Chapter 1047
He reached into the breast pocket of his grey suit jacket and produced a crisp white silk handkerchief. With a flick of his wrist, he snapped the fabric open in the air—intending to produce a fake rose.
But as the silk unfurled, a sudden, piercing ring echoed in Skye’s ears. The world around her glitched for a fraction of a second, the vibrant green grass flickering into harsh television static. In that fractured moment, a voice whispered directly into her mind—not the smooth, warm tone of the dream Julian, but the frantic, raspy breath of the real Julian Vance, his words cutting through the cotton-thick fog of the simulation like a scalpel.
“Don’t forget the pain. It’s the only thing that’s real.”
A violent shiver ripped through Skye’s body. The warm afternoon sun suddenly felt like ice.
Was this a message from the real Julian? Had he somehow broken through the toxin-induced nightmare to warn her? Or was this her own subconscious fighting back against the poison, using his voice to throw her a lifeline?
Before she could process it, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out. The caller ID flashed: Liam (Fiancé).
Skye stared at the screen. In this world, Liam wasn’t the man who had broken her. He was her loving fiancé.
She pressed answer and brought the phone to her ear.
“Happy birthday, beautiful,” Liam’s voice poured through the speaker—rich, deep, and dripping with adoration. No coldness. No resentment.
Skye’s stomach churned. A year ago, she would have killed for that tone. Now it made her want to vomit. It was a grotesque parody of the man she knew.
“Thank you, Liam,” she managed, keeping her voice steady.
“I can’t wait to see you tonight,” Liam murmured. “I have a surprise for you. Something that will make this night perfect forever.”
“I love surprises,” Skye lied.
She hung up the phone.
Perfect forever. That sounded like a death sentence. If she accepted the surprise—if she fully surrendered to this world tonight—she knew she would never wake up.
She looked down at her empty hands, the phantom echo of Julian’s warning still ringing in her skull.
Don’t forget the pain.
Skye dug the fingernails of her right hand into the palm of her left, pressing until the skin broke and a tiny bead of blood welled up.
The sharp sting grounded her. The fog in her brain cleared, just a fraction.
She had to break this world. And she was going to do it tonight.
Night fell over Sea City, but the Sterling Manor blazed like a beacon of light.
The grand driveway was choked with luxury cars. Valets ran back and forth, opening doors for the city’s elite. Music from a live string quartet drifted out of the open ballroom doors, mingling with the scent of expensive perfume and roasted meats.
Skye stood at the top of the grand staircase on the second floor.
She was wearing the red silk dress. It clung to her curves like liquid fire, the high slit exposing her leg with every step. Her hair was swept up, baring the flawless line of her neck and the heavy ruby necklace Julian had given her.