This Was No Accident.

Jade's POV

How come the real Jade's soul is starting to take over this body sometimes? Was it really me in control when Tristan kissed me, or was it her?

Why didn't I pull away? I should have, but I didn't. Instead, it felt like an invisible force was pulling me toward him, something magnetic and unshakable. No matter how hard I tried to move, my body refused to obey. Instead, I found myself melting into his kiss.

The memory still lingered, taunting me, filling me with frustration and confusion. It was an utterly stupid, embarrassing situation, and I hated that I couldn't shake it off. But before I could dwell on it any longer, the chauffeur called out to Tristan and I.

We stepped outside, only to find the car's tires completely blasted.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," the chauffeur stammered, his voice trembling as he bowed his head slightly before Tristan and I. "I swear, I was here the entire time while you were inside the pastry shop. I never left this spot. I....I don't understand how the tires got blasted."

I narrowed my eyes at him, my frustration bubbling over. "You were here the entire time, and yet the tires just magically got destroyed? Do you even hear yourself?" I snapped, my tone sharp with irritation. I was already dealing with the humiliation of that damn kiss, and now this?

Although, if I had to be honest, I was slightly relieved. The chauffeur's call had saved me from suffocating in the car with Tristan. Still, why the hell did I have to deal with this mess now?

Could this day get any worse?

"I'm really sorry, ma'am," the chauffeur continued to plead, his face contorted in distress.

"You're s...."

"It's okay," Tristan cut in smoothly before I could finish my sentence. His voice was calm, annoyingly so. "We'll just take a cab back to work." He then turned to me, a warm yet knowing smile tugging at his lips. "We should get going. The meeting has already started. Or what do you think?"

Silence.

I smirked at the sheer absurdity of it all. This guy named Tristan was really something else. The heavenly portal was supposed to instill fear into these men, make them tremble before me. Did it fail? Or did Tristan simply not get the memo? I understand that this Jade's face might appear calm but I'm the devil for goodness sake.

How I wished I had just one percent of my powers right now. That would be more than enough to teach him a lesson, one that would make him think twice before interrupting me.

"You can wait here for Kira," Tristan instructed the chauffeur casually. "Jade and I will find our own way back to work."

The chauffeur's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, Master," he said, bowing his head deeply in appreciation.

Tristan didn't respond. He simply turned on his heel and started walking away, leaving me standing there with the chauffeur. Then, as if suddenly remembering my presence, he glanced back at me.

"Are you coming, or would you rather wait here for Kira?" he asked, his voice carrying an air of arrogance.

I clenched my fists at my sides, my irritation growing. If I stayed too long with the chauffeur, I might just grab the nearest sharp object and stab something or someone. The anger boiling inside me was that intense. But it would be incredibly stupid to end up in jail on only my second day occupying this body.

So, instead of acting on impulse, I followed Tristan.

We walked in silence for a few moments before I finally spoke. "Where the hell are you going? Aren't you supposed to call a cab so we can leave?"

Tristan stopped walking immediately and then glanced at me, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What do you think about the morning sun? Isn't it wonderful?" His tone was light, almost playful. "After having coffee, I always like to take a walk under the sun, mingling among humans before heading to work. It's refreshing, don't you think?"

"What the heck?" I scoffed, narrowing my eyes at Tristan. "Aren't you human? If someone heard your last statement, they'd think you were a demon or something." I paused for a second before adding, "What work do you even do?"

Tristan let out a heavy sigh, his expression unreadable. "A lot," he answered simply. "I do anything as long as money is involved."

I rolled my eyes, unimpressed. "Oh yeah, I can see that," I muttered, my gaze shifting to the road as I attempted to flag down a cab. My words were directed at him, but I was more focused on leaving than listening to whatever cryptic nonsense he had to say.

After several failed attempts, a red car finally pulled up. Without wasting another second, I hopped in, and Tristan, who had been basking in the morning sun like some kind of carefree idiot, reluctantly followed.

As the car pulled away from the curb, I settled into my seat, but something felt… off. A strange sensation crept up my spine. Was it too soon? This feeling, I recognized it. It always came right before a mission was about to be fulfilled.

My gaze drifted toward Tristan. He still had that warm, infuriating smile on his face.

I had wanted to teach him a lesson, and now, fate was delivering it to me on a silver platter. Who would have thought he'd be the first to go? And even before experiencing the suffering I had so carefully planned for my three husbands. I hadn't expected this, but I welcomed it. It felt like a small compensation for my ruined morning.

The car continued down the road, taking a longer route than necessary to get to the company, but I stayed quiet. Then, just as it approached a U-turn....

A loud, gut-wrenching crash shattered the air.

A trailer slammed into us from the right side with violent force.

The impact sent our car flipping, tumbling, somersaulting through the air.

My body jerked violently, my head slamming against the seat, against the glass, against everything. My world spun in chaotic, nauseating circles until, finally, the car came to a jarring stop, upside down.

Pain. That was the first thing I felt.

A deep, pulsating pain that spread through my entire body. My ears were ringing with the sound of crunching metal and shattering glass. My vision blurred as I tried to process what had just happened.

I groaned, attempting to move, but a sharp, searing pain shot through my skull, forcing me back down. My breaths came in ragged gasps as I fought through the dizziness.

I was trapped. Pinned beneath the wreckage.

My gaze flickered toward the chauffeur, still slumped over the wheel. Blood seeped from his head...he was dead.

Then, I turned to Tristan.

His usually smug expression was gone. His eyes were closed, his head tilted lifelessly to the side, blood dripping down his face.

No one could have survived this.

Except maybe the goddess of life herself, if she had been kind enough to intervene. But there was no divine presence here. I couldn't sense a trace of immortal energy.

Which meant…

Both the chauffeur and Tristan were dead.

Or at least, they should have been.

I gritted my teeth, ignoring the sharp sting in my body as I forced myself to move. I had to get out.

With trembling hands, I reached for Tristan's waist and dragged him out of the wreckage, my body screaming in protest at the effort. I laid him on the ground, ignoring the thick, metallic scent of blood that filled the air.

Then, I went back for the chauffeur.

His lifeless body was heavier than I expected, and by the time I managed to pull him out, my limbs felt like lead. Both men now lay under the morning sun.

I took a step back, panting heavily.

The car could explode at any moment..who knows.

At the very least, I had saved their bodies from being reduced to ashes. Their families deserved to recognize them. To bury them.

My vision swayed. Damn it.

I was completely drained. Dragging two grown men while injured was too much for this weak human body. My head throbbed, and my knees buckled as I collapsed onto the ground beside them.

I was losing consciousness.

Blood trickled down my forehead, staining my vision red. My wounds were deep, but I could feel it, my powers were here.

Not in full.

But just enough to heal myself later.

After… the hospital.

The morning sunlight soon faded away, swallowed by an eerie darkness. Thick, heavy clouds gathered in the sky, and within moments, the rain came.

It poured down relentlessly, pounding against my skin, drumming against the wreckage, washing away the blood that stained the pavement.

But before I could fully succumb to the pull of unconsciousness, something caught my attention.

My gaze flickered toward the wreckage of the trailer.

A shadow, a figure. It emerged from the driver's side, running not toward the accident but away from it. In the opposite direction of the approaching sirens.

My dazed mind struggled to process it, but deep down, I knew.

This was no accident.

The trailer had deliberately rammed into us.

And judging by how conveniently empty this road was, it was clear, the chauffeur was in on it too and purposely took this route on purpose as it seems like the right scene for accident.

The chauffeur had rushed to his own death just to get rid of me.But why? Who the hell hated me this much?

And more importantly…

Who stood to gain from my death?

The world blurred around me. The sound of sirens grew louder.

But my focus remained locked on the fleeing figure, the mystery assassin disappearing into the rain.

Then...

Darkness.