bChapter /bb47 /b

The man yanked Ste out of the cage, his face twisted in disgust as he looked at her emaciated hody i spat, “Nothing but skin and bones Bevelin

Ste furtively grabbed a handful of sand from the ground. As the man leaned in, she fling it straight into his eyes

“You goddamn bitch” the man shricked. He barked at

eside him, “Beat her.”

The other man rushed toward Ste.

Ste tried to throw more sand at him, but it was useless. He was already prepared. She tried to get up, but she was too weak. She could only endure a the mansat on her and beat her brutally

Then, the man unbuckled his belt, clearly intending to vite her.

Ste desperately tried to push him off, but it was futile. She thought, ‘Death seems the only escap

At that very moment, Jordans burst through the bdoor/b, kicked the man asideb, /bband /bpulled Ste up from the ground. He called, “Ste”

“Who are you?” Ste asked, her voice weak. She couldn’t see who it was. She could only hear a voice as rich and deep as calls music.

“I am Jordan,” Jordan replied.

Ste frode. Hours had passed, and she’d given up hope Jordan woulde

Ste had no recollection of what happened next. All she knew was being ced in the backseat of a car. Her body wracked with pain–she couldn’t even sit up properly.

“Can you hold on?” Jordan asked.

“Yes,” Ste whispered.

Ste hade close to death several times. She thought, ‘They say that those who survive great disasters are destined for good fortune.

After so many brushes with death, I could only hope that maybe, just maybe, things would finally get better for me this time.

“We’re a

‘re almost at the hospitalb,/b” Jordan said,

“I’ve dirtied your cushion,” Ste murmured weakly, her voice tinged with guilt.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jordan replied gently.

Ste felt a bit of relief bwash /bover herb. /b

Jordan said, “Sorry, I was in another city for work, so I’m a bitte.”

Ste asked, “Business trip?”

Jordan said, “You are right.”

Ste couldn’t quite put my finger on what she bwas /bfeeling. Even though her vision was blurred, she could sense dan’s gaze lingering on her from time to time, bas /bif he genuinely cared.

She thought, ‘Maybe it is just because we are bbusiness /bpartners, nothing more

Ste was wheeled into the hospital

A doctor eximed, “What happened? How did she end up like this again?”

Jordan asked, “bWhat /bdo you mean, “again“?”

The doctor nced at Jordan. Even thought she was married, she couldn’t help staring at Jordan he thought. He is so handsome, troad thoulder tapering to a narrow waist, his chiseled profile straight out of a fashion magazine”

The doctor asked Jordan, “Sir, who are you to Ms. Hayes?”

What did you mean by b“/bbagain/b?” Jordan pressed.

b“/bbShe /bwas brought in like this just a few days ago, but it wasn’t as bad as this time,” the doctor exined.

Jordan frowned slightly

When Ste came to, she saw Lionel by her bedside. His eyes, filled with concern, were fed on her

“Are you feeling any better? Lionel asked softly.

Ste locked around the room but saw no others.

Lionel seemed to know who she was searching for. The man who rescued byou /bbhas /balready left,” he said gently.

Ste remained silent, refusing to even look at bLionel /b

Lionel said, “Tve already contacted your family, Ste, what exactly happened to you? Please, tell me. I want to help”

Ste didn’t respond.

Lionel said, “Alright, if you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. I won’t bpush /byou. You’ll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days I have work to do, so be leaving now.

“If you need anything, just ask the medical staff. They can always reach me.”

Lionel rose from his seat, hesitation flickering across his face as if he wanted to say more. But seeing Ste still unresponsive, he let out a quiet sigh and walked out.

Ste reached for her phone, then remembered it had been destroyed in the attack. She thought, “Just great, bnow /bI have to buy another one.

Soon after, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. Thery, bFiona/b, Andrew, Max, and Anna appeared in the hospital room.

“Ste, my bdear/b. How are you? Let me take a look at you. What happened? How did you end up in such a terrible car ident?” Fiona cried anxiously.

“Car ident?” Ste asked, staring at Fiona in disbelief.

Fiona quickly replied, “That’s right. Henry called bus /bon our way here and said you two were in a car identing back. We just saw Henry

“He’s fine, but you took the worst of it. He was full of apologies, bsaying /bhe failed to protect you and disappointed bus /bball/b”

Ste pointed at her wounds and snapped, “Don’t you remember how Henry beat me to this statest time? And now you believe history about ba /bbcar /bident!”

Fiona bsaid/b, “Ste, Henry already exined these juries are from the crash. Are you suggesting he’d lie?”

Ste let out a hollowugh, as if she’d just heard the world’s biggest joke. She said, “So, you’re saying i

Anna sighed helplessly. She said, “Ste, what are you up to? if byou /bdon’t want to matry Henry, that’s fine. I can marry him instead. Why did you use him of hitting you?”

Andrew cut in sharply, “Anna, what nonsense are you talking about? Henry has his heart set on Ste, not you. If he found out you wanted to take her ce, he’d be furious. Don’t ever think like that again.”

10:29 Th? b3 /b

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Ste stared at their deceptive masks, and suddenly, everything clicked. She demanded, “Did you all know what kind of person Henry

Fions tried to speak, but Ste cut her of She said, “He has a first love who’s barely hanging on the needs other people’s blood just to say. YOU knew about this all along, didn’t you?”

Fiona protested, “Ste, what are you talk ullitalking about? Are you dreaming or something?” /li/ul

Ste let out a hollow, self–mockingugh. She said, “Stop lying to me. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Lionel has already dropped plenty of Bins

for itry good, but you still married me off to that

“Thever wanted to marry Henry, but you forced me into it by threatening Flear. You kept saying it was for t monster. Do you even care if I live or die, do you?”

Fiona suddenly pped Ste hard across the face. Ste’s rage reached its boiling point. But that only made Fions even angrier

Fiona shrieked, “Ste, how dare you say such things? We’re your parents. How could we possibly not care about your life? if we didn’t care, would Mar have gone looking for you?

“We were just one step behind that so–called friend of yours, and now you’re spouting these heartless words. Do you have any idea how deeply you’ve wounded us!”

Ste’s gaze burned holes through Fiona. Her venomous re was so intense it sent chills down the entire family’s spines.

Fiona pointed an using finger at Ste band /bshouted, “I haven’t even gotten a chance to question you, and yet you’re ming me. Who is that man who saved you?

“You’ve only been back a few days, and you’re already messing around with another man. You don’t want to marry Henry because of him, don’t you?

“Henry said that during the ‘ident, that man just took byou /baway and didn’t care about him at all. Henry is furiousb, /bbut as long as youe doan about who that man is, Henry won’t hold it against byou/b.

“Let me tell you, Henry has no intention of breaking off the engagement. You’d bettere clean about that man right now, and we just pretend nothing happened.”