Threaten

Rue's expression immediately hardened.

Zach Sterling was the youngest son of the Sterling family. Born with a severe heart condition, he'd spent most of his life in hospitals waiting for a donor that never seemed to come.

The rest of the family had all but written him off years ago.

To them, he was a tragedy. A burden. A son who would never contribute anything of value.

Yet out of everyone in the Sterling family, Zach had been the only person who had ever treated Rue like she mattered.

The line went dead.

For a moment, the room was silent except for the faint buzz of the disconnected call.

Then Cody swore under his breath.

"Unbelievable." His jaw tightened. "He was the one harassing you, and somehow they're demanding that you apologize?"

Rita and Gyle had already heard what happened from Cody earlier. Now that they'd listened to Mrs. Sterling's threats firsthand, their anger only grew.

The Galloways weren't a family the Blackwoods could afford to offend. Even when the Blackwoods had been at the height of their success, they hadn't been operating on the same level.

Now the gap between them was even wider.

Cody pushed back his chair and stood.

"I'll go."

The decision was written all over his face.

"I'm the one who hit him. If Rue goes, that creep will just find another excuse to humiliate her. Worst case, they call the police."

He shrugged. "I'll deal with it."

Rita's face went pale. "Cody—"

"I'll go too." Rue's calm voice cut through the room.

Everyone looked at her.

She met Rita's worried gaze and said, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

There was nothing dramatic about the way she said it.

Just quiet certainty.

For some reason, it was enough.

Even Cody, who had been preparing to argue, found himself holding his tongue.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the hospital.

Before they reached the room, Hans's voice echoed down the hallway.

"When that bitch gets here, I'm going to make her regret being born."

His tone was vicious enough to make passing nurses glance toward the door.

A softer voice followed.

"Hans, calm down. You'll hurt yourself."

Ariana.

Cody stopped walking.

Rue glanced at him. "You stay out here."

The words caught him off guard.

A flicker of guilt crossed his face. He was the reason they'd come here in the first place. He'd thrown the punches. Yet Rue was the one walking into the lion's den.

Worse, she clearly understood what he was feeling.

Ariana might not be his biological sister, but she'd still been part of his family for years. Seeing her again under these circumstances couldn't be easy.

Before Cody could protest, Rue pushed open the door.

The conversation inside came to an abrupt halt.

Hans was sprawled across a hospital bed looking thoroughly miserable. One leg was suspended in traction, and enough bandages wrapped around his head to make him resemble a poorly assembled mummy.

Ariana sat beside him with a worried expression.

The moment she saw Rue, however, her face changed.

"Hans is hurt because of you."

The accusation came quickly.

"Just because I'm the one engaged to him now doesn't give you the right to have someone attack him."

Rue raised an eyebrow.

Ariana pressed on. "I know this situation is difficult for you. If you're angry, take it out on me. Why drag Hans into it?"

Rue stared at her for a moment, then she laughed.

"You're serious?

The sound instantly made Ariana uncomfortable. She frowned. "What does that mean?"

Rue gestured toward Hans.

"You think I'm jealous because you're marrying him?"

Her gaze moved back to Ariana. "Ariana, if you want the guy, he's all yours."

Then her eyes flicked toward Hans again.

"I'm not in the habit of competing for garbage."

The room went silent.

Hans's face turned purple.

Ariana looked stunned.

Even Mrs. Sterling, who had been standing near the window, stiffened.

Hans nearly launched himself off the bed.

"You shameless—" He pointed at her with a shaking finger. "I've already called the police. If you don't want your whole family dragged down with you, get on your knees and apologize right now."

Rue looked unimpressed.

Hans mistook her silence for fear. A cruel smile spread across his face. "Maybe if I'm in a good enough mood, I'll let this go."

Mrs. Sterling finally stepped in. Her expression was icy. "Rue, you've caused enough trouble."

The disapproval in her voice was unmistakable.

"If this affects the partnership between the Sterling and Galloway families, you'll be responsible for the consequences."

Rue almost admired the logic. Hans harassed her, threatened her, and he got beaten for it. Somehow she was still the problem.

"Listen to me carefully," Mrs. Sterling continued. "The Sterling family won't be able to help you if you keep making reckless decisions."

The hospital room door suddenly swung open.

Cody walked in.

"I'm the one you're looking for."

His voice was steady.

Every head turned toward him.

"I hit him." He stepped farther into the room. "If you want to call the police, go ahead. I'll deal with it."

Then he moved without hesitation and positioned himself in front of Rue.

The gesture was simple. Instinctive. Protective.

For a brief moment, nobody spoke.

Cody's gaze eventually landed on Ariana.

She immediately looked away.

Something inside him sank.

This was the girl his family had raised.

The girl his parents had loved as their own daughter.

Yet here she was, sitting beside a man who had threatened Rue and acting as though he were the victim.

"Ariana." His voice softened slightly. "Do you really want to marry this guy?"

He glanced toward Hans.

"Do you even know what kind of person he—"

"Cody." Ariana interrupted him before he could finish.

The word sounded strangely distant.

She bit her lip and hesitated. Then she quietly said, "Why don't you just apologize?"

Cody stared at her. For a second, he genuinely thought he'd misheard.

"As long as you're sincere, I'll ask Hans not to press charges."

The disappointment hit harder than he expected.

Ariana seemed oblivious.

"I'm trying to help you," she insisted.

"If you go to prison, what will Mom and Dad—"

She caught herself. A flicker of awkwardness crossed her face.

"What will your parents do?"

A cold voice cut through the room.

"He isn't going to prison."

Everyone turned.

Rue stepped forward.

Her gaze swept calmly across the room before settling on Mrs. Sterling.

Something about the look in her eyes made Mrs. Sterling's stomach tighten.

For the first time since Rue entered the room, uncertainty crept into her expression.

"What exactly do you mean by that?"