Chapter 8

Serenia Doyle heard my words and followed my gaze. When she saw the note, her body tensed up instantly, and a flicker of panic passed through her eyes. But that panic was fleeting, too quick to be noticed. She instinctively glanced at Evelyn, who was staring down at her necklace, completely unaware of her reaction. Relieved, Serenia said in a casual tone, “Is that so? It’s nothing important. Just a meaningless note.”

Though he said that, he still bent down, quickly picked up the note, clenched it tightly in his fingers. Then, while Evelyn wasn’t looking, he opened the car window and threw the note out. His movements were smooth, as if he had practiced this beforehand.

A hint of doubt arose in my mind. What exactly was that note? If it really wasn’t important, why would he be so nervous? Why throw it away secretly and avoid Evelyn’s gaze at all costs? I didn’t ask any further. I quickly lowered my head, pretending to focus on my phone. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Serena Doyle steal a glance at me through the rearview mirror. Only after confirming that I wasn’t acting strangely did she turn her gaze away.

Ever since that note was thrown away, the atmosphere in the car became awkward. Evelyn continued to stare at her phone, her fingers tapping rapidly on the screen with a clicking sound. Serena Doyle focused intently on driving, her brows slightly furrowed in thought. They hardly spoke throughout the journey, with only the car’s music playing softly in the cabin.

Finally, the car arrived at Evelyn’s house. Serena Doyle helped us carry the luggage inside. After saying a few words, she left, claiming she had other things to do. Watching her hurry away, my doubts grew deeper. That note was definitely not ordinary. Serena Doyle must be hiding something from Evelyn.

Evelyn set her luggage aside, lay down on the sofa, and yawned contentedly. I went over and sat next to her. After hesitating for a while, I asked tentatively, “Evelyn, don’t you think Serena Doyle seemed a little strange today?”

“Strange?” Evelyn paused for a moment, then looked up with a confused expression. “No, what’s strange about him? I was chatting with my classmates the whole time and didn’t really pay attention to him.” Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She grabbed my hand excitedly and said, “Madison, I’ve got some amazing news for you! You’ll never guess!”

“What news?” Influenced by her emotions, I set aside my doubts for the moment and asked curiously.

Evelyn wanted to keep it a secret for a while, but seeing my eager expression, she couldn’t hold back any longer. She lowered her voice and said, “We ran into Una Wash today. She was dressed so fancy. I thought she must have married that jerk. I was really annoyed, so I asked some old classmates about her. Guess what?”

I shook my head, signaling for her to continue.

“That Una Wash cheated on her boyfriend!” Evelyn slapped the sofa in frustration. “She was with that jerk for barely any time before cheating on him with some rich old man. The jerk was so angry that he argued with her, and after that, they broke up. No one has seen Una Wash since then. Who would’ve thought she’d actually come back to the town?”

“That’s what happens to those who mess with me! How satisfying!” Evelyn said, waving her fist in triumph.

I watched her excited expression and rolled my eyes helplessly. “Evelyn, I thought you and Serena Doyle had gotten into a fight. You barely said a word along the way. So, that’s what you wanted to ask about.”

“How could I possibly argue with Serena Doyle? We get along great!” Evelyn raised her chin proudly, then leaned closer to me, winking conspiratorially. “What’s it? Are you jealous that I have such a great boyfriend? No way. I must celebrate this wonderful news by having a couple of drinks tonight!”

“Come on, with your drinking capacity—you get drunk after just one drink, how can you possibly drink two?” I couldn’t help but tease her. “Besides, I never drink at all. You go ahead and drink if you want.”

Evelyn, on the other hand, was full of determination: “What’s there to be afraid of? If necessary, I’ll just carry you back! Madison, come with me to the bar for a drink, just one drink!”

I couldn’t argue with her, so I just shook my head. “I’m not going. If you want to go, go ahead. Remember to come back early. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”

Seeing my firm determination, Evelyn gave up trying to persuade me. She pursed her lips and said, “Fine. Then you’ll miss out on the fun. I’ll call Serena Doyle and ask her to go with me!”

Watching Evelyn pick up her phone and call Serena Doyle in a sweet, coquettish tone, I couldn’t help but smile. Truly, women in love are like that—even the smallest things can make them happy for a long time.

Evelyn got dressed quickly and went out happily. I was the only one left at home. It was empty and a bit lonely. I didn’t feel like ordering food, so I went to the kitchen, cooked a bowl of noodles, and made myself a simple meal.

After eating, I lay on the sofa, scrolling through my phone. Before I knew it, drowsiness overcame me. Too much has happened lately, and I’m too tired. Before long, I fell asleep with my phone in my arms.

I don’t know how long I slept. Suddenly, a familiar sense of coldness came from behind me. Those cold hands touched my waist again. The feel, the pressure—it was exactly the same as when I slept at my home last time!

My heart tightened, and I instantly came back to my senses, realizing what was about to happen. I struggled desperately to break free from his control, but my body remained completely paralyzed, unable to move. I couldn’t make any sound either. All I could do was endure it all helplessly.

Just as everything seemed to be coming to an end, I suddenly felt that my hands could move again! The man on top of me seemed to notice my change as well. His movements paused slightly, and he became less cautious. In fact, he became much gentler than before.

It’s now! Acting on intuition, I reached out and touched his face. My fingertips encountered something cold and smooth—a mask! I was shocked. Instinctively, I tried to pull the mask off to see who he really was.

The man on me clearly didn’t expect me to do this. He let out a low “Huh?” with a hint of surprise in his voice. Taking advantage of his moment of confusion, I used all my strength to open my eyes. Through the slits of my eyes, I could faintly see that he wore a white fox mask on his face. The fox’s eyes on the mask glowed with a eerie light, sending chills down one’s spine.

“Ah!” I screamed in terror, suddenly waking from my dream. I gasped for breath, with cold sweat covering my forehead and my throat so dry it felt like it might ignite at any moment.

I looked around. The room was completely dark. The man with the fox mask was gone. Could it be another dream? But the cold sensation and the texture of the mask felt too real to be a dream. Last time, I couldn’t see anything clearly. This time, I finally saw his mask—the fox mask was identical to the fox pattern on the jade pendant around my neck!

I quickly turned on the light. The blinding light filled the entire room. But the next moment, I was completely stunned—I had clearly fallen asleep on Evelyn’s sofa. How could I be back in my own home? The familiar furniture and layout around me told me clearly that this was my home, not Evelyn’s!

What’s going on? How did I get back here? I tried to remember, but my mind was completely blank. I had no idea what had happened. It was as though I’d never been to Evelyn’s house at all. What’s even more bizarre is that the suitcase I left at Evelyn’s house was right beside me, neatly placed in the corner.

I stood up and searched frantically around the house. I opened the doors to every room, checked every corner in the bathroom, kitchen, and living room. But there was no one there at all. It was just me alone.

Just when I didn’t know what to do, my phone suddenly rang. It was Evelyn calling. With trembling hands, I answered the call.

“Madison, really,” Evelyn’s voice carried a hint of exhaustion and frustration. “Can’t you just stay at my place? It’s the middle of the night. You send me messages saying you want to go back to your own home. Aren’t you afraid?”

I was completely stunned. With a hoarse voice, I asked, “You mean… it was me who sent you messages, and then I left your house?”

“Yeah,” Evelyn yawned. “I also checked the surveillance footage. You packed your own bags and left the door yourself. You were pretty quick about it. Okay, I’ll stop talking now. I just finished drinking. Serena Doyle drove me home. I’m so tired. I’m going to bed now. Be careful yourself.”

After saying that, Evelyn hung up the phone right away. I stood there, holding the phone in my hand, feeling completely frozen. The surveillance footage showed that I was the one who left Evelyn’s house. But I had no memory of doing that at all. I clearly slept over at Evelyn’s house. How could I have packed my own things and gone back to my own home?

I quickly grabbed my phone and checked the surveillance footage from Evelyn’s house. The footage showed clearly that, in the dead of night, I got up from the sofa, with a vacant expression on my face, like a marionette. I packed my bags, opened the door, and left Evelyn’s house. There was no hesitation or anything unusual about my actions. It was exactly like what I would do if I were fully conscious.

I turned on the surveillance footage from my own home again. Just like last time, there was only my figure on the footage. No strangers entered or left the house. It was just me, carrying my luggage, going inside, and then lying down on the sofa to sleep.

Just then, a deep and familiar voice suddenly spoke in my ear, with a hint of laughter, as if whispering directly into my ear: “Are you looking for me?”

My whole body stiffened. I turned around abruptly, but there was still no one behind me. That voice was exactly the same as the man’s voice from my dream last night! Who is he? Where is he? Why can’t I see him? Countless questions raced through my mind. Fear overwhelmed me like a tidal wave.