"Lukas!" Kayla rushed in and hugged Lukas, who was now silently having breakfast. They were close again, just like before.
Had Lukas finally agreed to Sandra's wish for divorce?
"This is what you wanted, right? I'll file the papers soon. You can explain this to my family. I won't take the blame." The man with dark circles under his eyes put down his spoon with a chilling expression and left his untouched breakfast on the table.
"And remember, be ready to fight for custody once the baby is born."
Lukas took Kayla by the hand, who was grinning victoriously, and left the house. He didn't care about Sandra's feelings. His cold and cruel demeanor had returned, just like in the beginning.
Sandra set down her spoon too, losing all appetite. Her tears flowed freely once more. No, she told herself not to be sad. This was her goal. At least now the fate had changed. Lukas would not die foolishly because of her.
Her final task was clear: find the demon's weakness and protect herself before the demon could reach her. If the real Sandra had said the demon was nearby, then no one could be trusted anymore.
"I'm sorry, Lukas. But this is the best decision. The truth is, I have fallen for you. I was happy when you tried to change and take things seriously. But what choice do I have?"
Sandra gently rubbed her stomach. In the past, she and her child had lost their protector, their father figure. She didn't want that horrific moment to repeat. Even if they were separated in this life, at least the father would still be alive.
Sandra grabbed her phone and called her mother-in-law to discuss the matter. She had to move fast. The blood moon would rise in just thirty days.
"Ma, I'm coming to your house. I want to talk about... my separation from Lukas. Please wait for me," she said, her throat tight.
She ended the call before her mother-in-law could respond. Hugging her phone, she walked toward the bedroom to change her clothes. She needed to talk to her in-laws before they started worrying.
"Excuse me, Miss, you have a guest," a servant knocked at her door.
"A guest?"
"He said he wants to see you."
"I'll be down in a minute. Ask him to wait," Sandra smiled politely. She was curious. Who could it be? Sandra had no friends or close relatives in this life.
After changing, she went downstairs and saw a man who looked unfamiliar yet oddly familiar. She stiffened when she noticed how menacing his expression was.
"You—who are you?" Sandra asked cautiously.
"I'm Kayla's brother. Lukas asked me to pick you up. He said there's something important you both need to talk about." The man smiled warmly.
"I see..." Sandra murmured as she reached for her phone.
"Come on, they're waiting!" The man tried to stop her from using her phone and grabbed her arm to lead her out.
"I need to inform my mother-in-law. She'll be looking for me! Why are you being so rude?" Sandra pulled away.
"Cooperate or I'll blow your stomach open." He discreetly pointed a gun at her belly. "Get in the car, and don't make a scene. I'm not joking."
"What do you want?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"Wait... I recognize you!" Sandra stared. "We met at the beach, right? You gave me your identity."
"Do you know why I told you who I was that day?"
"What did I ever do to you? Why are you doing this? I've already agreed to divorce Lukas! Your sister can have him! Just let me live peacefully with my baby!"
"But we don't want peace. We want your death."
"Please, don't do this. Isn't marrying Lukas what Kayla wanted? I've given her that. I just want to live in peace."
"You're not even the real Sandra, right? Your original body is dead. So go ahead and join it. I'm just restoring the soul that should've survived."
Sandra froze for a moment. They knew. Did this mean they were taking her to her original grave?
She laughed loudly to cover her fear.
"What are you babbling about? That's a fairy tale."
"Stop denying it."
"Take me then. Let's swap souls again." She laughed mockingly. "Soul switching? How stupid."
"Even if it's just a myth, I'll still kill you. Or if you want to live, marry me. You're pretty enough to be my display doll... or my toy."
"I'd rather die!" Sandra hissed.
Her fists clenched tightly. Soon she would be gone. Her soul would leave and never return. Was this really how it would end?
Suddenly, the car they were in was struck hard from behind. The impact was so strong, they lost control and crashed into a large tree by the roadside.
Both Arhan and Sandra were badly injured and lost consciousness. The driver of the car that hit them stepped out with rage on his face.
"I warned you not to touch my diamond soul, didn't I?" he sneered as he carried Sandra into his car. Then he reached for Arhan's car and ignited it with his bare hands.
"The burns on your hand were your warning. You ignored it, so I'll burn you with a greater fire." His laughter echoed through the night.
*****
Lukas snapped out of his daze when his phone rang. It was his mother.
"Who's calling?" Kayla asked with irritation.
All day, Lukas had been distracted. She knew he was still thinking about Sandra. Hopefully, her brother had succeeded in kidnapping her.
They needed to take her to what they believed was Alana's grave. The night Sandra changed had matched the night Alana had died mysteriously. And if Sandra was weak... it all added up.
"Sandra's not home?" Lukas asked in panic. "I'm coming back right now."
Kayla smiled. That meant her brother had succeeded. She couldn't wait to see Sandra dead. To finally return the weak, original soul.
"Lukas, I can go home alone. It's okay," Kayla said sadly, acting pitiful to win back his heart.
"Sorry, yeah?" Lukas patted her head and ran off, tears rolling down his face.
Was Sandra really gone? Did she truly refuse to see him again? Was he so undeserving of a second chance?
"San, where are you? Why did you have to leave like this?" Lukas slammed his fists on the steering wheel. "I was working so hard to find the demon's weakness. I wanted to protect you. Why did you leave? I was only bluffing earlier! I didn't mean any of it!"
He hit the wheel again and cursed as traffic jammed the road ahead. He rolled down the window and saw a crowd gathering by the roadside.
It reminded him of the day Sandra fainted from breathlessness. Holding his phone tightly, he left the car and ran through the crowd.
Just as he was about to see who lay on the ground, his phone rang. Sandra's name appeared.
"Sandra? Where are you?"
"Lukas..." she sobbed.
"Calm down. Where are you? Send me your location now!"
"I'm scared..."
"Please, just send the location!" he shouted, his panic growing as Sandra wept on the other end of the line.