On the rooftop, the wind howled, its violent gusts forcing a slender figure against the railing.
Amanda glared with pure hatred at the treacherous couple standing before her. "Aren't you afraid of retribution?" she spat.
In stark contrast to her indignation, the man wore a sinister, calm smile as he closed the distance, pinning her against the steel bar.
"Retribution? Amanda, are you really naive enough to believe in such a thing?" He burst into laughter, his hand snaking out to squeeze her throat. He hissed, "If retribution truly existed, how could your entire family have died at my hands?"
Amanda choked, her face turning a frantic shade of red. She struggled, her fists flailing in a desperate, haphazard rhythm against him. "Javier Harris! You're a murderer! You'll pay for this with your life!"
The freezing wind bit at her bloodshot eyes, and a single line of tears traced a path down her cheeks. Because of a generational grudge and a thirst for power, her life had been systematically dismantled by Javier. Because of this bastard, her home was gone. Because of "love," she had sacrificed everything. Because of a false friendship, she had inadvertently pushed her own brother to his death.
Javier Harris had never loved her. He had used her to secure the support of the Solis family, and once he held the reigns of power, he stopped at nothing to destroy her. He had ordered her brother's death on the pretext of a dispute involving Elena Lewis. He had driven her father to leap from a building and pushed her mother into madness—all because they were the reminders of his own loveless childhood. He hadn't even spared their children.
"Javi, stop talking. Just kill her," Elena urged from behind them, her brow furrowed with impatience.
As Javier's grip tightened around Amanda's neck, cutting off her air, she let out a tragic, broken laugh. She had once considered Elena her best friend—her sister. How stupid she had been.
Javier suddenly threw his weight forward, forcing half of Amanda's body over the edge. "Amanda, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being born a Solis!"
Below her lay nothing but an endless abyss. The wind roared as if it wanted to tear her fragile body apart. Amanda struggled one last time, screaming with pure, unadulterated resentment: "Javier Harris! Elena Lewis! If there is an afterlife, I swear I will tear out your veins and drink your blood to repay this debt!"
With a cold smile, Javier pushed. Amanda fell like a kite with a snapped string. The wind shrieked in her ears as her life flashed before her eyes in a blurred, slow-motion montage. Even as she hit the ground, her eyes remained wide, staring fixedly in one direction as blood pooled beneath her.
Pain. Was this what it felt like to have your bones shattered and your flesh torn apart?
"Amanda!"
Who was calling her? Why did they sound so devastated?
"Miss Amanda! Miss Amanda!"
Amanda slowly opened her eyes. It took a long moment for her vision to adjust to the bright ceiling lights.
"Miss Amanda?"
She turned her head toward the voice, seeing an impatient young girl standing beside her. Amanda's pupils contracted; her lips moved, but no sound came out.
"How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?" Winter asked, her voice trembling with worry. She hadn't noticed the strange look in Amanda's eyes. "You scared me to death! You suddenly fell into the lake... if someone hadn't been there...!"
"Winter," Amanda's voice was hoarse, her throat raw and aching. "What year is it?"
Winter looked confused. Usually, Amanda would be scolding her by now. Timidly, she answered, "It's... it's 2001."
Amanda took a sharp breath, her hands clenching beneath the hospital blanket.
Seven years ago. She was back at the beginning of her relationship with Javier. The "accidental" fall into the lake had happened after a confrontation with Elena. Back then, she had believed Elena's lies. She hadn't known how to swim; she would have drowned if not for a mysterious passerby.
"Who saved me?" Amanda asked.
Winter bowed her head. "A passerby." She didn't dare look up, terrified of Amanda's usual temper.
"Was there anyone else there?"
Winter shook her head. "No."
Amanda let out a cold, sharp laugh that made Winter recoil. Elena Lewis. All those years ago, I was so blind that a few sweet words were enough to trick me. It wasn't an accident—she tried to kill me then, too.
Her breathing hitched as a tidal wave of fury rose in her chest. If God has given me a second chance, then your nightmare begins now.
"Amanda, if you don't find a way to annoy me for a single day, do you lose your appetite?"
Vance Walters walked into the room, his expression one of pure exasperation. Looking at his familiar face, Amanda's lips trembled into a genuine smile. "Vance."
Vance put his hands on his hips. "What? Feeling guilty? I ran ten kilometers to get here. Usually, you're picking fights or screaming, but throwing yourself into a lake? That's a new low."
He scolded her until his throat was dry. Winter quickly handed him a glass of water.
Amanda bit her lip to hide her emotions. Vance had been her manager for two years. He had been the only one to warn her about "jumping into the fire," but she had been too arrogant to listen. She had ruined her career for Javier, and five years later, Vance had jumped to his own death in despair.
"Vance," Amanda said, lowering her head with uncharacteristic vulnerability. "Someone pushed me."
Vance stopped mid-sip, his eyes narrowing. "Who?"
Amanda looked down, a fire burning in her gaze. She bit her lip until it bled. Without evidence, who would believe her? But this time, she wouldn't need them to believe her. She would make them pay.