In a book I borrowed, it described Howard thus: [He is an abyssal demon with the visage of an angel, yet a tempter’s soul. He willingly forges a contract, activated upon mutual consent.]
The school forum was flooded with all kinds of rumors about Sophia's death. Someone even posted a picture of her lying on a stretcher, covered with a white sheet. Her face was ashen, eyes wide open and bloodshot, with a twisted, horrifying expression. The forum was shut down within a minute of the photo being posted.
I deeply regretted clicking on that picture. It scared me so much that I was shaking.
"Karena? Karena!" Isabella poked me.
I came back to my senses and looked at her in confusion.
Isabella looked at me with concern, her expression cautious. "You look terrible. Are you okay?"
I was dying to spill everything that happened yesterday to Isabella, but I had to keep my mouth shut. The forum was buzzing with talk about Sophia's suspicious death. If I spilled the beans, not only might Isabella think I had gotten out of my mind, but the cops would be knocking on my door first.
I took a deep breath, forced myself to calm down, and managed a weak smile. "Maybe I didn't rest well this afternoon."
Isabella asked curiously, "I got you a sick leave this afternoon. Why did you go to the library instead resting?"
"I went to look up some information." I vaguely brushed it off.
She looked at me admiringly and said, "You're such a model student, always hitting the books, even when you're sick."
I used to think being called a good student was a compliment, but with Sophia's tragic death, the term seemed to have a different meaning.
"Isabella, can I share the same bed with you tonight?"
Isabella was stunned by my request.
We were usually on good terms, but not close enough to share a bed. But I had no choice; I was afraid Howard would come to me again tonight.
Isabella seemed to find my request a bit offensive and looked at me hesitantly. "Why?"
I could only find a perfect excuse for myself. "I... I'm scared. I accidentally saw that photo of Sophia."
Knowing I was always timid, Isabella said, "Sure, we could, but this bed is too small. Won't it be too crowded for the two of us?"
"It's okay. I don't take up much space. I just want someone to be with me."
Seeing my insistence, Isabella nodded. "Alright then."
Later, I vaguely realized that I had already washed up and was lying in my bed.
Thinking back, I found I had no memory of anything before getting into bed.
My heart involuntarily clenched with a sense of foreboding. I wished to rise but found myself utterly drained of strength as a low murmur reached my ears. "Are you trying to evade me?"
In the black mist, Howard appeared in a black shirt, his white hair making his face look even more handsome, looking at me with a half-smile.
My heart started pounding like a drum as I stared wide-eyed at Howard, who had appeared out of nowhere. The first words out of my mouth were a plea, "Don't... don't kill me. I was wrong. Please don't kill me."
Seeing me so scared, Howard sneered, "Don't worry. Since the contract is signed, you are mine now and I won't kill you."
Although I didn't understand when we signed a contract, his words eased my anxiety a bit.
My whole body was still aching, and the moment I felt his hand touch my waist, I tensed up completely.
"I... I'm still in pain." I didn't even know what good saying that would do. Begging a demon for mercy? I must be out of my mind.
But surprisingly, Howard really stopped and pouted a look of disappointment. Those beautiful, deep blue eyes looked at me with a kind of regret, like a kid staring at a candy jar they couldn't reach.
I found him surprisingly approachable, and his face was so irresistibly charming that I let my guard down a little. "Are you involved in Sophia's death?"
"That's a complicated question." He neither denied nor admitted it. "Didn't you hate her a lot?"
I did hate her when she bullied me, but now she was dead. "I did hate her, but I didn't want her to die."
Howard's blue eyes flashed coldly, his gaze a bit sharp, and he smiled nonchalantly. "Really? But I did it according to your thoughts."
I was shocked and blurted out, "It's impossible!" No matter how much I hated Sophia, I wouldn't want her dead.
Howard smiled slightly, looking certain, as if he understood my thoughts. "Really? Maybe you don't know yourself well enough."
His words stirred something in me, and I said angrily, "I'm not a demon like you. I wouldn't kill someone."
Saying that, I realized how stupid I was; Howard wasn't an ordinary man but a demon who could snuff me out with a snap of his fingers.
Sure enough, after hearing those offensive words, he looked at me with a gloomy expression.
I regretted it and hesitated whether to apologize, but he suddenly disappeared. Meanwhile, the feeling of being bound disappeared too, and I sat up in bed, gasping for air.
Sophia, who was sleeping in the bed next to mine, heard my movement and knocked on my bed curtain, poking her head out. She whispered, "Karena, are you okay?"
I stared blankly at her concerned eyes in the dark》 "I feel a bit unwell."
Isabella responded, "It is evident; earlier you asked me to sleep beside you, only to change your mind just before falling asleep. Observing your pallor, I refrained from inquiring further."
I was stunned; I had no memory of what Isabella said.
I made an excuse to dismiss Isabella and lay in bed, unable to calm down for a long time as I wasn't sure if Howard would come to trouble me again.
I took out my phone and messaged Amelia: [Amelia, when are you coming back? Some strange things have happened recently, and I'm really scared.]
Amelia received my message and returned to school early the next morning.
Seeing her, I hugged her, telling her everything that had happened recently, for I knew she would never regard me as a lunatic.
After her initial shock, Amelia checked the tattoo on my chest. The black ink made the blue eyes even brighter. She remained calm, thought for a moment, and said gently, "I'll take you to see someone. Maybe you'll understand what's going on after meeting him."
I looked at her in confusion. "Who is he?"
"My grandfather." Amelia said.