4

Outside the Operating Room.

Chloe sat on a plastic chair, still wearing her million-dollar designer wedding dress. She was trembling, sitting as still as a lifeless mannequin. The dress, once pure and white, was now stained with dark, wet patches of blood. Against the crimson stains, her skin looked as white as paper.

The blood on the lace and her pale skin looked like blooming, aggressive roses, making her beauty seem fragile yet haunting.

Just moments ago, her father had been rushed into emergency surgery. Her mother, in the shock of the accident, had gone into premature labor and was in another room undergoing an emergency C-section.

The Bishop relatives who had followed them to the hospital were fuming with indignation. But looking at Chloe, sitting there devoid of any life, no one had the heart to speak. Liam Martin... what a curse he turned out to be.

Chloe stared blankly at her blood-stained hands. Her mind was a broken record, playing the crash over and over. Liam had seen it. He had paused for a second after the impact.

But then, he had driven away.

He saw the accident, and he chose to leave them there in the dirt.

Why? What happened? This was supposed to be our happiest day.

They had been so happy. They never fought. Why did everything flip in a single morning?

Chloe thought back to the nightmare. Is it because of Sara Jay? Is she back? What were my father and Liam hiding from me?

Hours passed. Mrs. Bishop suffered a major hemorrhage, but luckily, both mother and the new baby girl survived. Charles also made it through surgery, but due to severe head trauma, he had fallen into a deep coma. The doctors said his recovery depended on when—or if—he woke up.

Once things stabilized, Chloe calmly saw the relatives out and gave the household staff clear instructions. On the surface, she was eerily composed and efficient.

A maid brought her clean clothes to change into. When Chloe finally held the tiny, new life—her baby sister—her vision finally blurred with tears.

After a long time, she put the baby down. Her voice was hoarse. "Nanny, I’m going out for a while. Take care of them."

Her mother, drifting in and out of sleep, suddenly gripped the bedsheet. "After everything... are you still going to look for him?" she whispered with a mix of weakness and resentment.

Chloe forced a tiny, grim smile. "Don't worry, Mom. I just want an answer. I'll be back soon."

As she stepped out of the hospital, a tall, lean man approached her, his face etched with worry. "Chloe."

It was Justin, Liam’s best friend.

Chloe looked at him with dull eyes. "Why haven't you gone home?"

"I was worried about you," Justin said softly. "Are you going to the Martin estate?"

Chloe nodded.

"I'll drive you." Chloe didn't refuse.

Inside the car, she pulled out her phone. Since the "incident," Liam hadn't called or texted once. She stared at the screen for a long time before finally dialing his number.

It rang several times. Then, he hung up.

He wouldn't even take her call. Why?

"Justin... do you know why he left today?" Chloe looked at him.

Justin knew exactly who she was talking about, but her eerie calmness made him uneasy. "I’m not sure, Chloe. That’s something you need to ask him yourself."

Chloe saw her reflection in the window. She looked like a ghost—bloodless and hollow. She turned away and didn't say another word.

One hour later, at the Martin Estate.

Liam was having dinner with Brandon and Sara Jay. Sara had woken up at noon; she looked frail, her skin unnaturally pale from years of being kept away from the sun.

"Sir, Miss Bishop is here," a maid announced, stepping into the dining room.

Liam acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. He continued placing food onto Sara’s plate—dishes she had loved when they were children.

Sara beamed at him like an innocent child, yet her smile carried a delicate, feminine charm that was deeply moving. Liam’s eyes were full of doting affection. "Eat more if you like it."

After a moment, the maid spoke again. "Sir, Miss Bishop is still at the door."

Thinking of what Charles had done, Liam’s voice turned like ice. "I’m not seeing her."

Before the words could even land, Chloe walked into the room with long, purposeful strides. Behind her, Justin followed, dragging two injured security guards.

At the sight of the strangers, Sara jumped up, her pretty face turning ghostly white like a startled deer.

Chloe froze. Sara Jay. It really is her.

Liam glanced at Chloe, then stood up and pulled the trembling Sara into his arms, whispering comfortingly, "Don't be scared. It’s okay. They’re just... friends of mine."

"Oh... friends of yours?" Sara looked at Chloe and gave her a friendly, innocent smile. Her eyes were clear and pure.

To Chloe, that smile was like a physical blow to the chest. After six years with Liam, this was the first time she felt a visceral, overwhelming threat from another woman. Sara’s beauty was untouched by the world—she was the "white rose" that lived in every man's heart.

The irony was bitter. Chloe, the fiancée, had no idea when she had even returned. Had she been that blind?

"Sorry, Mr. Martin, we couldn't stop them," the two guards muttered, heads bowed in shame.

Liam looked at Justin, then shifted his gaze back to Chloe. After a few seconds of heavy silence, he spoke. "Come with me."

His voice was as calm and smooth as ever, as if the blood on her hands and the chaos at the wedding had never happened.

Chloe didn't move an inch. She pointed a finger at Sara. "You ditched our wedding because of her?"

Perhaps thinking Chloe’s gesture was too aggressive toward Sara, Liam’s tone grew colder. "We’re going upstairs to talk."

"We’re talking right here," Chloe insisted.

Liam stared at her for a long time without answering.

"Sara, let's go outside for a bit," Brandon said, leading his sister away. The staff and guards followed suit, leaving the room empty except for Chloe and Liam.

"Did you leave me at the altar for her?" Chloe repeated.

"You really don't know?" Liam’s eyes were filled with mockery. "Your father kept her prisoner in the old Bishop house for three months. Those scars on her body? They’re thanks to your family. And you’re going to tell me you had no idea who she was?"

Dad kidnapped Sara? It was exactly like the nightmare, minus the part where Liam sent men to hurt her.

"I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never seen her before." Chloe met his gaze squarely. Even if her father had done something, she was truly in the dark. "But tell me... why would my father kidnap her in the first place?"

She wasn't stupid. If Liam and Sara didn't have a "history," why would her father go to such lengths?

Back then, Liam had told her he only saw Sara as a younger sister. Today, he had traded six years of their life together for that "sister."

Liam studied her face suspiciously. "You really didn't know?"

Chloe let out a dry, raspy laugh. "Liam... it seems that after all these years, we never actually knew each other at all."