The rain poured heavily, drowning the city in an endless cascade of water. The dim streetlights flickered, casting eerie shadows across the alley where he stood.
Noel Blake adjusted the cuffs of his black suit, his fingers trembling despite the sharp chill in the air. He wasn't the same boy from before.
That boy who once believed in hard work, in a future built on hope had died years ago.
And she was the one who killed him.
Evelyn Sinclair. The girl who had smiled at him, talked to him, let him believe even for a second that he was something more than just a poor fool with borrowed dreams.
The same girl who shattered his world without even realizing it.
He took a slow breath, the familiar scent of rain and asphalt grounding him. He had waited too long for this moment.
Inside the car parked nearby, she lay unconscious, her delicate face framed by the same long, dark hair that had haunted his dreams.
Still perfect. Still unreachable.
But not anymore.
Noel turned away, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Years had passed, but she remained the same illusion of perfection.
Now, it was Evelyn Sinclair's turn to understand what it felt like to have everything ripped away.