Chapter 2

Lucien rushed me to the hospital. Chemicals had corroded the wounds and open sores on my body, and foul-smelling fluids kept oozing from beneath me. Even the medical specialists, people who had spent their careers witnessing the worst kinds of wounds, gasped when they saw my condition.

When I woke up again, the surgery was over. Lucien, whose face was covered in stubble and his eyes bloodshot, sat beside my bed.

His voice was hoarse as he said, “I’m sorry, Olivia. I was too late. I swear, from now on, I'll protect you no matter what.”

Tears fell from his eyes onto my face. Startled, Lucien quickly reached out, trying to wipe them away, but I pushed his hand aside.

“You said you're from another world, didn’t you? And that you always know what's happening to me and would come save me the moment I'm in danger?”

Lucien froze, looking guilty.

“I-I got tied up with family business. That's why I didn't realize what was happening in time. I'm sorry, Olivia. I will never let that happen to you again. The best specialists I hired will reattach your severed finger. And as for the baby, after you've recovered, we can try again…”

He kissed my palm with remorse, his eyes reddening once more.

Seeing him so heartbroken in the past would have shattered me. I would've ignored my own pain, gotten out of bed, wrapped my arms around him, and told him everything was okay. Yet now, I simply pulled my hand away.

Lucien immediately noticed my coldness, and panic flashed across his face.

“Did I hurt you, sweetheart–”

Just then, his phone rang. I caught the guilty look that flickered across his face before he quickly declined the call.

“It's family business. Don't worry about it. I'll stay right here with you until you've fully recovered.”

Family business? I could clearly see the caller ID stating that it was Emily Carter.

Then, the phone rang again. This time, I could see Lucien growing more anxious by the second. His fingers fidgeted restlessly while his gaze shifted back and forth between me and his phone, as if he were testing my reaction.

“Go,” I said. “I don't need you here.”

A flash of relief crossed his face before he quickly frowned.

“The doctors said the skin on your whole body is infected, so tonight is going to be rough. Usually, even a small injury would have you hiding in my arms and complaining about the pain. So why are you–”

“Work is important, isn't it?”

“Olivia, you're so understanding.”

Lucien smiled, looking visibly relieved.

“When I'm done tonight, I'll come straight back. I'll stay with you and take care of you until you're fully recovered.”

Before he left, he gazed at me affectionately and made another promise. However, I turned my head away, not wanting to say another word to him.

Lucien always claimed I was the only woman he loved, but now, I had seen where I stood in his priorities. To him, answering Emily's call was more important than staying with his injured wife.

That night, he never came back. My wounds tormented me as I lay there, pale and suffering from the agony. Sweat soaked through the sheets, while my sobs and cries echoed through the hospital room, where I was alone.

Then, I heard another conversation between Lucien and his friend from the other world.

“For her safety, I've decided to send Emily back to Nueva York by helicopter, but she’s crying and saying she's scared. She refuses to leave unless I go with her.”

His friend's voice was filled with disbelief. “Have you lost your mind? Olivia was just transferred out of the ICU, and you're leaving her alone in Itali?”

“I'll be back by morning! I’ve interfered with the story’s mission by rescuing Olivia earlier than I was supposed to. If the mission fails, Emily will be in danger. I have to get her out of here! Olivia has plenty of doctors watching over her. She'll be fine. I'll have them give her a sedative. It'll ease her pain and make her think I stayed by her side all night.”

At that point, the pain in my heart was worse than any of my physical injuries. Even after learning the truth about how little I mattered, his words made me sad. However, I was too physically weak to cry anymore.

Just then, a nurse wearing a mask approached my bedside carrying a syringe. The moment she pulled down her mask, my eyes widened in shock. It was Emily who had disguised herself as a nurse.

“They told me your entire body was infected, and honestly, I didn't believe them. Wow. Lucien really did abandon you for me.”

Looking over at the yellow and green fluids staining my bandages, she covered her nose in disgust and then raised an eyebrow smugly.

“What a pathetic sight. Do you really think you'll recover from this? Maybe I should help put you out of your misery.”

My eyes locked onto the syringe in her hand, and a powerful sense of dread surged through me. However, my body was too weak, and I was nothing more than prey waiting for slaughter.

“This isn't a sedative. It's a toxin that will trigger sepsis. In a few hours, Lucien and I will arrive in Nueva York, and he'll receive the news that the infection killed you,” Emily said with a sinister smile.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, she plunged the needle into my vein.