"The results are in," he said. "The reanimation factor inside is slowly degrading…"
He gestured for Dominic to follow him deeper into the clinic.
Concerned about exposure, Dominic turned slightly toward Celeste, his voice softening again.
"Wait outside," he said gently. "It's not safe in there."
Celeste nodded obediently, her expression sweet and compliant.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then followed the surgeon inside.
The moment he disappeared through the doors, everything changed.
Celeste's expression snapped.
The softness melted away like a mask breaking apart, revealing something cold and sharp beneath.
She reached into her purse and pulled out a small bottle of pills, her fingers steady, her gaze fixed on me with quiet malice.
"Serafina," she said slowly, her voice no longer gentle, "you're really hard to kill."
Her lips curled slightly.
"After everything… you're still alive."
There was no warmth left in her tone. Only contempt.
"Let's make a bet," she continued, tilting her head slightly, her eyes gleaming. "Let's see who Dominic really cares about."
She stepped closer, her presence suffocating.
"Whoever loses… vanishes."
There was nothing to bet on.
I already knew the outcome.
I was destined to lose.
"I bet Dominic will deconstruct you himself," she said with a soft, cruel laugh. "Don't worry. Once it's done, I'll have the clinic declare you dead."
Her voice dropped lower, almost a whisper.
"Then you can disappear forever. Never show your face to us again."
"Alright," I said.
Without hesitation.
The word came out effortlessly, calm and steady.
Celeste paused. Clearly surprised.
For a split second, her smile appeared half a beat too quickly, then vanished just as fast when she remembered she was supposed to look stricken. Something like confusion flickered across her face, as if she hadn't expected me to agree so easily.
But it vanished just as quickly.
Her grip tightened suddenly.
Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and forced it up, pressing it hard against her throat.
In the same instant, she swallowed the pills hidden in her palm.
Everything happened too fast.
Her body convulsed almost immediately. Foam bubbled at the corners of her lips, white and thick, spilling down as her knees buckled beneath her.
With a loud thud, she collapsed onto the floor.
I stumbled back instinctively, shock surging through me, my legs weakening as the scene unfolded in front of me.