“No.”
“Just once? Or maybe I could hurt you a little?”
“Still no.”
Evelyn stiffly put her glasses back on. “Then I’ll judge you academically.”
The black car began moving, leaving Felicia in front of the school gates and abandoning the young mistress of the Lee family as if she were nobody.
The evening wind lifted the ends of Felicia’s hair. For a moment, there was no expression on her face. She wasn’t angry or sad in the slightest. Felicia didn’t even show any disappointment in front of anyone.
That was exactly what made Evelyn shiver. “Felicia.”
“Hmm?”
“You look terrifying.”
Felicia watched the car grow smaller in the distance. “I used to think Serena took my life overnight.” Her voice was soft. “Turns out, she didn’t.”
Felicia’s gaze remained fixed straight ahead. “She took it piece by piece.”
One friend.
One servant.
One trust.
One memory.
Until nothing was left.
Evelyn’s chest tightened, and for the first time, she truly understood the fear Felicia had been keeping inside all this time.
Because Serena didn’t destroy people with a knife. She destroyed them by making the entire world turn away.
“So…” Evelyn swallowed. “What are you going to do?”
Felicia looked at her phone, a faint smile touching her lips. The smile made Evelyn shiver even harder. Without saying much, Felicia’s fingers flew across the screen of the latest model her father had given her, and a message was sent to Mira.
[Starting tomorrow, change all the drivers’ schedules. Make sure not a single change is made without my approval.]
Then she sent a second message.
[Also make a record of every one of my belongings Serena has borrowed or used, with or without my permission. Don’t miss a single item.]
After sending both messages, Felicia slipped the limited-edition phone from her father back into her backpack. Her gaze returned to the road.
The Lee family’s car had disappeared. But its tire tracks remained on the asphalt, stamped there with startling clarity.
“I’ve already died once.” Her voice was utterly calm—far too calm for someone who had been hurt right before everyone’s eyes. “But I won’t let myself be erased a second time. I’ll be the one to erase Serena from this life. Forever.”
On the other side of the city, inside the Lee family’s car, Serena gazed at her reflection in the window, Felicia’s bag resting on her lap. A small smile rose to Serena’s lips.
Today had gone smoothly, exactly as she wanted. No one had questioned her, and no one had even dared to refuse. No one realized that if something worked once, it could be repeated.
Her fingers slowly stroked the surface of the expensive leather bag. It felt so soft beneath her hand, as if she were caressing something she had wanted for a long time.
Then, for the first time since this game began, Serena allowed herself to think further. If everyone already believed her—especially if they had chosen her side—perhaps she would never again have to live under Felicia’s shadow.
Maybe she could become Felicia. The smile on her lips slowly widened as, outside the window, the sky over Shen Bay began to turn orange.
Meanwhile, ever since returning from her past death, Felicia had sensed something far more dangerous than hatred.
Fear.
Because she had finally understood one thing: Serena wasn’t trying to steal her attention. That girl was trying to replace her by any means necessary, and a war like that rarely ended without casualties.