Chapter 676

Evaline:

Charles inched closer, now close enough that I could see the shift in his expression clearly. The familiarity beneath the unfamiliar face, the darkness I had once known too well.

And then, he smiled.

It wasn’t the gentle one I had seen before countless times. No. This one was different. It was cruel, possessive, and terrifying.

“You seem to have really forgotten me… Little sister,” he said softly.

Little sister.

The familiar words shattered everything inside me the moment my ears registered them.

The world seemed to tilt.

My breath caught somewhere between my lungs and my throat, refusing to move.

No.

No, no, no.

This wasn’t happening.

He wasn’t-

He couldn’t be-

But he was.

He was.

And there was no denying it anymore. No escaping it.

The past I had fought so hard to leave behind, the nightmare I thought I had survived… it was standing right in front of me – alive, smiling, watching me break.

My lips trembled. My vision blurred. And before I could stop myself, before I could hold it back… his name slipped out.

My voice came out broken, shattered, and filled with everything I had tried so hard to forget.

“D… Damian p>

The name tasted like poison on my tongue.

It barely came out as a whisper, my voice trembling so violently I almost didn’t recognize it as my own.

But he heard it.

Of course he did.

And his smile widened, slowly, deliberately. Like he had been waiting for that exact moment.

“There you go,” he murmured, his voice soft… almost pleased. “That wasn’t so hard, was it p>

My stomach twisted violently. Every instinct inside me screamed to get away from him.

To run.

To fight.

To do something.

But I couldn’t. Not only I was bound and physically drained, but my mind was gripped with the fear I thought I would never face again.

And he knew it.

He knew it and he was enjoying every second of it.

I shook my head faintly, my vision still blurred as I stared at him.

“No I whispered, though I didn’t even know what I was denying anymore. “No, this-this isn’t real p>

But it was.

It was more real than anything else in that moment.

Charles… no! Damian tilted his head and studied me like I was something fascinating, something he had been searching for.

“You have changed,” he said softly, and the words made my skin crawl. His gaze moved over my face, slow and lingering. Taking in every detail, every reaction, every flicker of fear I failed to hide.

“But then again he continued, his lips curling slightly, “so have I p>

My breath hitched.

“You My voice broke. “You were – Charles p>

“Mm.” He hummed lightly, almost amused. “That name again.” His expression darkened slightly. “I told you not to call me that p>

I flinched instinctively. The reaction was automatic, uncontrollable.

And the moment he saw it, something in his eyes lit up. It was satisfaction… and recognition. It was like he had just found proof that the girl he once knew… was still there.

Just buried beneath everything I had become.

“Good,” he murmured. “At least some things haven’t changed p>

My chest tightened painfully.

“I-how I struggled to form the words. “How did you-how are you even here p>

He smiled again. That same unsettling, patient smile. He reached out and removed a lock of my hair from my face, making me flinch again at the touch.

“Little sister, did you really believe I will let you go?” He asked, sounding actually curious. “As long as you are alive, you belong to me p>

The familiar words sent shivers running down my spine, bringing back memories that had haunted my nights for years before I left it all behind.

“So I had to come and get you.” He continued, his satisfaction increasing the more he saw me breaking. “And I took my time… to plan p>

Another chill ran down my spine.

“I took time to learn about your new identity. And time… to become someone else p>

His fingers brushed lightly against his own face.

“This,” he added casually, “wasn’t as difficult as you might think p>

My heart pounded harder. “You… changed your face?” I whispered.

His smile turned sharper as he corrected, “Not just my face p>

The weight of his words sank in slowly.

Everything about Charles – his scent, his mannerisms, his presence – all of it… had been crafted. It was built and designed just for this… for me.

“You My voice shook. “How did you p>

“You want to know how I did all this.” He finished what I couldn’t. His smile widened as he added, “I just got a surgery and made myself look like a dead person. Then I took over his identity p>

My stomach dropped. “Charles… he’s dead p>

Damian smirked. “The bullying scenes I played out for you, they were nothing compared to what that useless fool actually went through. His life was hell and he wasn’t strong enough to face all that for long enough. But he was fortunate enough to meet me before his end p>

I stared at him, recalling our initial encounters. All those days, all those bullying scenes, alll those conversations… every moment I had spent talking to him, trusting him… all of it had been well crafted by him.

All this time, while I believed he’s at the other side of the world and would never cross path with me, Damian was actually right beside me – watching me, studying me, waiting.

“I was careful,” he went on, almost thoughtfully. “I knew I couldn’t rush it. Not with you p>

His gaze softened slightly. But it didn’t make it better. It made it only worse.

“And honestly, I was surprised to see that you have grown stronger,” he said. “More confident. More… aware p>

His lips pressed together briefly. “But even then his voice lowered, “you still let me in p>

The words hit like a slap.

I felt guilt and anger overwhelm me, and so did self-blame.

Because he was right, I had trusted him, I had let him get close. And now… I was here.

Bound.

Helpless.

Because of my own failure of seeing past his facade. Because I trusted the wrong person.

My hands clenched behind me, causing the silver to immediately bite deeper into my skin. The pain flared again, but I barely registered it.

“Why?” I demanded, my voice breaking despite my effort to stay steady. “Why would you do this p>

His expression shifted. He didn’t look angry or defensive, just… confused. Like the answer was obvious.

“Why?” he repeated softly. Then he inched closer until his face was right in front of mine.

I tried to lean back instinctively, but there was nowhere to go.

“You are asking me why?” he said, his voice dropping into something quieter. “After everything p>

My breath hitched.

“You disappeared,” he continued. “You left. Without a word.” His eyes darkenednas he demanded, “Do you have any idea what that did to me p>

Fear curled tighter in my chest.

“I searched for you,” he went on, his tone tightening slightly. “Everywhere p>

Each word felt heavier than the last.

“I tore apart everything that stood in my way p>

My pulse roared in my ears.

“And when I finally found out where you were His gaze locked onto mine. did you really think I wouldn’t come for you p>

I flinched as his hand came up suddenly, gripping my chin and forcing my face up toward his.

The contact made my entire body tense.

“Look at you,” he murmured, his thumb brushing against my skin in a way that made my stomach churn. “Acting like you don’t remember p>

“I do remember!” I snapped, panic rising in my chest. “I remember everything p>

“Do you?” he whispered. His grip tightened slightly. “Then you should remember that you were mine p>

The words made my blood run cold.

“No p>

“You were always mine,” he continued, his voice turning softer again… almost gentle. “And you still are p>

I shook my head frantically, tears blurring my vision. “No,” I said, my voice breaking completely now. “No, I’m not p>

His expression darkened instantly. The gentleness vanished and got replaced by something far more dangerous.

“Careful,” he warned.

The single word sent a jolt of fear straight through me.

Silence fell between us, heavy and tense.

I could barely breathe. Barely think. Every instinct screamed at me to stay quiet, to not push him further. But there was something else I needed to know.

“What did you do to her?” I asked.

His brow furrowed slightly and he asked, “Who p>

My voice shook as I spoke, “Charles’ grandmother. Where is she? What did you do to her p>

The name earned me another sharp look from him, but I didn’t back down.

Not this time.

“Where is she?” I demanded, fear tightening around my chest. “What did you do to her p>

For a moment, he just stared at me. And then… he sighed, like I had asked something mildly inconvenient.

“I took care of her,” he said simply.