3

Chapter 3

Soon Adrian and Bianca came to visit me in the treatment room.

Bianca walked ahead, her platinum dress glittering like ice in the light.

Adrian stood beside her, his protective posture obviously, almost painfully obvious.

"Serena, are you okay?" Adrian's voice was flat.

"Still alive." I responded calmly.

But Bianca said: "I'm really grateful to you, Serena. You protected Adrian and me. You're really amazing."

Protected?

I couldn't help but want to laugh. That day, Adrian clearly pushed me out as a shield.

My hand involuntarily touched the bullet pendant on my chest. This bullet was from years ago during an ambush when Adrian blocked a shot to protect me.

Back then he held me tight, bleeding himself. He endured the pain, dug the bullet from his shoulder, and placed it in my palm.

He said: "This is the life I blocked for you. Keep it. You're mine forever."

Later I had this bullet made into a necklace, wearing it constantly. When I got nervous, I'd unconsciously touch it—it made me feel safe.

But Bianca quickly caught this gesture.

Her smile paused slightly. She raised her hand, fingertip pointing at the bullet on my chest: "Is this a souvenir? Adrian, you always make me wonder about your past with her. You know, that makes me feel very insecure."

Her tone carried obvious hostility.

Adrian glanced at me, then suddenly called: "Damian."

Damian entered almost instantly.

I tensed immediately, even instinctively backing up half a step, feeling my blood run cold.

Was he going to kill me?

Bianca looked shocked first, then couldn't hide some...anticipation.

But when Adrian walked toward Damian, he unbuttoned his shirt instead.

Exposing his shoulder, I saw that deep scar.

It was left from when he blocked that bullet for me, the deepest mark between us. Every time we had sex, I would kiss that scar.

Adrian pointed at the scar, his tone cold and firm: "Right here. Tattoo Bianca's name over it."

My head exploded with a bang.

He was going to...cover the mark belonging to us with another woman's name?

My throat tightened, unable to say a word.

Bianca covered her mouth, her eyes reddening with "emotion."

Damian began preparing the tattoo needle. The electric buzz of the tattoo gun echoed in the room, each sound like it was piercing my chest.

I watched the needle pierce Adrian's skin, pierce into the scar that once existed because of me.

Bianca gently held his hand, as if comforting him.

And I could only grip the bedside tightly, my fingertips turning white.

Until the needle stopped, the scar was completely covered by the tattoo—you couldn't tell at all if you didn't look carefully.

He erased everything, erased all that had belonged to us in the past.

"Adrian, I'm so moved." Bianca covered her mouth.

"For you, everything is worth it." Adrian looked at her tenderly.

Then he suddenly looked up at me: "Serena."

My voice was so soft it was barely audible: "What?"

Adrian straightened his clothes and ordered me: "Starting tomorrow, design a handgun for Bianca. The specs should match the one I use now. Accuracy, weight, recoil all identical. But make the appearance prettier, suitable for a girl."

Bianca smiled softly, looking at me: "Thank you, Serena. I'm really happy to have my own unique handgun."

I bit my lip hard. Over ten years, I'd designed dozens of weapons for him. Each one embodied my understanding of his strength, rhythm, way of killing.

That was the understanding between us, our most dangerous intimacy. And now he wanted me to gift that intimacy to another woman.

He stared at me, commanding: "Complete it independently. I don't want anyone else touching this."

I looked up, my eyes no longer fearful, just deathly: "I won't help you design it."

The room's air froze in that instant.

Adrian froze: "Say that again?"

My voice was calm to the point of feeling foreign even to myself: "I said, I won't help you make some damn love token!"

I stood up from the bed, the pain almost making me unable to stand, but I forced myself to raise my head and look him straight in the eye: "Want something unique? Find someone else yourselves."

As soon as I finished speaking, I turned and left without looking back.