Chapter 6

No one answered me.

They simply dragged me unsteadily toward the ballroom.

At the center of the room, Wyatt had one arm around Hallie as they danced the opening number.

They moved together with effortless intimacy. Hallie's dress swept across the floor as they turned, the two of them looking perfectly at ease in each other's arms.

It was a beautiful scene. Beautiful enough to hurt.

The moment they saw me, the music abruptly stopped.

A wave of whispers swept through the ballroom.

"Isn't that Mr. Castro? The husband? I heard he's completely lost it. He's probably here to catch his wife cheating again."

"Keep your voice down. Ms. Larsen isn't exactly happy to see him."

Hallie had been glaring at me, anger written all over her face.

But the moment her eyes fell on my painfully thin frame, she froze.

"Sebastian? You know who Wyatt is. What are you trying to pull this time?"

Then she seemed to notice just how much weight I'd lost. A flicker of concern crossed her face.

"You haven't been taking care of yourself, have you? How did you get this thin?"

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, trying to smile, but all that came out was a rasping breath.

Before I could say a word, the men behind me suddenly stormed into the ballroom, clubs raised in their hands.

"Mr. Castro gave the order! You think you can sneak around behind his back and fool around with other men? He knows that the baby isn't even his!"

One of them shouted over the commotion.

"Nobody walks away from this!"

Instantly, everything descended into chaos.

In the confusion, one of the men swung his club wildly. It struck Hallie in the abdomen, and she crumpled to the ground with a cry of pain.

I stood there, completely frozen.

The concern that had flashed across Hallie's face when she first noticed how sickly I looked disappeared the moment she realized what had happened.

She turned toward me.

For the first time, there was nothing in her eyes but hatred. Pure, unmistakable hatred.

"You psychopath," she spat. "If anything happens to my baby, I'll never forgive you."

Seven years of marriage. I'd stood beside her when she had nothing, watching her slowly climb her way to the top. And in the end, all I'd earned was the title of "psychopath".

Maybe this was for the best. I was going to die soon anyway. Whatever relationship remained between us would die with me.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

"I could tell you I didn't send those men. But you probably wouldn't believe me, would you?"

Wyatt shouted at the bodyguards to restrain the attackers.

Then he rushed to Hallie's side and scooped her into his arms, his voice trembling as he shouted for a doctor.

As he carried her past me, Hallie weakly lifted her head. Her eyes met mine, cold and filled with resentment.

"Hold him down. Make him kneel. He doesn't get up until I'm out of surgery."

One of the bodyguards stepped forward and kicked the back of my knee.

My legs buckled, and I crashed to the floor.

A collective gasp swept through the ballroom, quickly followed by a murmur of whispers.

Some voices carried mockery. Others sounded almost sympathetic. Every word felt like a needle against a heart that had long since gone numb.

I slowly straightened my back. I didn't explain myself or beg.

I simply watched as Wyatt carried Hallie into the elevator and disappeared behind the closing doors.

Then I was left there alone.

The sun climbed overhead. Then, slowly, the light faded.

Seven hours passed.

By the time the bodyguards finally received a phone call, my knees had gone completely numb.

"Get up," one of them said coldly.

I tried to move. My legs were stiff and barely responsive. I stumbled forward, nearly collapsing, then caught myself with my hands and forced myself back upright.

I hadn't even made it out of the ballroom when the bodyguards returned and dragged me down to the basement.

I was exhausted beyond words. The moment they let go of me, I slid down the wall and collapsed onto the floor.

I don't know how long I lay there, barely conscious, until someone suddenly dumped a bucket of ice-cold water over my head.

Wyatt crouched in front of me and used the toe of his shoe to tilt my chin upward.

"Sebastian, you knew I was faking it all along, didn't you?"

He clapped his hands, and several people in white coats walked into the room.

"A useless man like you, living off a woman, should've known you'd eventually be discarded like trash."

He gave me a cold smile.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I was the one who arranged those men. I was making plenty of money, and then you went and got her pregnant. What? Did you really think having a child with her would finally give you a chance to turn your life around?"

He laughed. "Dream on."

I barely had the strength to lift my eyes. Today was the final day, and the system's countdown was almost over.

Soon, I would be gone.

Wyatt smiled and turned to the doctors. "Take one of his kidneys. And make sure he can never have children again. I want to see what this useless old man has left that could possibly compete with me."

I no longer had the strength to resist.

As the doctors began the procedure, I could only lie there and let it happen.

Without proper preparation or care, the pain quickly became unbearable. My already weakened body couldn't withstand it.

My vision began to blur. The voices around me grew distant and indistinct.

"His blood pressure is dropping!"

"His heart stopped! Start resuscitation!"

"How is that possible? It was supposed to be a simple procedure. How could he die?" Wyatt's voice cut through the room, sharp with panic.

But I could barely make out his words anymore.

Everything around me began to fade. My soul seemed to drift farther and farther away.

For one last moment, I looked down at myself.

Then I felt nothing. It was finally over.

The seventh day had come.

By now, the farewell letter I'd written for Hallie should have reached her.