5#05

5

In the meantime, Avery inundated my phone with increasingly explicit videos of her and Rocco in various compromising situations: near the tent, in the forest, and by the riverside.

I kept my thoughts to myself, silently counting down the days.

On the final day, I systematically demolished everything that had once been mine, leaving only my wedding ring behind.

The diamond sparkled tauntingly. Rocco had personally crafted and polished it, and I had once believed it represented his love. Now, it felt like a symbol of a cruel deception.

The flames couldn't destroy it, so I carelessly tossed it into the garbage.

From the images Rocco had sent over the past few days, it was evident they hadn't been near Liora Cliff.

To avoid any mishaps, I bundled up tightly and ventured out into the chilly air.

What I hadn't anticipated was how dangerous the mountain roads were at night, nor how much I had overestimated my sense of direction.

Instead of reaching the base of Liora Cliff, I found myself teetering on the brink.

Peering into the pitch-black abyss, I tried to calm my racing thoughts, but then a beam of light cut through the darkness. Avery stood there, holding a flashlight, her eyes gleaming with amusement as they met mine.

"Ah, it really is you, Valerie."

I froze. I had dressed like a bundle, with only my eyes visible. How had she recognized me?

Avery's smirk widened as if she could read my thoughts. "Don't underestimate a woman's intuition. Who else would be foolish enough to come all the way out here looking for Brother Rocco?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could speak, another flashlight beam appeared, piercing through the night.

Rocco's voice echoed in the darkness, "Avery, who are you talking to?"

A frown creased my lips. It was almost midnight. If Rocco showed up, escaping would become much more difficult.

What I hadn't expected was for Avery to suddenly grab me, dragging me desperately toward the edge of the cliff while shouting in panic, "Brother Rocco, help! I don't know this person; they're trying to hurt me!"

I was tall and often dressed in a gender-neutral style. With my hat, mask, scarf, and dark down jacket, I probably looked like a man.

Trying to remain unnoticed, I pushed Avery away, frantically gesturing that I meant no harm.

As I turned to leave, Avery clutched her stomach, fell to the ground, and began wailing, "Brother Rocco, my stomach hurts so badly. Our baby is in pain!"

Rocco's face darkened, and in an instant, he rushed over. Without warning, he kicked me in the stomach and smashed a camera into my head.

Warm blood trickled down my forehead.

The impact sent me stumbling backward, and before I could regain my balance, I found myself falling over the edge.

I managed to grasp a tree branch, my clothes torn to shreds.

Rocco stood at the cliff's edge, holding Avery in his arms, his flashlight beam cutting through the darkness and shining directly into my face.

Rocco's face hardened into a mask of icy rage.

"How dare you touch my woman and child? You're asking for death!"

This was a remote wilderness, after all. A fall from a cliff wouldn't raise any suspicions.

At precisely midnight, my wristband vibrated, a colleague's voice crackling through.

"Valerie, the time shuttle has arrived at the destination. It'll only be here for thirty seconds, so please board immediately."

Clinging desperately to the branch, I barely managed to whisper, "I'm hanging off a cliff."

"Oh? That's quite the boarding method," the voice replied nonchalantly. "Don't worry, I'll activate the special boarding system. Just jump."

Despite my barely audible voice, Rocco caught every word.

His expression shifted from anger to sheer terror.

He shoved Avery aside, leaning dangerously over the edge, his eyes burning with urgency. "Who are you? Take off your mask! I said, take off your mask!"

His voice trembled, fear seeping into every syllable.

A fear so raw, so suffocating, it was beyond comprehension.

I raised my other hand, removed my mask, and spoke slowly, my voice steady under Rocco's wide-eyed gaze. "Rocco, as you wished."

Without another thought, I let go.

The wind rushed around me as I plummeted.

"Valerie!!"