.·:¨¨ ≈☆≈ ¨¨:·.Chapter 26: The Fire That Almost Consumed.·:¨¨ ≈☆≈ ¨¨:·.

The cold from the room seeped through every crack, but what truly sent a shiver down Marlene’s spine wasn’t the temperature—it was the figure in front of her. Eveline, the woman with an intense gaze and a twisted smile, walked slowly around the chair where Marlene was tied. Her steps echoed on the marble floor like an hourglass counting down the seconds to an uncertain fate.

Marlene kept her chin held high, trying to hide the discomfort of the ropes tightening around her wrists and ankles. She had spent enough time at court to know that showing fear would only feed her enemy. And Eveline, clearly, reveled in every gesture of defiance.

“I always wondered what was so special about someone like you,” Eveline said, leaning in for a closer look. “Dante, Max, Adrian, and Lucien are mine… I was supposed to be the chosen one. And then you arrive, with your innocent demeanor and those looks they can’t resist.”

[Kira: Attention, human. Eveline is showing a high level of obsession and jealousy. Possible advantage: her unstable temper.]

Marlene tilted her head with an ironic smile. “Mine?” she repeated calmly, savoring each word. “How curious, Eveline, I never saw your name written on their foreheads. Perhaps… you’re not as important as you think.”

Eveline’s face immediately contorted, and a spark of rage ignited in her eyes. She slammed her hand down on a nearby table, causing a glass to fall and shatter into pieces.

“Shut up!” she roared, her voice cracking with pain and anger. “They looked at me… until you showed up.”

Marlene chuckled softly, though her heart was pounding hard inside her chest. “Are you sure? Because what I saw was the guys barely tolerating you. With me, on the other hand, they actually smile. Or do you just settle for scraps?”

[Kira: Effective provocation. Eveline is losing control. Caution: high risk.]

Eveline clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She paced back and forth, like a cornered beast. Then, without warning, she grabbed a glass bottle from the shelf. Its thick, strong-smelling contents were instantly recognizable to Marlene: flammable oil.

Marlene’s heart skipped a beat, but her lips held a defiant smile. “Is that how you solve things, Eveline? With fire? How ironic… Because even if you burn me, do you think they’ll stay with you? No, they’ll just remember you as the woman who lost her mind.”

Eveline leaned over her and slowly poured a stream of the liquid onto her dress. The pungent odor filled the air, and Marlene felt the cold substance soaking into her clothes and skin. The flame of a nearby candelabra seemed to be waiting for the order to unleash the tragedy.

“You won’t understand until you’re ashes,” Eveline whispered, her voice full of hatred. “Only then will they return to me.”

[Kira: EXTREME DANGER! Eveline is about to set you on fire. Opportunity: buy time.]

Marlene took a deep breath and, with calculated coldness, let out a laugh. “Ashes? Do you really think burning me will make them love you? The only thing you’ll achieve is making them hate you more. Dante would never forgive someone so weak and pathetic.”

The word “pathetic” was the spark that fully unleashed Eveline’s fury. Her hands trembled as she held the bottle and an antique lighter she had taken from the desk. Her lips muttered through clenched teeth, “I’m going to erase you from their world.”

The bluish flame of the lighter appeared inches from the soaked fabric. The heat grazed Marlene’s skin, and for an instant, the certainty of death settled in her chest. Even so, she kept her gaze fixed on Eveline, not looking away, as if that defiance were her last weapon.

And then, just at the climax of the danger, a metallic noise echoed from the entrance. The heavy mansion door creaked open with a sudden crash. Eveline spun around, startled, the flame trembling in her hand.

“Who dares to enter without permission?” she bellowed, her voice broken with surprise.

Marlene, still tied up, craned her neck to look toward the entrance. The silhouette of an unexpected figure appeared in the doorway. The moonlight streaming through the windows outlined a firm and determined profile.

[Kira: Attention! Human, unexpected support has arrived. Possible ally or enemy. Observe with caution.]

Time seemed to stand still. Eveline slowly lowered the lighter, though the bottle still dripped onto the floor. Her lips trembled with a mix of fury and fear.

Marlene, with a knowing smile and her heart beating like a drum, whispered, “It looks like your show is over, Eveline.”

The silence became unbearable, broken only by the dripping of the flammable liquid on the marble and the creaking of the door closing behind the mysterious figure who had just burst into the mansion.

[Kira: Critical mission. Objective: hold out until the newcomer’s identity is revealed. Tension level: Maximum.]

    ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥to be continued˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥