(Peyton's POV)

"Mason,what's wrong?Don't scare me!"Harper Reese panics,trying to support Mason Reed,but he pushes her away.

"Don't touch me!"Mason Reed growls,his voice hoarse and laced with pain and fear.

I'm stunned.

"Mason,what's happePeyton?Are those brain residual images resurfacing?"Harper Reese asks anxiously."It's strange...this always happens."

Residual brain images?

I look at Mason Reed,who nods painfully.

Does this mean...whenever they try to get intimate,Mason Reed's mind flashes with uncomfortable images?

"Stop talking!I feel dizzy."Mason Reed closes his eyes,clutching his head as if to block the visions.

"I'm sorry,Mason;I shouldn't have asked,"Harper Reese says softly."How are you feeling?Do you want me to get you water?"

Mason head,his clothes soaked in sweat.

Harper Reese sees his state and refrains from further questions,going to fetch water instead.

I float beside Mason Reed,amused by his twisted expression.

It seems the car accident left both of us with lasting effects.Mason Reed has post-traumatic stress.

This isn't about watching them be affectionate;it's about Mason Reed's karma.

If this persists,Mason Reed's future relationships will suffer.

Harper Reese returns with water,and Mason Reed's emotions stabilize slightly.

He drinks half the glass,feeling somewhat better.

"Mason,what's happePeyton every time...?"Harper Reese asks worriedly."Did you take the medicine the doctor prescribed?

Mason nodded."Yeah,I do."

"Okay then.What do you see in those visions?

"I can't make out the images;they flash too fast...just colors and outlines,"Mason Reed replies tiredly."I'm fine;just overworked.Rest will help."

"But—"

"Don't worry about it."Mason Reed interrupts,his face displeased."Rest;I need time alone."

Harper Reese swallows her concerns and leaves.

Mason Reed remains,lost in painful memories.

"Damn it!"he curses softly,eyes snapping open in frustration.

"Why her again...?"he mutters."Why always her?"

A bad feeling creeps over me.

Are Mason Reed's visions connected to me?

"Peyton..."

Mason Reed drifts off to sleep,his whisper barely audible.

But I hear my name clearly.

(Peyton's POV)

I stand frozen,staring at Mason Reed in disbelief.

Could it be that Mason Reed still subconsciously remembers me?

Are the memories he deliberately forgot still deeply buried in his mind?

He falls asleep,his brow furrowed,as if struggling with painful memories.

I float beside him,feeling conflicted.

As I ponder,I hear muffled voices from the next room.

I concentrate and manage to float over.

This time,I succeed in moving beyond Mason Reed's space.

I float to the bedroom door and peek through the gap.

Harper Reese is on the phone,speaking in a hushed tone.

“Hello?...Why no news?...Wasn’t it supposed to be foolproof?...Has that woman died?...Why the silence?...Useless!A bunch of useless people!”

Harper Reese sounds impatient and anxious.

I feel a chill run down my spine.

That woman...Is she talking about me?

Was my death not the work of Harper Reese’s father’s enemy,but her doing?

Harper Reese continues,her voice growing more irritated.

“Enough!Don’t tell me these useless things!I want results!...Money?...Don’t worry,you’ll be well-rewarded if it’s done!”

Her tone sends shivers down my spine.

If she hired someone to kill me that night but failed,why did I still die?

My mind races with questions.

Harper Reese hangs up,turns around,and gazes at herself in the mirror.

“Mason Reed’s wife must be me.”

Her voice is eerie and ruthless.

I realize my death is connected to her.

The phone rings,breaking my thoughts.

Mason Reed answers,his expression darkePeyton.

“What’s wrong?”Harper Reese asks,concern and laziness in her voice.

“Nothing,work issue.I need to go.”

Mason Reed hangs up and rushes out.

I follow him to the police station.

“Mr.Reed,where were you between 9:50 and 10:30 pm on the night of June 12th?”an officer asks.

Mason Reed furrows his brow.

“That night...I was with my girlfriend.We watched a movie and I dropped her home afterward.”

“Any evidence to support this?”

"Yeah,my assistant can confirm my whereabouts,"he said cockily.

Mason Reed calls his assistant and shows the police his movie ticket.

Just then,the door bursts open,and a familiar figure rushes in.

“Mason Reed,you heartless scumbag!”It’s Skylar.

Skylar’s eyes are red,her face stained with tears.

“You know what happened that night,don’t you?Mason Peyton told me she was working late for you,and you were with your mistress instead!”

“Ms.Cheng,please calm down.Obstructing justice will lead to arrest.”

The police intervene as Skylar’s emotions escalate.

“You’re cold-blooded!That night,Mason Peyton was helping you,and you were with your lover!”

Mason Reed remains composed.

“Skylar,calm down.Mason Peyton chose to work late;it has nothing to do with me.”

The officer interrupts.

“We’ve found Peyton’s body.”

The room falls silent.