Chapter 7

Still running a high fever, Yvette was too weak to withstand everything she'd been put through. Once she lost consciousness, she didn't come around again.

Through the haze, she vaguely heard Yates shouting, "Get a doctor in here!"

Then came Claire's gentle voice. Yvette had no idea when she'd arrived.

"Yates, there's no need for a doctor. My family has an old home remedy that'll wake her right up. Trust me. I just need everyone to leave the room."

Yvette could faintly sense the others filing out of the hospital room. A moment later, a sharp pain tore through her back, forcing her to struggle against her heavy eyelids.

When she finally managed to open her eyes, she discovered that Claire was scraping her back with a razor blade!

"Ahhh!" Yvette cried, thrashing in agony.

Claire pinned her down with all her strength.

"Stop moving! This is a traditional scraping treatment from my hometown. If you want to get better, you'll have to bear with it."

"What kind of... scraping treatment... uses a razor blade?"

Cold sweat poured down Yvette's body as she struggled even harder. This wasn't some home remedy. Claire was practically skinning her alive!

Summoning the last of her strength, Yvette shoved Claire away. Caught off guard, Claire cried out and fell to the floor.

At that very moment, Yates burst into the room.

"Yvette Chandler!"

He hurried over to help Claire up, his expression full of concern. When he turned to Yvette, however, his eyes blazed with anger.

"You were the one who hurt Claire in the first place! She was willing to put everything behind her and help you get better, and this is how you repay her? You're completely unreasonable!"

Yvette was in too much pain to speak. All she could do was glare at him.

Claire nestled against Yates's chest, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Forget it, Yates. Mrs. Prescott is probably just in too much pain. I don't blame her..."

"Well, I do!" Yates snapped, his heart aching for Claire. "She owes you an apology!"

He turned toward Yvette.

"Apologize to Claire. Now!"

Yvette gritted her teeth and stubbornly turned her face away.

Her refusal only made him angrier. He glanced at the bodyguards stationed by the door and ordered coldly, "Make her apologize."

The bodyguards immediately stepped forward. One of them kicked Yvette hard behind the knees, sending her crashing to the floor with a cry of pain. Before she could recover, the other seized the back of her neck and brutally forced her head down toward Claire's feet.

Her forehead struck the floor with a sickening thud.

"No!" Claire cried. "Yates, this is too much!"

Even Yates seemed taken aback by how far his bodyguards had gone. For a moment, an unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes, but the sight of Claire's distress quickly pushed it aside.

He pressed his lips together, his voice hardening.

"She's always been too proud. This is the only way she'll learn her lesson and stop bullying you."

Then he turned to Claire.

"Come on. Leave her alone. There are doctors here to look after her. You should go home and rest."

Claire shook her head, looking every bit the kind, considerate woman she pretended to be.

"Mrs. Prescott is in this condition partly because of me. I'd feel terrible leaving her like this. I really should stay and look after her."

Yates sighed helplessly.

"Then go rest in the lounge. I'll get you some of your favorite pastries."

Wrapping an arm around Claire, he led her out of the room without sparing another glance at Yvette, who remained on the floor with her forehead swollen and red.

Yvette lay there, her forehead and arms throbbing with pain. Yet neither came close to the agony of having her heart completely broken.

She watched them walk away together, and for a moment, the sight of Yates overlapped with her memory of the sixteen-year-old boy who'd sworn to protect her forever.

Then the memory shattered.

There was no going back.

Not now. Not ever.

A doctor came shortly afterward to treat Yvette's wounds. Exhausted by the pain and her lingering fever, she soon drifted into another restless sleep.

By evening, darkness had fallen.

Yvette was still half-asleep when thick smoke suddenly filled her lungs, jolting her awake. Beyond her door came the frantic sounds of screaming and running footsteps.

"Fire! The hospital's on fire! Everybody get out!"

Panic surged through her. Fighting against the pain and weakness in her body, she dragged herself out of bed and opened the door.

The corridor was choked with smoke, flames raging all around as terrified patients and staff rushed toward the stairwell.

Yvette stumbled after them, struggling to keep up. Just as she reached the stairs, she ran into Claire, who was also trying to escape.

In the chaos, Claire tripped over something. Instinctively, she grabbed Yvette's arm, throwing them both off balance. Screaming, they tumbled down the stairs together.

Agony shot through Yvette's body, and her vision went black for a moment. She almost passed out again.

When she finally managed to lift her head, she realized they'd landed on a partially enclosed landing around a corner. Burning debris had fallen across the only exit, trapping them inside.

The smoke was growing thicker by the second, and the flames were spreading.

Claire appeared to have injured her foot in the fall and was sitting nearby, sobbing quietly. Yvette tried to push the debris out of the way, but she was far too weak to move it. Every breath of smoke sent her into another violent coughing fit, and her consciousness was beginning to fade.

Just as she began to believe she was going to die there, she faintly heard voices outside.

One belonged to a rescue worker. The other was a frantic male voice she would have recognized anywhere.

"Sir, the fire's too intense! It's too dangerous! You can't go in there!"

"Get off me! The woman I love is still inside!"

Yates!

A moment later, Yvette saw him charging through the smoke and flames, heedless of the danger.

His eyes searched the area frantically until they landed on Claire.

Without hesitation, he rushed over and swept her into his arms.

"Claire! Don't be scared. I'm here!"

His voice shook with relief and lingering terror, as though he'd just been spared the unbearable prospect of losing her.

Not once did he glance at Yvette, who lay barely alive only a short distance from Claire.

With Claire in his arms, Yates turned to leave.

Yvette watched him walk away, a boundless coldness spreading through her as the last of her hope gave way to despair.

He had barely taken two steps, however, when Claire weakly whispered something in his ear.