Chapter 5

In the lounge, it was just Serena and me.

She was indeed very drunk, her eyes glazed over, an unhealthy flush on her morbidly pale face.

She took a step closer to me, her icy fingers tracing my jawline, whispering my name.

"Alex, you're mine. Always mine..."

The mix of her perfume and alcohol enveloped me. She wanted to forcefully possess me.

At that moment, I was chillingly calm.

Just as her lips were about to meet mine again, and her arms wrapped around me, I didn't struggle. Instead, I naturally wrapped my arm around her waist, my other hand silently rising and delivering a swift chop to the back of her neck.

Serena's body went limp in my arms, completely losing consciousness.

I carefully laid her on the sofa, looking at her unconscious form. No ripple of emotion stirred within me.

The night was long.

I sat in a nearby armchair, quietly watching the sleeping Serena.

During this time, I had felt her bone-chilling love, a hundred times more possessive, a thousand times more suffocating than Chloe's.

It felt like countless invisible chains binding and choking me.

In my past life, I had died in despair in that psychiatric hospital, feeling Chloe's chilling transformation of love into hate.

This time, I would make Ryan experience for himself what it felt like to be devoured by such pathological, twisted love.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Finally, as dawn approached, I felt the heavy, suffocating hold on me suddenly and violently ripped away!

What followed was a lightness I hadn't felt since my rebirth.

I smiled.

Ryan, you finally made your move.

Almost simultaneously, a soft click echoed from the lounge door.

The door opened.

Ryan stood in the doorway, seeing me sitting neatly dressed and alone. He clearly froze for a moment.

"Alex! Are you okay? I... I drank too much last night, accidentally lost the key card. I looked for it all morning before I found a staff member to open the door."

"How are things... with you and Serena?"

He spoke, his eyes urgently darting into the room, searching for Serena's figure.

I played along with his act, putting on an exhausted and utterly defeated expression, rubbing my temples.

"We... it's probably over."

I said hoarsely, "When she woke up, she was like a different person. Said she was bored of me, told me to get lost."

Ryan's eyes instantly flared with unconcealed triumph and ruthless ambition. He barely managed to suppress the smirk that almost split his face, walking over with fake concern to pat my shoulder. "Alex, don't be sad! Good riddance to that kind of woman! She wasn't good enough for you! I'll introduce you to someone better, man!"

"Yeah..." I lowered my gaze, and in the shadow of his sight, a sly smile touched my lips.

"I'm heading back to campus now. I need some time alone."

I pushed past him, walking out with feigned heavy steps.

Ryan almost eagerly stepped aside to let me pass.

I didn't actually go far. Instead, I hid in the shadows, watching coldly.

Sure enough, the moment I left, he straightened his clothes, a victor's smirk on his face, and pushed open the lounge door.

The door didn't close completely, leaving a small gap.

Soon, I heard Serena's voice, just waking up, followed by Ryan's coaxing, overtly solicitous words.

"Serena, you're awake?"

"...Who are you?"