In a desolate and crumbling village, a swarm of enemies surged forward, and there was a dry well…
Darnell gripped his blade and gun, fighting his way out of the village. Wherever he passed, corpses littered the ground, and every enemy who stood in his way was mercilessly killed.
Facing his foes, he showed no hesitation. With a swift swing of his blade, he sent their heads flying, ensuring they couldn’t ambush him later.
Perhaps it was because he had been through scenes like this too many times. Darnell had become intimately familiar with the enemies’ tactics and hiding spots.
Whether they leaped from rooftops, ambushed from under beds, or set traps in the grass, he dodged them all with ease, always striking first. Finally, clutching a grenade, he arrived at the dry well.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Darnell tossed the grenade inside, blowing up several hidden enemies. Flesh and blood scattered in all directions.
Then, he sat down by the well, breathing heavily. “Great! I blew you all up. Mission completed!”
But before his triumph could fully settle, seven or eight hands reached out from the well, grabbing him and dragging him down…
“Ah!”
Darnell woke with a start, drenched in sweat, his body weak and exhausted, as if he had just run thirty kilometers.
He swore to himself that if he ever dreamed of a well again, he would seal it shut with stones.
It took a full five minutes for Darnell to regain some strength. He reached for the Rolex on the table and glanced at it.
6:30 AM.
He woke up a bit later than usual. Rubbing his head, he figured it was because he had been too exhausted the day before, which had led to oversleeping-and the nightmare.
Then he thought of Abbigail.
He had slept deeply last night, and after putting Abbigail back to bed, he hadn’t checked on her again. Darnell worried that she might have sleepwalked and ended up hurting herself.
But what puzzled him was that Abbigail was nowhere to be seen. She wasn’t in bed, by the window, on the balcony, or in the bathroom.
The blanket she had used was neatly folded on the sofa, and the bedroom carried a faint trace of her perfume and the lingering smell of alcohol.
Knock, knock, knock!
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. Darnell glanced at the clock. Could Abbigail have returned?
After all, no one would disturb him at this hour.
Darnell shuffled to the door and pulled it open, calling out, “Didn’t you leave-”
He stopped mid-sentence. It wasn’t Abbigail standing there, but Lillian, dressed in black.
Her face was fair and delicate, her lips like cherries, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Today, Lillian looked especially sweet and soft.
She was holding breakfast, looking at Darnell with curiosity. “Who left?”
Darnell was taken aback. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see my godmother last night and even stopped by to look for you, but you weren’t home. Were you out doing something shady?” Lillian said, pushing past Darnell and walking into the living room as if she owned the place. “I bought you breakfast. Come and eat.”
“We can have breakfast together, and then you take me to work. By the way, what were you up to yesterday?”
Darnell let out a long breath. “I went to the Apex’s headquarters yesterday. Luca called me a few times to have a drink, so I had to go. Ended up staying there for half the day.”
Then, with a playful grin, he leaned closer to her. “Asking about my whereabouts? Do you have feelings for me? Is that why you care so much?”
“Who would love a pervert like you?” Lillian shot him an annoyed glance, then placed the breakfast on the coffee table and opened them. Steam rose from them.
“I was just asking. Don’t read too much into it. Go wash up and then come eat breakfast, or we’ll be late for work. Miss Fanshaw will definitely chew you out if we’re late.”
Darnell stared at her, lost in thought for a while.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up, or we’ll be late!” Lillian complained before taking a bite of her sandwich, her expression adorable. “I’m just a small employee. I can’t afford to be late.”
“Let her scold me. She does it every day anyway,” Darnell muttered, but then his eyes froze as they landed on the balcony. His body stiffened.
There were several pieces of clothing on the balcony-a shawl, a coat, underwear, a skirt, and even panties. All of them belonged to Abbigail.
Darnell felt a mix of embarrassment and confusion. If Abbigail had left all her clothes here, how had she left the apartment?
“What are you looking at-” Lillian noticed Darnell’s stunned expression and followed his gaze. Immediately, her eyes landed on the provocative scene.
Her expression changed. “Whose clothes are these?”
Darnell quickly denied responsibility. “Not mine.”
Lillian’s face tightened. “Which woman’s? Karlee’s?”
Darnell shook his head. “No.”
Lillian grew even more agitated. “Not Karlee’s? Did you bring a woman back from the bar last night? Is that it?”
“We didn’t do anything,” Darnell said, feeling uneasy as he saw Lillian on the verge of tears. He hurried to explain, “A friend got drunk, so I let her stay the night. We’re just friends. Nothing happened!”
Lillian glared at him. “Where is she now?”
Darnell instinctively replied, “She left early this morning.”
Lillian didn’t believe him. Remembering how Darnell subtly blocked the door earlier, she put down her sandwich and began searching the apartment.
She didn’t even know why she was doing this, but at that moment, all she wanted was to find the woman and ask her directly if anything had happened between her and Darnell.
But after searching the entire apartment, there was no sign of the woman.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lillian practically turned the place upside down-opening cabinets, drawers, the fridge, and even the washing machine. She would have torn through the ceiling if she could.
“Hey, hey, Lillian, are you raiding my place or something?” Darnell called out.
As he glanced into the open wardrobe, he noticed that a red shirt and a pair of trousers were missing. Thinking deeper, he quickly realized that Abbigail must have taken his clothes and left.
He felt a wave of frustration. “She didn’t even say goodbye, didn’t leave any money as thanks, and took my clothes. How rude and inconsiderate. If I ever run into her again, I’ll-”
Then, his eyes fell on the bathroom mirror. Written in bright red lipstick was a message.
“Your bed was amazing. I slept really well. Had to leave early. Thanks again! Let’s grab a meal sometime!”
Below the message was a heart, bright red and impossible to miss.
Darnell rushed to wipe the mirror clean. But just as he erased a few words, Lillian stormed in and shouted, “Stop!”
She grabbed Darnell’s arm and looked at the messy mirror. “You… amazing. I slept… sometime.”
“You’re the worst! The worst!” Lillian’s voice trembled with hurt. She punched Darnell a few times, then turned and ran out of the apartment. “I won’t talk to you anymore!”
Darnell felt like crying. “Lillian, it’s not what you think…”