As bsoon /bas the two men were pulled apart, Charlotte rushed bto /bSean’s side. Her eyes were full bof /bbworry/bb, /bshimmering bwith /bunshed btears/b.

Her voice trembled, almost breakingb, /b“Seanb, /byou’re bhurt/b. You need bto /bbgo /bbto /bthe hospital.”

At the sight of herb, /bthe fury in Sean’s eyes vanished. His expression softened. b“/bI’m fine.”

Not far awayb, /bstill restrained bby /bthe police, Zac watched the scene unfold. bHis /bheart shattered.

His bface /bwas a mess bof /bblood and bruisesb, /band he lookedpletely wrecked–like a stray dog abandoned by its owner.

His voice bcracked /bas he basked/bb, /b“Charlotteb… /bwho is he?”

The anger red in Charlotte’s beyes/b. She turned her bhead /bsharply to face himb, /bher gaze bicy /band unwavering.

Her hatred was so raw, bso /bvisibleb, /bbit /bpierced Zac straight through.

Then came her voice–bfrosty /band sharp as a de.

b“/bZac Gibson, I bdon’t /bwant bto /bsee you ever again. Do me ba /bfavor and disappear from my life–for goodb./b”

Each wordnded like a hammer. She was practically gritting her teeth as she said it.

Zac felt like his chest had been cracked bopen/bb, /ba de slicing straight through his heart. The pain was raw, suffocating.

His face was smeared with bloodb, /bbattered and bruised but not once did she look at him with concern. There was not a flicker of care.

All he saw in her eyes was coldness and hatred.

Was bit /bbecause he had hurt that man?

He thought back to how she used to be. Back when he bgot /binjured in the street racing with his friends, she cried until her beyes /bwere swollen, refusing to leave his side at the hospital. Even when he caught a cold, she would tear up and insist on feeding him medicine by hand.

But nowb? /bHe was a bloody mess, and she didn’t so much as blink.

Her heart and her eyes were entirely focused on someone else.

Still unwilling to give up, Zac’s voice trembled as he asked again, “Who is he?”

Charlotte looked him straight in the eye and answeredb, /bcalm and clear, “My fiancéb./b”

Zac bfroze/bb, /bstunned. His eyes widened, rimmed with red. His lips quivered. “No… byou’re /blying. You’re lying, right?”

As the paramedics helped Sean into bthe /bambnceb, /bCharlotte didn’t spare bZac /banother nce. She turned and followed Sean.

Zac tried to run after themb, /bbut a medic held him back and loaded him into a different bambnce/b.

Both bmen /bended bup /bbin /bbthe /bsame public hospitalb. /bNo VIP suites. Once their wounds were treatedb, /bthey were

Zacy bon /bbthe /bbbed /bclosest bto /bbthe /bdoorb, /bhis head wrapped in bandages, an IV in his arm.

Charlotte walked in and spotted him right away but acted as if bhe /bwasn’t even there.

assigned to the same room.

Without a bpause/bb, /bshe went straight bto /bSean’s bedside. She sat down and gently asked about his injuries, pouring him water and helping him drink, her movements tender and attentiveb. /b

To her, Zac might as well have bbeen /binvisible.

bZac /bturned his bhead/bb, /bgazending on Charlotte, watching her in silence. His entire bbeing /bradiated a kind of wounded misery.

But Charlotte acted like she didn’t notice him at all. bShe /bjust sat by Sean’s bedside, speaking softly to him, not sparing Zac even a single nce.

He called her name ba /bfew times, but she pretended not to hear.

When the police arrived for a routine follow–up, both bmen /bgave their statements and agreed to settle things privately. bThe /bofficers bleft /bshortly after filing the breport/b.

Soon afterb, /bSean’s assistant, Samb, /brushed in with two bodyguards, looking frantic.

“Mr. bJasper/bb, /bbwhat /bbhappened/b?” Sam was paleb, /bbdrenched /bin cold sweat. Clearly panicked.

He had only been gone for two hours. Two hoursb–/band now bhis /b

Jasper bSr. /bfound out, he would be done forb. /b

Sean’s bexpression /bbwas /bstone bcold/b. “bIt’s /bnothing. Don’t breathe a word bof /bbthis/bb. /bEspecially not to my family. Understood?”