The private room was just me and Ethan now. He was definitely drunk—his eyes were cloudy, that pale, almost sickly face flushed an unnatural shade of red.

Step by step, he closed the space between us, murmuring my name.

"Nat, you're mine. Only mine."

He tried to force himself on me, but I kept myself calm.

The moment his lips were about to crash down on mine, I didn't flinch. Instead, I lifted my hand and struck hard against the back of his neck. Ethan's tall frame went slack, collapsing to the floor and out cold.

I stood there, breathing hard, staring down at him without a shred of pity.

The night stretched on. I sank onto the couch, silently watching him sleep on the floor.

Lately, I've been drowning in the love pouring off Ethan. It was a hundred, a thousand times more intense than Luke's ever was—like invisible chains winding around me, suffocating me.

In my last life, I'd felt Luke's love sour into hate once Sarah stole it away from me. That was in a psych ward, and it was the last thing I felt before I died.

This time, I'd make Sarah experience it for herself—what it was like to be wrapped in this twisted devotion.

Minute by minute, the hours slipped past. And then, just before dawn, the crushing weight on me suddenly vanished. Ripped away all at once. It was taken over by a rush of relief I'd never felt before.

I smiled. Sarah made her move. Almost on cue, the lock on the door clicked softly.

The door swung open, and Sarah stood there. She froze for a second when she saw that I was fine.

"Nat! Are you okay? I… I lost the key last night and spent hours looking for the spare key." Her eyes flicked around the room. "You and Ethan… How did it go?"

Her voice was all concern, but she couldn't hide the way she kept looking for Ethan. I played along with her act, putting on a heartbroken face as my eyes instantly filled with tears.

"We… We broke up." My voice caught. "When he woke up, it was like he'd changed completely. He said he didn't have feelings for me anymore. He told me to get out."

The flicker of triumph in her eyes was instant, and it was impossible to hide. She smoothed her expression quickly and came over to hug me. "Don't be upset, Nat. He's not worth it. He didn't deserve you anyway."

I let her hold me, my face hidden in her shoulder, a satisfied smile curling my lips where she couldn't see.

"I'm going to take my leave. I need some time alone." I pushed her away and walked toward the door like I was too heartbroken to think straight.

Sarah couldn't wait for me to leave, so she saw me out.

I didn't go far. I ducked around the corner in the hallway and waited.

Sure enough, as soon as I was out of sight, she fixed her hair and smoothed her clothes, a predator's smile on her face, and walked straight into the room. She didn't even shut the door all the way.

Through the crack, I heard a low, rough male voice and a woman's flirty laugh.

"Mr. Grant, you're awake?" Sarah said.

"Who are you…?" Ethan asked.