Elaine never imagined a phone call could shatter her entire world.
She stood frozen, staring at the screen, her breath caught in her throat. Her fingers hovered over the notification, but her body refused to move. The words echoed in her mind like a cruel whisper.
"He's dead."
Her phone slipped from her grasp, clattering onto the hallway floor. The sound barely registered as her knees buckled. A sharp gasp left her lips, and before she knew it, she was on the ground, sobbing.
"Elaine!"
Mary's voice broke through the murmurs around her. Students had gathered, their curious gazes filled with confusion. But Elaine couldn't bring herself to care. Her body trembled as she clutched her arms around herself, her cries raw and heart-wrenching.
Ryan pushed through the crowd, his brows furrowed in concern. "Elaine, what happened?"
She tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Mary and Ryan exchanged a worried glance before helping her up, guiding her away from the prying eyes of their classmates. They led her into an empty classroom, closing the door behind them.
Ryan crouched in front of her. "Elaine, talk to us. What's wrong?"
She sucked in a shaky breath, her hands gripping the fabric of her dress. "Adrian…" Her voice broke as she struggled to continue. "He's gone."
Mary blinked, not comprehending at first. "What do you mean?"
Elaine swallowed hard, her vision blurred with tears. "Someone answered his phone. They said… the owner of the phone had an accident." She choked back a sob. "He died on the spot."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Mary covered her mouth, eyes widening in horror. Ryan's jaw clenched, his expression unreadable.
"That… that can't be right," Mary whispered.
Ryan stood abruptly. "We're going to his house. Now."
Elaine barely registered their urgency as they hurried out of the classroom. She felt numb, her mind refusing to accept what she had just heard.
The drive to Adrian's house was suffocatingly silent. Elaine stared out the window, her heart hammering in her chest. A part of her still clung to hope—maybe this was all a misunderstanding. Maybe he was fine.
But when they arrived, that hope crumbled.
The house was dark and lifeless. The curtains were drawn, the front yard eerily untouched. It looked… abandoned.
Ryan knocked on the door. No answer. "Hello anyone is there?!" Mary called, her voice laced with desperation.
Silence.
Ryan banged on the door harder, but the result was the same. Nothing.
Elaine's chest tightened as she stepped back, her gaze darting around. This didn't make sense. Just week ago, this house had been filled with life.
A voice startled them. "You looking for the people who lived there?"
They turned to see an elderly man standing by the neighboring house.
Ryan stepped forward. "Yes. Do you know what happened?"
The man sighed, shaking his head. "They left about a week ago. Packed up and disappeared. Haven't seen them since."
Elaine felt the ground sway beneath her. "That's not possible," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.
Ryan exchanged a tense look with Mary before turning back to Elaine. His voice was low but firm. "Something isn't right."
Elaine nodded, her hands balling into fists.
Adrian was gone. His house was empty. And for the first time, a chilling thought crept into her mind.
Had someone erased him from existence?
__
Elaine graduated should have been a celebration—a moment of pride, of stepping into a new chapter of life. But instead, it felt like the world had crumbled beneath her feet.
She sat in the darkness of her room, staring blankly at the wall. Her hands trembled as she gripped the edge of her bed, trying to hold herself together.
Adrian was gone.
The weight of guilt pressed down on her chest. She had barely spoken to him the last time they met. Their last conversation had been brief, distant—she had been too caught up in her own troubles, and now, she would never get the chance to say what she truly felt.
She clenched her jaw, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. It was too late. No amount of regret could change what had happened.
A sudden knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She wiped her face quickly, composing herself.
"Miss Elaine," a maid's voice came from the other side. "Your father wants to see you in his office."
Elaine let out a slow breath, already dreading what was to come.
She made her way downstairs, her heels clicking softly against the cold marble floor. Entering her father's home office, she found him seated behind his grand mahogany desk, his expression unreadable.
"You'll be attending a party with me tomorrow," he said without looking up from the papers in his hand. "Dress appropriately."
Elaine frowned. "Why?"
He finally lifted his gaze, his eyes sharp. "Because I said so."
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides. "And what exactly am I supposed to do at this party?"
Her father leaned back in his chair, studying her. "I'll tell you when the time comes."
A sinking feeling settled in her stomach. Olivia was already married, her father had secured her future. But Elaine? She was still here, still under his control. And with his business struggling, she had a terrible suspicion about what he was planning.
He needed a pawn.
And now, she was the only one left to sacrifice.
———-
Elaine stood in front of the dress laid out on her bed, her jaw tightening. The fabric was flimsy, barely covering anything—it was more of an invitation than a gown.
She exhaled sharply, her fingers clenching at her sides. She knew exactly what her father was planning.
But she would never bend to his will.
Turning away, she strode toward her wardrobe and pulled out a different dress—elegant yet modest, something that carried grace instead of cheap allure. Slipping into it, she fixed her hair and makeup herself, ignoring the stylist her father had sent.
As she descended the grand staircase, her heels clicked against the marble floor, echoing through the silent house. Her father was waiting at the bottom, his expression darkening the moment he saw her. His sharp gaze flicked to her dress, not the one he had chosen, and his lips pressed into a thin line.
"Elaine—" he started, fury evident in his tone.
Before he could continue, her stepmother placed a hand on his arm, forcing a smile. "We're already late. Let's not waste time."
Elaine met her father's glare head-on, refusing to back down. She could feel his anger simmering beneath the surface, but she didn't care.
The ride to the hotel was steeped in tense silence. Her father sat beside her, his gaze throwing daggers at her, but she simply stared out the window, unbothered.
When they finally arrived at the grand hotel, the sight of the glittering chandeliers and elegantly dressed guests greeted them.
Elaine squared her shoulders.
If her father thought he could control her, he was about to be sorely disappointed.
Elaine stood beside her father, her expression carefully neutral as he embraced a man around his age. The two exchanged pleasantries, their laughter forced and polished, the kind that only businessmen shared—fake and full of hidden agendas.
With a wide smile, her father turned to her. "This is my daughter, Elaine," he introduced, his voice laced with pride that made her want to scoff.
Daughter? The audacity.
He had never treated her like one. She had been nothing more than a pawn to him, a piece to move as he saw fit.
The man before her turned his gaze to her, studying her with a keen interest that made her stomach churn. He was much older, perhaps in his late forties or fifties, with a wealth of arrogance in his posture. His amusement was clear as he observed her, almost as if he were assessing a prized possession.
Elaine forced a polite nod, her instincts telling her there was something off about him.
"Ah," the man hummed, his eyes lingering too long. "You are quite different from your father."
Of course, she was.
Her father was an average-looking man, his presence forgettable. But she had inherited her beauty from her mother—the one person she truly resembled, not this man who stood beside her, using her like currency.
She felt the weight of the stranger's gaze, and an uneasiness settled in her chest.
Just then, her father leaned close to her, his breath hot against her ear.
"Don't disappoint me," he whispered.
Elaine stiffened, her pulse roaring in her ears.
Shock rippled through her, followed by a burning anger.
She clenched her fists.
So this was what tonight was about.
Her father wasn't just introducing her. He was offering her.
__
Elaine forced a tight-lipped smile as the older man handed her a glass of wine. His eyes held an unsettling gleam, the kind that made her skin crawl.
"No, thank you," she declined politely, stepping back ever so slightly.
His smile twitched, but he said nothing.
Just as she was about to excuse herself, a waiter passed by, and in an instant, a glass of red wine slipped from his tray, splashing across her gown.
Gasps echoed around them.
Elaine sucked in a breath, feeling the sticky liquid soak into the delicate fabric.
"Oh dear," the older man chuckled, his voice smooth but laced with amusement. "That's quite a mess. You should go clean up."
Before she could protest, a young maid appeared at her side.
"Come with me, miss," the maid said quietly.
Elaine hesitated, an unsettling feeling creeping up her spine. Something about this felt wrong.
Still, she couldn't make a scene. Not here.
She nodded and followed.
As they walked, the sounds of the party faded, replaced by the eerie silence of the long, dimly lit corridor.
Elaine's heels clicked against the marble floor, echoing in the emptiness.
Something wasn't right.
She glanced around—no other staff, no signs leading to a restroom. Only darkness stretching ahead.
Her breath quickened.
"This isn't the way to the restroom," she said, stopping in her tracks.
The maid ignored her.
Elaine turned, her stomach tightening. "I asked—"
A sudden, sharp shove sent her stumbling forward.
She barely caught herself before crashing to the floor.
Before she could react, the maid slipped out, and the door slammed shut behind her.
A metallic click rang out.
Elaine's heart slammed against her ribs.
She spun around, gripping the handle. Locked.
Fear clawed up her throat.
The room was dim, nearly bare—only a table, a lamp, and a bed. No windows. No other exit.
A trap.
Then, the door creaked open again.
The older man stepped inside, closing it behind him with deliberate slowness.
Elaine's stomach twisted.
"Please," she said, her voice tight with panic. "My father—he'll be looking for me."
The man chuckled.
"Oh, my dear," he said smoothly. "Your father is the one who sent you here."
Her blood turned ice-cold.
"He signed the deal himself," the man continued, taking slow, measured steps toward her. "One night with me, and his business stays afloat."
Elaine's knees felt weak.
Her father… her own father had sold her.
She felt sick, like the room was spinning.
The man reached out, running a finger along the edge of her dress.
Elaine recoiled, every nerve in her body screaming in horror.
"Don't fight it," he murmured. "You'll only make this harder for yourself."
Her heart pounded against her ribs.
She couldn't scream. No one would come.
She couldn't run. The door was locked.
Terror flooded every inch of her body.
She had no way out.
Unless—
Elaine forced herself to breathe. To think.
Slowly, she lowered her eyes. Her body relaxed ever so slightly, though her skin crawled with disgust.
"Okay," she whispered, barely audible. "I understand."
The man smirked, stepping closer.
"That's a good girl."
Another step.
Elaine's fingers twitched.
Then—
She lunged.
With all her strength, she grabbed the heavy lamp from the table and swung.
The solid base crashed against his skull.
The man grunted, stumbling back, blood trickling from the wound. His eyes widened in shock, then darkened with fury.
"You little bitch—"
He raised his hand to strike her—
Elaine shoved him. Hard.
His knees buckled, his already blurring vision fading as he collapsed.
Silence.
For a second, Elaine just stood there, her breath ragged, her hands shaking.
Then she ran.