Chapter 5

Laura cut the rope with a smile, her expression innocent yet sinister, as Evelyn watched in horror.

To Laura, this wasn't a life at stake but a game for her amusement.

As the rope snapped, Evelyn shut her eyes tightly, her blood seeming to freeze. The howling wind and her pounding heart were all she heard.

She pictured her gruesome death, helpless to save herself.

Seconds ticked by, yet strangely, she felt no descent.

She cracked her eyes open and glanced upward. Beyond the severed rope, another held her securely.

It was the extra safety rope Kristian had ordered.

As Evelyn realized this, Laura noticed too, her lips curling in displeasure, her eyes gleaming with unmasked malice. "Evelyn, what a pity. I thought you were done for. No matter, I'll help you again."

She pulled out the knife again, smirking as she approached the safety rope.

Ruby gasped in disbelief, clutching her chest and stepping back.

The others, though uneasy, had no ties to Evelyn and no desire to cross Laura. They stood by, indifferent.

Just as the blade neared the rope, Kristian lunged forward, dropping to his knees and blocking the knife with the back of his hand.

A gash appeared, blood seeping from the wound.

Laura hadn't expected him to shield Evelyn. Furious, she tossed the knife aside, her delicate features twisting.

Jealousy consumed her, and she lost all reason. "Kristian, I'm your wife! You're protecting Evelyn because you still love her, don't you?"

Normally, when Laura threw a tantrum, Kristian took the blame, soothing her with flattery. This time, he stayed silent.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he strained to pull Evelyn up from the eighth floor.

When she finally collapsed weakly onto the balcony, he relaxed, blood dripping from his hand as he gasped for breath.

"Why...?" Evelyn coughed, her voice barely a whisper.

Why save her? She didn't understand, couldn't believe it.

To her, he should have stood coldly with the others, cheering Laura's cruelty.

After all, money and power were what mattered to him, weren't they?

Kristian seemed not to hear her. He brushed off his clothes, stood, and approached Laura with his usual appeasing smile. "Laura, you're overthinking. You're the only one I love now. I just didn't want you to have blood on your hands. If you want to torment Evelyn, there are other ways, right?"