Chapter 3

When Adrian and I got together, I was already a popular rising actress.

He was still struggling in the lowest ranks.

Worrying about making a living every day.

When he went to auditions, I ironed his shirts for him.

When he failed screen tests, I pulled strings everywhere trying to get him opportunities.

His career stagnated, so I consulted fortune tellers to read his fortune.

That's when I found out Adrian was born under an unlucky star, destined for bad luck his whole life.

If I wanted to help him, I could only use my own good fortune to suppress his bad luck.

Over the years, for Adrian's career development, I gradually withdrew from show business to be the woman behind him.

But I never expected he would betray me.

Even during a live broadcast, in front of viewers across the country, hiding in a coffin having an affair.

I looked down at my belly.

Five months along.

This little thing inside knew everything.

[Mommy, don't be sad.]

[That bastard dad doesn't deserve your sadness.]

[You still have me!]

I smiled slightly.

That's right. I still have you.

Footsteps came from the doorway.

Marcus and Lucas returned, both looking dejected.

Marcus scratched his head. "We turned all eight rooms upside down and found nothing."

Lucas looked frustrated too. "Yeah, not a single clue."

Comments started scrolling:

[So where are the clues?]

[Can't all be in this room]

[Only the coffin left unopened in here]

[Open it! Open the coffin!]

Samuel frowned, staring at the coffin for a long time:

"We haven't been able to find any clues. Should we open the coffin?"

As soon as he said this, Marcus and Lucas both looked at me.

I shook my head. "On the contrary. We absolutely cannot open the coffin."

Samuel was stunned. "Why not?"

I pointed around us. "Don't you think it's strange? There are no clues in this room."

"Even the other eight rooms were empty---nothing found there either."

Lucas didn't understand. "So?"

I looked at the coffin and spoke slowly: "This production crew is crafty. They deliberately didn't give us clues."

"It's to manipulate us into opening the coffin."

Samuel's eyes lit up. "You mean opening the coffin is a trap?"

I nodded. "Think about the escape room's plot. What is it?"

"The bride disappeared, her spirit restless. If we open the coffin under these circumstances, what will happen?"

Marcus's expression changed. "It will... trigger something bad?"

I said: "Definitely. Maybe as soon as the coffin opens, the plot enters a dead end."

"Or it triggers some horror mechanism that traps us all here."

[Makes sense!]

[Vivian's right!]

[The production crew definitely dug a trap]

[Can't fall for it!]

[Absolutely don't open it!]

[Let them play by themselves!]

Samuel nodded thoughtfully. "Now that you put it that way, it's very possible."

"These escape rooms often have such traps---looks like a clue but it's actually a pit."

Marcus slapped his thigh. "Right! They want us to open the coffin, but we're going to seal it instead!"

Lucas got excited too. "Right! Seal it! Let them play by themselves!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes lighting up:

"I saw nails and a hammer earlier!"

Marcus got excited too. "Really? Where?"

"In the storage room, there was a pile of tools. I wondered about it at the time---turns out they were prepared for us!"

Lucas said this and ran out.

Marcus shouted after him: "Bring more! Bring more nails too!"

The baby said in a sweet little voice:

[Sophia panicked as soon as she heard about sealing the coffin!]

[Bastard dad's face went white too. He's shaking his head frantically, trying to reassure himself it won't happen.]

[Sophia keeps saying, I regret this, I really regret this]

Before long, Lucas came running back, panting, arms full of things.

"Got them, got them!"

He dumped everything on the floor: an iron hammer, a box of nails, and even a wooden board.

Marcus's eyes lit up. "Even a board?"

Samuel hesitated. "Are we really going to nail it? Won't we damage the coffin?"

"If it breaks, it breaks."

Marcus rolled up his sleeves. "The production crew didn't give us any clues anyway. We'll just do the opposite of what they want!"

Lucas was eager too. "Let them set their traps! We just won't fall for them!"

Marcus picked up the hammer, Lucas held the board steady on the side.

"Bang!"

The first nail went in.