Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 18308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 18308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 92(@200wpm)___ 73(@250wpm)___ 61(@300wpm)
Pain was haunting his gaze again.
“My feelings for you,” he bit out. “You’ve figured it out. Haven’t you?”
Because she had hurt him.
Again and again.
She kept causing this man pain.
And now—
Payton swallowed hard. “I...”
If Niccolò had asked her this a rebirth ago, she would have been able to deny it in all honesty. But after what he had revealed the last time—
She found herself shaking her head even though she knew how much she sucked at lying. “I never—” All she wanted was to stop him from hurting.
“Basta così!” That’s enough!
But instead, she seemed to have made everything worse.
“When I ask you what’s wrong,” Niccolò said harshly, “I’m not expecting anything for myself.”
And now...
“When I tell you I want to help, it’s not to destroy your marriage.”
All she could do was cry.
“I’m asking...because I don’t like knowing you’re hurting. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
That was what she wanted, too.
Because even now...
She couldn’t get it out of her mind.
The sight of Niccolò bleeding to his death.
And that was what she wanted to prevent at all costs.
She didn’t want him hurt again, least of all because of her, and so...
“I w-wasn’t lying at all,” Payton heard herself choke out. “I’m r-really okay. And I’m s-sure you were only joking about your f-feelings.”
Silence.
And Payton found herself clutching her chest because it was hurting so, so bad.
“That’s your way of saying there’s no chance for us at all.”
Her head jerked up at his words.
“Isn’t it?”
And her tears...just wouldn’t stop falling as she made herself nod.
Because what he said was true, and it wasn’t just because she was married.
There was no chance for them at all...since Payton seemed destined to die, no matter what.
Chapter Six
OKAY, THIS IS IT.
One last shot.
Live or die.
Payton angrily wiped the last of her tears and cracked her knuckles. In her previous rebirth, she had turned down Niccolò’s offer to pay for her hotel. In this last life of hers...
Of course, she had still turned his offer down. Instead, Payton had paid for it herself, and well...
That was why her phone had been buzzing nonstop.
Her husband had found out she had used their credit card, and, well...
He wasn’t pleased at all, but that was fine. She wasn’t pleased he had murdered her either so that made them even, and—
Stop wasting time, Payton!
She took a deep breath.
It was time to get serious.
Let’s do this!
Payton started typing and searching.
Cybersleuthing was one of her secret skills, and hopefully, that same skill would help her now. She just needed something...
Bingo.
Her husband had had security cameras installed all over their place, but while he had never given her access to them, it wasn’t hard at all to guess what his password was. His ego was the only clue she needed, and by the fifth try (the name of the TV show where he played a bank teller), Payton was in, and so the next thing for her to do...
Huh.
Buying and selling cars was both a hobby and a secondary source of income for Eric, so she didn’t really keep track of the cars in their garage. But now that she was going through the footage...
That car...
The one that had rammed into them.
It really was his car, but it hadn’t been in their garage for weeks.
Was someone setting him up?
Or maybe he had an accomplice like...
Rosé.
Payton could feel something happening inside of her as she typed the girl’s name. The search results that came up were surprisingly sparse, but more than that...
Payton found herself clutching her chest again, and that was when she realized...
Her heart was racing.
Not out of fear.
But anger.
Not at them.
But herself.
For being so afraid all this time.
But no more.
No more!
Payton was down to her last life, and she was done being afraid.
Eric.
Rosé.
She allowed herself to think of their names. Allowed herself to remember the way he had wrapped his fingers around her neck. And the way the other girl had smiled at Payton as she fell to her death.
No matter what, I’m done!
She got to her feet in a burst of adrenaline, and when someone knocked on her door at that moment, well—
No matter what!
She grabbed the bread knife as she slowly tiptoed toward the door—
“Payton. It’s me.”
N-Niccolò?
She practically flung open the door, and it really was her boss. His golden eyes were haunted, and his gaze brooding. “I know this is...inappropriate. But I just want to—” Niccolò broke off as his gaze strayed to somewhere behind her.
“W-What is it?”
His gaze snapped back to hers. “How do you know Anya?”
His demeanor completely changed all of a sudden, and—
Who in the world was Anya?
But she had no chance to ask, with Niccolò already grabbing her hand and dragging her back inside the suite until they were standing in front of her laptop.
“Her.”
Niccolò pointed at her laptop, which still showed the results of her last search, including photos of...