Chapter 3

When Victoria finally woke up, she found herself in a hospital. A nurse was adjusting the IV drip on the back of her hand.

When she saw that Victoria had woken up, the nurse said, "Ms. Calloway, you're finally awake. Your injuries are quite serious, so you'll need to be hospitalized for observation. You should also contact your family so someone can settle the medical bills."

Victoria stared blankly at the ceiling, offering no response at all.

The nurse repeated herself, "Ms. Calloway…"

"The medical bills have been taken care of," a low, achingly familiar male voice sounded from the doorway.

Victoria's head snapped toward the door. There stood Caden, impeccably dressed in a black suit.

The nurse glanced between them, then quietly excused herself and left the room.

Caden stepped inside. His gaze swept over the bandages on her body before he reached out, as though to touch her forehead.

But Victoria turned away sharply to avoid his touch. "Mr. Larkson, you are a busy man. Why trouble yourself with visiting someone who is of no importance?"

Caden's hand stilled midair.

"Would anyone else come for you if I hadn't?"

The words landed like the sharpest blade, slicing straight into the deepest wound she carried.

Who else did she have, indeed? Eunice was long gone, Hugh had always favored his new family, and Marjorie was full of pretense. That house had long ceased to be her home.

All Victoria could do was put on an arrogant and defiant front, pretending she needed no one and cared for nothing.

For three years, it had been Caden who appeared every time she was in need. He had let her grow accustomed to relying on him, letting her mistakenly believe she had found a safe harbor. And now, he was the one shoving her back into the abyss with his own hands.

Her heart was numb with pain. "Even if no one comes, I don't need you. You said it yourself—we're over! Mr. Larkson, I'm not that pathetic. Since you said that you don't have feelings for me, I'm certainly not going to throw myself at you shamelessly!"

She drew a shaky breath, clinging to the last shreds of her pride, and lashed out without thinking. "You didn't actually believe I was serious about having feelings for you, did you? I was just talking nonsense.

"You saw me as a bedmate, and I saw you as nothing more than a vibrator! Your skills were average at best! Once I'm better, there's no doubt I'll be looking for a better, younger one!"

Caden frowned almost imperceptibly, seeing Victoria pretending to be fierce, though her eyes were red-rimmed with unshed tears.

Just then, a nurse hurried in. "Mr. Larkson, Ms. Cassandra's done with her checkup. She's been asking for you."

Victoria reacted almost instantaneously, bristling at him and saying, "Go! Go to your precious first love, then! I don't need you here!"

Caden looked at her in silence for several long seconds. When he finally spoke, his tone was distant. "I came to stay with you for one reason only. You're Pam's best friend, and she's asked me to look after you."

Victoria couldn't hold back a laugh. It shook her whole body, tugging painfully at her wounds, yet it was nothing compared to the agony in her chest.

She stopped laughing, lifting her tear-streaked face, her gaze icy and shattered. "Don't you worry, Caden. I'm not so delusional as to think that you'd be here for any other reason."

Caden felt his heart clench. Something flickered in his deep gaze—something faint and fleeting, gone before she could grasp it.

This was the first time he had ever seen Victoria cry. In the past, even when he pushed her to her limits in bed, only her eyes would redden before she would bite her lip until it bled, refusing to let even a single tear fall.

Now, seeing her tear-streaked face, he couldn't help but frown even more. His Adam's apple bobbed ever so slightly, as if he was about to say something. But in the end, he said nothing. He simply turned and followed the nurse out of the room.

Watching his resolute departure, Victoria could no longer hold it in and finally collapsed back onto the bed, letting silent tears soak into the pillow.

She thought she would cry for a long time, but strangely, the tears dried up quickly. All that remained was a dead, icy stillness.

In the days that followed, she stayed alone in the hospital, managing by herself. She suffered the pain of having her bandages changed, which made her break out in a cold sweat, and she also put up with tasteless meals all alone.

Occasionally, she would overhear nurses whispering in the hallway about how fortunate Cassandra, who was in the VIP room next door, was. She heard them talking about how attentive Caden was, feeding her, accompanying her through the night, and treating her like she was his most precious treasure.

Once, as she passed that room, the door was ajar. Through the crack, she saw Caden seated at the bedside, carefully peeling an apple while Cassandra leaned against his shoulder, smiling softly.

The sight burned in her eyes, the pain blinding. Her heart seized and twisted violently. But she did not cry.

Victoria's greatest strength had always been her ability to love fiercely and to let go of it completely when the time came. From that day on, she swore she would never shed another tear for Caden.

The first thing she did after being discharged was apply for a visa.

She couldn't bear to spend another second in this city anymore.