Aria's declaration echoed with determination. Despite her trembling body, she stared at Asher unwaveringly.
She had made up her mind. If she couldn't be with Asher, neither could Melanie. What she couldn't have, neither could Melanie!
Asher laughed at Aria's audacity. "Are you threatening me? You're the first who dare, and you'll be the last. You say Melanie is naive because she's well-protected, yet you're incredibly foolish. Knowing I'm not a good person, why dare to threaten me? Do you know who won't leak secrets?"
Casually, he picked up a fruit knife from the desk, its blade gleaming coldly.
Aria froze, stumbling backward in fear. "You're insane!" she cried out.
Dead people couldn't reveal secrets, so was Asher planning to kill her?
In an instant, the chill in the office transformed into a thick aura of murderous intent.
Aria didn't doubt for a second that Asher would kill her. Instinctively, she tried to run towards the door.
Suddenly, the office door swung open, revealing Melanie, still smiling, who froze for a moment upon seeing the scene.
Swiftly, she closed the door behind her and was immediately gripped by Aria in a plea for help. "Melanie, he's going to kill me! Asher wants to kill me! He's not a good person; he really isn't! At the Snow family, he threatened me! Look, look at the knife in his hand! He's going to kill me!"
Melanie disentangled herself from Aria's grasp unemotionally, focusing her gaze on Asher. Unprepared for Melanie's arrival, Asher's murderous aura dissipated somewhat. Under her stare, he felt uneasy and guilty, the knife in his hand turning uncomfortably hot.
"I..." he attempted to explain, but found himself at a loss for words. Since his rebirth, he had been suppressing his emotions. In front of her, he maintained the image of a pure, moonlit youth, but beneath that icy exterior, he knew he was a different kind of monster...
Even with a second chance at life, he was no longer the boy he once was; he could never return to that innocent self.
Melanie took the fruit knife from his hand, turned to face Aria, and advanced step by step. Aria, seeing Melanie's cold demeanor, felt a chill run down her spine, her eyes brimming with terror.
Something was off!
Melanie toyed with the knife, grinning devilishly, her eyes mirroring a murderous intent. "Aria, I never claimed to be a good person."
Aria was speechless. "Ah!" she screamed, fleeing the room in terror.
Melanie held the knife, bemused. "How easily frightened. I didn't even do anything."
Setting the knife aside, she turned to Asher, embracing him. "Whatever Aria said, I won't believe it."
Asher held her waist, whispering in her ear, "What if it was all true?"
Melanie chuckled. "If it's true, then so be it. Didn't I say? I'm not a good person either."
"Asher, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"If I become a bad person, will you still like me?"
"No matter what you become, I will always like you." Asher kissed her forehead.
Melanie grinned, looping her arms around his neck. "Likewise, no matter what you become, I'll still like you."
