Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

"What's going on here?"

"Just when I was about to leave, Colin grabbed my wrist.

Outside, Bran tried to come in but Colin kicked the door shut on him, locking Bran out with a loud bang.

Colin was fuming, and honestly, it scared me a bit.

"What are you trying to do...?" I had no clue what Colin had in mind...

"I want to keep you hidden... locked in the basement, where only I know you exist." Colin's voice was husky, filled with a suppressed emotion.

He cornered me, his presence and gaze more intense than I'd ever seen.

To be honest, this side of Colin scared me.

It reminded me of those stories my mom wrote in her diary about him locking Phoebe Caldwell in the basement, keeping her captive and tormenting her.

"You... you're not serious, are you?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Colin pulled me into his embrace and sighed. "Phoebe... I just want you to have a normal life, with friends like Stella, a regular... husband, kids, three meals a day, happiness, and safety."

"No matter the cost..." Colin murmured softly.

That must be his biggest wish.

My heart raced unexpectedly as I listened to his heartbeat against his chest.

For some reason, I had this bad feeling. In Colin's wish for me, he didn't include himself.

He said he wanted me to have a normal life, with friends, a normal husband, kids, three meals a day... but he wasn't in that picture, was he?

He always thought of himself as a monster, as abnormal.

Would he let me go in the future?

Or had he already planned out this so-called life for me?

I felt a sudden panic and instinctively clung tighter to Colin's shirt. "Don't you doubt that I'm Phoebe Caldwell? Didn't you say someone could only be Phoebe Caldwell if they could recite pi?"

Colin didn't answer, just gently patted my head.

Though it was a simple gesture, it comforted me.

But I felt so insecure, lacking made me scared.

don't have to pity me or

I said stubbornly, afraid his current demeanor was just to test me.

Colin sighed, seemingly exasperated. "Isn't your husband a genius? Why so little faith in him..."

I paused, realizing that my heart, numb as it was, could still skip a beat unexpectedly.

He glanced at my feet, noticing the slight bleeding from when I had angrily walked away earlier.

He was visibly upset, scooping me into his arms. I felt so light in his embrace.

It wasn't me being light, but him being incredibly strong.

After the ordeal with Melody and the kidnapping drama, I was physically and emotionally exhausted.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Colin had just laid me on the bed when I drifted off to sleep.

The effects of the drug were severe; my head ached terribly, and I was lost in a haze of dreams.

"She's emotionless, even with amnesia, do you think she truly understands love?"

In a drowsy state, I heard someone talking to Colin.

"Her feelings for Dexter don't seem

like love, more like a

more like a long-planned

Sas if she's using the elet

method to destroy Dexter...

The bullet I fired circled back, hitting Dexter right between the eyes.

And Phoebe Caldwell was the mastermind.

"She doesn't love me..." Colin's voice was husky.

He was too smart not to sense the presence or absence of love.

"She's stubbornly searching for the feeling of love," Colin whispered softly.

"But maybe that's for the best... If

something happens to me in

future, she'll be able to acce

calmly."