying to cool the fire in his chest, but it only roared hotter.
11:20 AM
Chapter 36 Ghost of a Life.
her motion calm and cold. “My decisions have never had anything to do with you.”
+8 Pearls
Christopher stared at her quiet, icy face. His expression shifted–deeper, more conflicted. He took a step closer and gently grabbed her wrist again. This time, his grip was much softer.
“Stop hurting yourself like this, please.” His voice had changed. It was lower, almost tender–so different from the man who had cornered her minutes ago. “If you need help, I can-”