Chapter 8

Only then did Calvin snap to his senses. He nodded respectfully at Eloise before taking Morgan from her. "Mr. Sterling, I'll take you to the hospital."

As they disappeared into the distance, Eloise started to leave. However, she halted as she brushed past Cherise, seemingly thinking of something.

She still had a pitiful look on her face as she said, "Those thugs were the ones who started the whole thing, Ms. Rhode. Morgan only hurt them because he wanted to protect me. Please allow me to apologize if this has caused you any trouble."

She tucked her hair behind her ear, looking like she was bragging more than anything. There was no hint of remorse in her eyes.

Cherise merely watched her indifferently, saying calmly, "I don't care why Morgan got into a public brawl, Ms. Lane. Sterling Group's reputation is what matters to me. If this incident results in the company suffering any losses, I'll hold you personally accountable."

Doubt flickered in Eloise's eyes, seemingly caught off guard by Cherise's answer. The latter would pick fights with Morgan whenever she saw him with Eloise. Why had she suddenly changed?

Eloise bit her lip and gave Cherise an aggrieved look, acting like she'd been bullied. "Ms. Rhode, I know you don't like me, but I didn't expect things to turn out like this. Morgan will get mad if you insist on holding me accountable. I don't want you two to get into a fight over me.

"If you're jealous because Morgan and I are close, I can explain why we act like that. He and I have known each other for years; it's only natural that he cares for me."

Her insinuation was clear—she had come first. Cherise was the one who'd gotten between her and Morgan.

Cherise's gaze turned mocking as she snorted. "I think you're under a misconception, Ms. Lane. A man who doesn't know where to draw the line isn't worth my jealousy and anger. You're the only one who thinks he's a treasure."

For some reason, her heart still hurt despite knowing what Morgan was really like. She almost couldn't breathe through the pain.

She'd always known that Morgan had someone else in his heart. However, she'd never let it get to her. She thought she would eventually win him over with her love.

Ultimately, she realized that she was wrong, and terribly so. She was nothing but a joke.

Cherise didn't want to waste her breath on Eloise anymore, so she turned and left after saying her piece.

Eloise's gaze hardened as she watched Cherise leave, and she clenched her fists. She wanted to see just how much Cherise could take.

She unlocked her car and got into the driver's seat. She'd just stepped on the gas when the paparazzi who'd been holding themselves back surged forward and surrounded her car. Someone even rapped incessantly on her window.

"Ms. Lane, how are you and Mr. Sterling related?"

"Rumor has it that you two were an item before he married Ms. Rhode. Did you return to Dalea for him? Did you get between him and Ms. Rhode?"

"Can you tell us why Mr. Sterling got into a fight for you?"

Annoyance surged in Eloise. She clutched the wheel tightly as her gaze darkened. Resisting the urge to run the paparazzi over, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

…

In the ambulance, Morgan gritted his teeth through the pain and pulled his phone from his pocket, answering the call.

The first thing he heard was a sob. Then, Eloise said fearfully, "Morgan, help me. A group of paparazzi has surrounded me! They think I'm a homewrecker who's come between you and Ms. Rhode. I explained everything to them, but they don't believe me. They even pushed me!"

She became choked up toward the end of her sentence. "If my presence has caused Ms. Rhode to misunderstand our relationship, I think I might be better off back in Voria."

Morgan shot up on the stretcher that he rested on when he heard that. His movement was so abrupt that it tugged on his wounds, making him hiss in pain.

However, he didn't care. He sounded panicked as he asked, "Where are you now? Voria is in the middle of the war—you'll be in danger if you go back there. Dry your tears and tell me where you are. I'll send someone to deal with it right now."

Eloise sniffled, sounding nasally as she said, "I don't want to keep troubling you, Morgan. Maybe we should—"

Seemingly knowing what she was going to say, he cut her off, not letting her finish. "Listen to me, Eloise. Don't let those thoughts bother you, okay? Give me a moment. I'll be right there."

He hung up and grabbed the side of the stretcher to get himself to his feet while trying to signal for the ambulance to stop. However, his injuries made him fall back onto the stretcher.

Pain coursed through him, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Calvin hastily held him when he saw that and said, "You're in bad shape, Mr. Sterling. You need to go to the hospital."

Morgan was adamant, though. He tried to stand again, only giving up after failing multiple times. Then, he grabbed Cherise's wrist and asked, "Can you help Eloise deal with this, Cherise?"

For the first time ever, his tone was pleading.

Cherise's gaze landed on his hand. She sneered inwardly as pain spread through her chest. This was Morgan's first time begging her for something, and it was for another woman.

He hadn't expressed his concern when she'd burned up a high fever or bled internally due to excessive consumption of alcohol. He hadn't even visited her at the hospital.

Now, Eloise was only being given a hard time by a few paparazzi. However, Morgan looked like his world was about to collapse.

Was Cherise's love worth that little to him? It couldn't even compare to what Eloise meant to him.

She slowly pried his hand off her wrist, her gaze turning icy as she met his. "Does Eloise really mean that much to you, Morgan?"

He'd never seen Cherise like this before and was taken aback. For some reason, an emotion that he couldn't describe surged in him.

Still, this wasn't the time to bother about that. He softened his attitude and said, "Eloise has never faced anything like this, Cherise. Look, if you're willing to head over there to deal with this, I'll do whatever you want, alright? You've always wanted me to spend more time at home with you, right? I can be with you for as long as you want, but you have to help her now."

His words were like a knife that stabbed Cherise in her already battered heart. She took a deep breath to calm herself, but she still trembled uncontrollably, no matter how hard she tried to sit still.

A hint of sorrow flickered in her eyes as she forced a bitter smile. "Morgan Sterling, have you forgotten that Eloise was a war correspondent? Do you seriously think she has no idea how to handle a situation like this? Are you worried about her facing the paparazzi alone, or do you just care about her that much? What's going on between you two?"

Morgan was stumped by her questions. He parted his lips, but no words came. He pursed his lips and was silent for a long time. His patience was wearing thin, but he tried to keep his temper in check as he explained, "I've always thought of Eloise as a sister, Cherise.

"Can you stop with this tantrum? Do you think I would've married you back then if there really were anything between me and her?"