Chapter 1 Demon Fiancé
761 Words
"No—"
Lena Nightingale awoke from a nightmare, her heart pounding. She turned to the family photo on her nightstand, the hope in her blue eyes quickly dimming.
It wasn't just a dream...
A month ago, during her eighteenth birthday party, the family in that photo was blown to pieces right before her eyes. The LAPD called it an accident.
Lena didn't buy it. Every night, her heart ached with sorrow and rage, keeping her awake.
She sat up, clutching the photo tightly, and slipped out of bed. She needed to find her fiancé, Julian Sterling.
Julian and her cousin Isabella Nightingale were the only family she had left.
Lena moved silently to Julian's room. Just as she was about to knock, she heard the unmistakable sounds of lovemaking inside.
"Julian, you were amazing tonight..." a woman moaned. The voice was familiar. It was Isabella. "Everyone in the Nightingale family is dead now. When are you going to marry me?"
"You're part of the Nightingale family too, Isabella. Almost everyone is gone, and you're thinking about marriage?" Julian replied, panting heavily, dodging her question.
Lena was too shocked. Her fiancé was f*****g her cousin!
"Julian, it's just you and me now. Drop the act." Isabella's voice turned threatening. "You were the mastermind behind the Nightingale family's deaths to get their fortune!"
The weight of this revelation hit Lena hard. She could barely stand, her eyes wide with disbelief as she clung to the doorframe.
Her beloved fiancé had orchestrated her family's murder?
Her grandparents treated him like a grandson, her parents like a son. And he sent them all to their deaths!
Hatred flooded Lena. She clutched the photo frame so tightly that the glass shattered, cutting her arm. But she felt no pain.
She wanted to burst in and tear them apart!
But she restrained herself.
She couldn't let them off that easily. She needed to get to Las Vegas. There, Quest Wood, an arms dealer and her grandfather's friend, would help her avenge her family.
"Who's there?"
Julian seemed to hear something. He put on a robe and opened the door.
No one was there. Just as he was about to close the door, he noticed fresh blood drops leading around the corner of the hallway.
Julian tightened his robe and followed the trail.
Meanwhile, Lena had rushed back to her room, packing her documents and clothes into a backpack.
She had a credit card from Quest. It would allow her to leave Los Angeles without a trace.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Lena looked up in horror to see Julian entering.
Seeing Lena's expression, Julian knew she had overheard his conversation with Isabella. A look of regret crossed his handsome face.
"Lynn, it was just a fling with Isabella. You're the one I love. I'll marry you tomorrow, I promise!"
Julian approached Lena, trying to hug her, but she pressed a kitchen knife against his neck.
Seeing the deadly look in Lena's eyes, Julian panicked, realizing she truly intended to kill him.
"Lynn, what are you doing? Murder is illegal!"
A murderer lecturing her about the law?!
Lena laughed bitterly. "Rest assured, I won't kill you myself. If I end up in jail, that b***h Isabella will get the Nightingale fortune!"
Under Lena's threat, Julian retreated step by step until he reached the door of the Nightingale mansion. Lena shoved him hard and ran out.
"Lynn!"
Julian tried to chase after her, but Isabella held him back.
"Julian, it's okay. I can help you find her."
The next morning, Lena arrived at the airport, only to encounter several suspicious individuals. She recognized them as Isabella's bodyguards.
They saw her too and pushed through the crowd toward her. One of them even pulled out a gun, aiming in her direction.
Julian and Isabella really wanted her dead!
Without thinking, Lena jumped into a taxi and headed for the port.
At the port, Lena despaired once more.
Several helicopters bearing the Nightingale family crest hovered in the sky. One of the helicopters spotted her and flew in her direction.
Seeing a speedboat docking, Lena made a quick decision and jumped on, speeding away from the port.
She knew she couldn't escape on land. Her only hope was the sea.
But she underestimated the ocean's fury.
After a storm, waves crashed against the shore, foaming white. Lena was washed up on the beach by the waves.
She coughed weakly, opening her eyes to the lone morning star in the dark sky. In a daze, she closed her eyes again, exhausted.
- Writer
