The scene before her was like a nightmare come to life, all too real. However, this was not just a dream. Juliette didn’t know what to do as a panic attack began to seize her quickly. She couldn’t believe that the man could be cruel enough to kill someone just to frighten her.
When her throat could no longer produce sound, only a hoarse gasp emerged, and Juliette cried out loudly. Her tears flowed abundantly. She couldn’t imagine being in that position, dying; her mind couldn’t grasp that possibility.
After her feelings began to subside-though only slightly-Juliette gathered the remaining strength in her body to stand up; she didn’t hold back her sobs at all. For her, the death she was witnessing was not a beautiful end for that innocent woman. Juliette cried and began to walk toward the corpse of the woman who resembled her.
If she had to see death like this continuously, sooner or later, she would go insane. Wasn’t this outrageous? What reason did that psychopath have for killing that woman?
With a deep breath, Juliette walked closer to the bed, which could become a nightmare for anyone who saw it. Her entire body trembled with fear as she drew closer, and when she reached the side of the bed with trembling hands, Juliette pulled the purple rose that was stuck in the woman’s chest. Juliette bit her lower lip as the blood dripping from the woman’s head touched her hand.
When the purple rose with a piece of paper tied to its stem was finally freed, Juliette felt like vomiting at the sight of blood gushing from the wound where the rose had been. Judging by the injury, Juliette guessed that before it became a resting place for the rose, the wound had been caused by a gunshot. It was impossible for someone to stab another person’s heart with a flower stem, right? Juliette shook her head, dismissing the strange questions that crossed her mind.
Now was not the time for odd thoughts. Hurriedly, Juliette took her phone from the bag on her shoulder and contacted the police. After finishing her report-of course, with great difficulty-Juliette grabbed a piece of paper and a folded garment on the nightstand. After that, she ran to the sitting room. Juliette didn’t forget to call the hotel and curled up on one of the sofas.
Without waiting any longer, Juliette removed the piece of paper from the flower stem and unfolded it, reading it slowly. It was just one sentence typed on a computer, written in Japanese.
??*
‘Anata ga sora o miru toki, when you look at the sky.’
In an instant, Juliette furrowed her brow in confusion. What did that sentence mean? She turned to the window, which displayed the night sky with skyscrapers. The city lights were so bright that they overshadowed the moon and stars in the sky.
“When you look at the sky,” Juliette said aloud. She said it loudly as if the man could hear her. “What does that mean?”
Juliette shifted her gaze from the window to the letter that had previously lain atop the folded clothing. She opened the envelope and read its contents.
‘You’re very clever. I didn’t make a mistake choosing you to be mine. If you’re reading this letter, it means you’ve completed the first game.’
‘Under this letter, there’s one of my belongings, indicating who I am. I wore that item when I came to the party and spent time with you. Remember, Juliette, that item is my favorite. I only wear the same item during important moments.’
‘The second clue will be sent to you soon. Now rest and leave that room before the police arrive.’
‘Oh yes, you’re so beautiful. I can’t take my eyes off you for a second since you stepped foot in this hotel.’
‘Good night, kitten.’
‘Master D.’
Juliette laughed in disbelief. Her laughter was interspersed with tears. She crumpled the letter tightly in her hand until it was no longer recognizable, just a tiny ball of paper, before she tossed it into the trash. This was outrageous! And what did that man write? Watching her? Quickly, she looked to the right and left but found no CCTV cameras. Were there hidden cameras? That was quite likely, as the events five years ago could be recorded without interference, but Juliette couldn’t search for them.
Worse yet, the letter was also typed on a computer. Whoever was doing all this had planned meticulously. If it had been handwritten, Juliette might have recognized the writing style and realized who was behind all the terror in her life.
She had to leave quickly if she didn’t want to deal with the police. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to; she couldn’t bear to face the police again after dealing with them a few days ago regarding Tamara’s accident and Henry’s death.
With that thought, Juliette placed the item the psychopath referred to as one of his belongings into her bag and ran out of the room, ignoring the door or any cameras installed in the hallway. She immediately entered the elevator and pressed the basement button. Once she reached the basement, Juliette ran straight to her car and started the engine.
With tears streaming down her face again, Juliette pressed the gas pedal and drove away from the hotel.
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Juliette closed her bedroom door quietly to avoid drawing attention from the mansion’s occupants. Then she walked to the bed, sitting on the edge. Her eyes were swollen and sore from crying nonstop during the drive home. For some reason, neither the police nor the hotel had contacted her about the death in room 2001. Still, whatever it was, Juliette felt relieved.
She pondered again over the one sentence written in Japanese: “When you look at the sky.” Where had Juliette heard that sentence before? It felt familiar, but she couldn’t find anything in her mind. Juliette sighed profoundly and took out Master D’s item, placing it in her lap. At first, she felt hesitant and wanted to burn the item. Still, she decided against it and kept all of Master D’s belongings as evidence for later.
She unfolded the item and blinked in surprise when she realized she was holding a black satin shirt for men. Did Master D wear this that night? Once again, Juliette had no idea how to figure out the man’s identity just from this clothing that could belong to many people. Who? Leo? Her boyfriend rarely wore shirts, but maybe it was because Juliette had never checked the contents of Leo’s closet. Dion? Christian?
Juliette pulled her hair in frustration and threw the shirt on the floor. Was she going crazy now? Would it be better for her to enter a mental hospital or a rehabilitation centre? At least then Juliette could be free from that psychopath.
As she got up to clean herself because her hands were still stained with blood, Juliette heard footsteps approaching her bedroom door, followed by a soft knock. “Ette?” Her mother’s voice immediately filled her hearing. “Are you in there, dear?”
Juliette sighed heavily and walked toward her bedroom door. She stretched her hand to open the door when suddenly her hair stood on end. For some reason, that feeling arose suddenly. Juliette felt a chilling sensation. Her instincts told her she was not alone, proven by the sensation of being watched. Instantly, Juliette turned her body and turned on the light, scanning her room.
Nothing. It was just her feeling, a feeling that was so strong. “Juliette? Are you in your room?” The knock on the door sounded again.
“Yes, Mom, I’m in here!” Not long after she said that Juliette turned the doorknob and opened the door wide. It was better to face her mother and the thousand and one questions than to be alone with such an unpleasant feeling.
“What’s wrong, Mom?” Juliette asked tiredly.
“Ette? Where have you been? When I came to check on you, you weren’t in your room.”
“I… umm… I just wanted to clear my mind…”
Meryl narrowed her eyes at her only daughter before glancing at Juliette’s hands, which had bloodstains on them. Instantly, she panicked and grabbed Juliette’s hands. “Ette? Are you hurt? Whose blood is this?”
Juliette shook her head, and with a tear rolling down her cheek, she replied, “It’s not my blood, Mom. It’s someone else’s blood.”
“What? What do you mean?”
Juliette bit her lower lip and said softly, “I was walking in the park and saw someone fall. The injury was quite severe, and I helped them. You don’t need to worry, Mom.” Juliette was not surprised that the lie slipped quickly from her lips. There was no tremor or nervousness whatsoever.
“Are you sure?” The worried tone was thick in Meryl’s question.
Juliette nodded slowly. “You don’t need to worry.”
“Okay, if you say so.” Meryl nodded briefly. “I won’t disturb you anymore. Get some rest. It’s late. Good night, Ela.”
“Good night, Mom.”
After her mother’s back was no longer in sight, Juliette closed the door and locked it tightly. Juliette wanted to change clothes, but she didn’t feel comfortable undressing anywhere other than the bathroom after the presence of that dangerous stalker terrorizing her. With that thought, Juliette walked toward the bathroom and went through her nightly routine before bed. Not long after, Juliette emerged from the bathroom in comfortable long pyjamas clinging to her body.
Juliette flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes, but there was no sleepiness. She reopened her eyelids and stared at the ceiling with a distant gaze. She glanced at the shirt still lying on the floor for a moment before refocusing her attention on the ceiling.
Juliette realized this was just the beginning. What about the end? Would she be able to handle it? Was her sanity able to withstand it?
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Master D didn’t contact her until two days later. Indeed, for Juliette, those were the two most calming days of her life. She tried to think of everything that had happened as a terrible nightmare and that she had awakened from it. Of course, that thought vanished instantly when, during lunch, Juliette received a message from that psychopath.
Juliette took a deep breath as she read each word written there. Her heart raced, and her palms began to sweat. Her entire body trembled, and there was nothing Juliette could do to stop all those reactions. A panic attack started to seize her, but she controlled herself so that it wouldn’t happen-not in front of her coworkers. The message Master D sent her contained only one sentence, but it shattered Juliette’s mood.
“Don’t forget about our game tonight.”
Juliette quickly turned off her phone and put it in her bag. When a few of her friends asked about her condition, Juliette shook her head and smiled faintly, saying, “I’m fine.” ‘I’m not fine at all.’
“Are you sure, Juliette? Your face suddenly looks pale.”
“Yes, I’m sure.” Someone, please help me.
“Do you want me to order you a warm drink?” another one offered.
“No, thank you.” ‘I’m exhausted. I just want all of this to stop.’
“Julie?”
Juliette blinked when her vision suddenly became blurry; dark spots appeared in her sight, and her chest felt tight. She gripped the edge of the table tightly.
“Julie? Are you sure? Julie?”
Not long after that, her body fell sideways, causing the chair she was sitting in to tip over, and Juliette collapsed onto the floor. With her vision starting to fade, Juliette saw all her friends shouting and rushing around her with panicked expressions, calling her name. The last thing that crossed her mind was,
“Someone, please free me from that monster.”
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Juliette woke up in one of the hospital beds. Leo was sitting beside her with a worried expression, holding Juliette’s hands in both hands. Leo’s warm hands contrasted sharply with Juliette’s cold ones. “Leo?”
“Julie? Baby? Oh thank goodness!” Leo rose from the chair on the right side of the bed, bent over, and kissed Juliette’s forehead with love and relief. “Finally, you’re awake.” Leo said with a sad smile at Juliette.
“What happened?”
Leo took a deep breath and gently stroked Juliette’s head while his other hand pressed the red button to call the nurse and doctor. “You fainted suddenly during lunch. Your coworkers brought you here and called me.”
“Does my Mom know?” Leo shook his head slowly in response. Seeing that, Juliette breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want her mother to worry about her condition. Juliette didn’t want to add to her mother’s burden. “Thank goodness. I don’t want her to worry too much.”
“The doctor said you’re experiencing stress. What happened? Did something happen to you?”
Juliette didn’t answer Leo’s question; instead, she asked, “Does anyone else know?”
“No, Julie. Now can you answer my question?”
“My phone?”
“Julie.”
“Leo.” Juliette replied in the same tone.
Leo answered with a soft sigh and a defeated expression, “No. All your belongings are still in the studio. One of your friends brought them back. So?”
“I… I’m just exhausted and stressed after Tamara’s death. It just doesn’t stop. Problems keep coming one after another. Anthony’s death, then Daisy went to the hospital. Henry’s death, and now Tamara. I think about all that. With such a short interval, all of this happened, and it might have drained my energy and made me stressed.”
“I know what you’re feeling. Henry’s death was the hardest blow for me, but you don’t have to think about it.”
‘If only you knew the truth, Leo.’ Juliette muttered bitterly to herself. The guilt she felt kept growing until she didn’t know how to heal that feeling.
Added to that was the death of the stranger. Just imagining it made Juliette shudder. She had no idea what she would find in the second game later that night.
A knock on the door was heard, and soon after, a woman in a white coat, estimated to be in her mid-forties, entered the room, followed by a young woman dressed as a nurse. Leo stood tall and smiled, greeting the two professional women, while Juliette could only offer a small smile.
Without wasting much time, the doctor examined her while the nurse checked the IV drip. Once, the doctor-whom Juliette knew was named Melissa-finished informing Juliette about her condition and why she had fainted. “Miss Juliette should stay here until tomorrow morning just to be safe. If tomorrow’s examination looks good, I’ll give the green light for you to go home.”
While Leo spoke with the doctor, discussing Juliette’s condition, she stared into the distance, thinking about the second game she would be playing that night.
‘How would she get out of the hospital?’
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