And Eric still had a debt to repay to the Grosvenor family.

To achieve his goals, he had to stay close to them.

Which meant that the fact that he had killed her could not be revealed.

After sorting out his thoughts, Eric rolled up his sleeves and hoisted Olivia’s body onto his back.

Buying this secluded forest villa just to spend time with Scarlett and firing all the staff had been a stroke of genius.

He disposed of Olivia in the woods, taking care not to attract anyone’s attention. Then he quickly left the forest before any wolves could show up.

The next day he heard the news that the missing Olivia had been found dead in the forest.

After that, everything was easy.

All he had to do was act like a man who had lost his beloved fiancée.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Grosvenor, who had always been fond of him, still considered him a son-in-law, even without Olivia.

At this rate, he thought that the business deal they had discussed – originally based on marriage – would go through without a hitch.

That is, until a woman who looked like a beggar showed up at Olivia’s funeral.

—”You killed her! You killed Olivia!”

Eric Anderson was, quite frankly, utterly shaken.

‘How does this woman know the truth?’
He could barely keep his expression under control.

—”What are you talking about? Lady Grosvenor was killed by wolves.”

If people hadn’t dismissed the woman’s words as the ravings of a madwoman, he might have lost his temper and attacked her on the spot.

But fortunately, everyone was on Eric’s side. Hearing that gave him the composure to continue his act.

—”What are you all doing? Are you just going to let this madwoman cause a scene at Liv’s funeral? How long are you going to sit there and let her insult Liv like this?”

But at the same time, he was going crazy with fear – afraid that someone might actually believe the madwoman’s words.

So he sent his men after her, the woman who had been thrown out of the funeral.

But when he learned that someone else had gotten to her first, his fear grew.

—”Did she already tell someone?”

But a day passed, then two, and still nothing happened.

While Eric felt somewhat relieved, he continued to track her down.

Finally they found the orphanage where she lived.

He ordered his men to kidnap her – but once again there was interference.

A man suddenly appeared, took all his men down, and left with the woman.

For the past week, Eric had been on edge, his nerves on edge.

‘Who on earth took that woman?’

He had to take care of her-and fast.

Then he heard that a woman, believed to be the one he was looking for, had been found burned to death in a slum.

At that moment, Eric’s subordinate had gone to the orphanage to confirm everything one last time.

Eric bounced anxiously on his leg as he waited.

Finally, the underling returned.

“How did it go?”

“It’s definitely the woman you were after, my lord.”

“Can you be sure?”

“Yes. I saw the director of the orphanage – someone who knew her well – personally confirm it.”

“Good, very good.”

Eric Anderson grinned so wide it looked like the corners of his mouth might break.

Now there was no one left to stand in his way.

***

“Scarlett, are you really okay? Scarlett, please open the door.”

“I know you’re heartbroken over what happened to Olivia. But life must go on. You haven’t had a proper meal in over a week – that’s not good, sweetheart.”

Her parents’ worried voices came from outside the door.

But Scarlett couldn’t bring herself to answer.

She sat curled up on her bed, the room shrouded in darkness behind drawn curtains, shaking uncontrollably.

‘What am I going to do…’

She thought she had cried all her tears, but they kept streaming down her face.

‘Liv, I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.’

Olivia Grosvenor, Scarlett’s best friend since childhood, was perfect in every way. She was so beautiful that people called her the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Her manners were impeccable.

She had a gentle personality and was so outgoing that everyone who met her couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

To top it off, she was engaged to Eric Anderson, a man that every girl her age had probably had a crush on at least once. Olivia was the kind of girl everyone envied.

Truth be told, while Scarlett genuinely liked her friend, she was also secretly jealous of her.

Maybe that’s why – when Eric, Olivia’s fiancé, started showing interest in her, Scarlett was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions.

Although she knew it was wrong to get involved with her friend’s fiancé, Scarlett was overcome with a sense of superiority – the belief that she was better than Olivia.

So even though she knew it was wrong, she indulged in secret meetings with Eric.

When he whispered that he had no feelings for Olivia and that he truly loved her instead, she felt an indescribable joy.

But at the same time, guilt clung to her like shackles.

With it came self-loathing.

She couldn’t live forever as Eric’s secret lover.

She wanted to meet a man who would love her openly and without shame.

On that fateful day, Scarlett had planned to end things with Eric.

After one last reckless fling, she planned to tell him they should stop seeing each other.

But then Olivia showed up – and witnessed the whole scene.

Scarlett was terrified.

Not because she could no longer be friends with Olivia, but because Olivia might reveal everything to high society.

She had planned to get down on her knees and beg Olivia not to tell anyone.

She swore that she had never wished for anything bad to happen to her.

But then Eric Anderson killed Olivia.

When Scarlett realized that Olivia was no longer breathing, she felt like she was going to faint.

To think that Eric Anderson – someone she had always thought of as kind and charming – was actually a murderer capable of killing in a fit of rage!

The thought that she had to run out and tell someone immediately consumed her mind.

But Eric’s behavior – as if he could kill her at any moment – made that impossible.

She fled the villa and returned to the mansion, where she hid trembling under her blankets.

She felt she had to tell someone the truth right away – but the fear that Eric Anderson would hurt not only her, but her family, kept her quiet.

And sure enough, he threatened her at Olivia’s funeral without blinking an eye.

—”You haven’t told anyone, right?”
—”I… I haven’t.”
—”Good. Keep it that way if you want to stay alive.”

She didn’t know how the madwoman had found out, but in hindsight, Scarlett wished the truth had been revealed right then and there.

She crawled under the blankets, shivering, trying to erase the lingering image of Olivia in the air.

Maybe she would have to live in this hell for the rest of her life.

***

“What’s Eric Anderson up to?”

Violet asked Kaiden over breakfast the day after Sarah’s official death.

“He seems to think you’re really dead. He hasn’t made any special moves.”

“That’s a relief.”

Violet, chewing on a cheese-filled omelet, cautiously asked another question.

“What about Scarlett Evelyn?”

Kaiden, who had been concentrating on the newspaper the whole time, looked up and met Violet’s gaze.

“Why are you interested in Scarlett Evelyn?”

“She’s someone I need to get close to from now on. It would be good to know a few things in advance – like what she likes, where she usually goes…”

It was a lie.

Violet had known Scarlett for fifteen years – she knew her better than anyone else.

She didn’t ask about Scarlett out of curiosity.

She was asking for another reason.

‘I wonder if she’s doing okay.’

Even now, the mere thought of Scarlett being with Eric made Violet’s blood boil.

A betrayal by a friend she had considered family – that was something she couldn’t forgive.

And yet—

‘I just hope Eric isn’t doing anything to her.’

Scarlett was the only witness to Eric’s murder of Olivia.

There was no way Eric would leave her alone.

Violet was worried about Scarlett’s safety.

After all, she had once been her friend.

And even though Scarlett had betrayed her, it wasn’t the kind of mistake one should die for.

Violet put down her fork and murmured darkly.

“If I’m right – that Scarlett Evelyn was with Eric Anderson at the time of Lady Grosvenor’s death – then she’s the only witness. There’s no way Eric Anderson would leave her alone. What if he tries to hurt her?”

“You sound as if you’re worried about her.”

“Of course not. I’m just worried that it might interfere with my plan.