Chapter 6

Ophelia didn't even turn on the lights. She just sat on the sofa fully clothed, waiting quietly.

Time ticked by—eleven o'clock, midnight, one in the morning.

Matthew still hadn't come home.

Ophelia took out her phone. The cold white glow from the screen lit up her bloodless face.

She called Matthew.

The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. The background on the other end was unusually quiet—she could even hear a faint electrical hum.

"Ophelia, still awake?" Matthew's voice was as gentle as ever, though it carried a barely noticeable trace of fatigue.

"When are you coming back?" Ophelia's voice was calm, without a ripple of emotion.

There was a pause on the other end, then Matthew sighed. "Sorry, I can't make it back tonight. Kismet has a really important performance in Sunrise City tomorrow. Her car broke down completely—the tow company said they can't fix it tonight. She was crying, she was so worried, so I just drove her there myself."

"Sunrise City?" Ophelia repeated the name, her eyes cold as ice.

"Yeah, I just got to the hotel and settled in. It's too late—don't wait up for me, get some rest. I'll video call you later to check if you're sleeping." Matthew's lies flowed smoothly, without a crack.

"Okay, got it."

Ophelia hung up directly.

She didn't question him or call him out. Since he wanted to put on a show, she'd see how long he could keep it up.

Suddenly, the photos Scarlett had sent during the day flashed through her mind.

That woman at the jewelry store entrance, acting so intimate with Matthew—was she really just some unimportant stranger? And Scarlett's repeated "coincidental encounters"—were they really just coincidences?

The doubt in her heart grew bigger and bigger. Ophelia took a deep breath and opened Scarlett's WhatsApp, placing a voice call.

She wanted to ask about yesterday and today from start to finish, not letting even the smallest detail slip by.

The ringtone went on for a long time. Just as Ophelia thought the other person was asleep and was about to hang up, the call connected.

"Hello? Ophelia?" Scarlett's voice sounded a bit muffled, with wind howling faintly in the background mixed with the soft ambient music typical of hotel lobbies.

"Scarlett, did I wake you?" Ophelia gripped her phone tightly. "I want to talk to you about those photos you sent me during the day. Did you get a clear look at that woman's face? Or..."

"Ophelia, it's not really convenient for me to go into detail right now." Scarlett cut her off, her tone somewhat rushed and unnatural. "The company suddenly sent me on a business trip. I just got off the plane and arrived at the hotel—I'm so tired my bones are falling apart."

Ophelia froze for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly. "Business trip? So sudden? Where did you go?"

The other end went quiet for two seconds, then Scarlett's cheerful voice came through.

"Sunrise City. It's freezing here. I'm not going to talk anymore—I need to take a shower first. Let's chat tomorrow!"

The call was cut off from the other end. The phone screen returned to darkness.

Ophelia sat frozen on the sofa, the blood in her body seemingly completely frozen in that instant.

Sunrise City.

Matthew went to take Kismet to Sunrise City. Scarlett's sudden business trip was also to Sunrise City.

Could there really be such a coincidence in this world?

A bone-chilling coldness crept up from the soles of her feet, climbing all the way to the top of her head.

Ophelia stared at the darkened phone screen, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.

An invisible net was tightening around her, and at the other end of that net were the two people she trusted most.

Ophelia sat frozen in the dark living room, feeling cold all over.

The phone screen on the table had long since gone dark, but the photos Scarlett had sent kept flashing through her mind like a slideshow.

The figure at the entrance of Sapphire Sky Hotel, the profile at the Cartier jewelry store entrance.

Each time perfectly timed, each time perfectly avoiding the woman's full face.

If Matthew was really cheating, why could Scarlett capture his whereabouts so precisely? Harmony City wasn't that big, but it definitely wasn't small either—how could Scarlett happen to run into Matthew's affairs every single time?

A chilling thought took root and sprouted in Ophelia's heart.

Was it possible that those so-called "cheating" traces were all staged by Scarlett herself? The woman in the photos, who only showed her long hair and beige coat, though her face wasn't visible, thinking back carefully, her figure and bearing were actually somewhat similar to Scarlett's.

All along, Scarlett had been sending her these suspicious photos as a friend, with every word aggressively provocative.

She kept emphasizing "cheaters must leave with nothing," kept pushing her to investigate, to confront him—could it all be to force her to initiate a divorce?

Once she and Matthew divorced, the woman hiding in the shadows and setting this trap could naturally become Matthew's wife.

Ophelia broke out in a cold sweat from her own speculation.

Her stomach cramped. She bit down hard on her lower lip, tasting a hint of metallic blood.

Just then, the phone lying on the carpet suddenly vibrated, the cold light from the screen stinging her eyes.

It was a video call request from Matthew.

Ophelia took a deep breath, vigorously rubbed her stiff cheeks, forced down her racing heart, and pressed accept.

Matthew's face appeared on the screen.

He was wearing the hotel's standard white bathrobe, his hair half-dry, his expression showing some fatigue from late-night travel.

"Ophelia, still not asleep?" His voice was still impeccably gentle, his eyes full of concern.

"Just about to." Ophelia tried hard to make her voice sound calm. She stared intently at the screen, her gaze moving past Matthew's shoulder to casually observe the environment behind him.

It was a hotel with very classical decor.

The walls were covered with dark blue wallpaper with intricate patterns. At the head of the bed was a distinctively shaped brass vintage wall lamp with a frosted glass shade in dark green—very eye-catching.

"Is Kismet settled in?" Ophelia asked tentatively.

"Just got her settled. Her car broke down on the road today—scared her half to death." Matthew raised his hand to rub his brow and sighed. "I'll head back right after my meeting tomorrow morning. Remember to lock the door when you're home alone."

"Okay, get some rest."

After hanging up, Ophelia's finger hovered over the screen, trembling slightly.

She bit her lip, opened Scarlett's chat window, and placed a video call directly.

It rang for more than ten seconds. Just as Ophelia thought Scarlett wouldn't answer, the video connected.

"Ophelia? Why are you video calling in the middle of the night?" Scarlett yawned while holding up her phone.