Chapter 5

“Help! Someone fell down the stairs!”

Shouts echoed in her ears as a crowd quickly gathered around.

Before she lost consciousness, Sylvia caught a glimpse of Nathaniel and his friends. One by one, they slipped away.

They noticed the commotion, gave it a casual glance, and walked off. How could they possibly know that the person lying there, surrounded by the crowd, was Sylvia—the woman they thought had already left?

When Sylvia woke up, she found herself in a hospital bed.

A nurse was tending to her wounds. “You’re awake?”

“Why am I here?”

“Oh, you fainted from low blood sugar. A stranger brought you in and left after making sure you were safe. What’s your family’s number? I’ll call them for you.”

“There’s no need,” Sylvia said, shaking her head.

The mere thought of Nathaniel Sinclair’s name was enough to make her stomach churn.

Dragging her heavy steps, she left the room and headed to the billing desk.

She hadn’t gone far when she overheard two nurses chatting nearby.

“Did you hear? Early this morning, they brought in a man and a woman from a bar. Apparently, they fell off the couch during... you know... and landed on broken beer bottles. They were covered in cuts.”

“I saw it! It was crazy. Who knew people could get that wild these days?”

“And the guy looked really familiar. I think I’ve seen him on TV!”

“Yeah, he does look familiar. What’s his name again? I think his last name is Sinclair—”

Sylvia froze mid-step, her body stiffening. Before she could ask for details, she caught sight of two familiar figures walking toward her from a distance.

The young nurse noticed them too, quickly ducking her head as she whispered, “That’s them! They’re good-looking, but seriously, what a mess.”

Sylvia stared at Nathaniel and Vivian as they approached. Her legs felt like they were rooted to the ground, refusing to move.

At that moment, Nathaniel spotted her.

The instant he saw her, he released his grip on Vivian’s arm.

“Sylvia, what are you doing here?”

Nathaniel quickly rushed over, scanning Sylvia up and down with concern etched across his face. “You don’t look well. Why didn’t you call me?”

“And you?” Sylvia asked calmly, stepping back to avoid his touch. “What are you doing with this woman?”

Vivian stepped forward confidently and extended a hand to Sylvia. “Hi, I’m Vivian Hayes. I’m Nathaniel’s—”

She deliberately dragged out her words but left the sentence hanging.

Nathaniel hastily interjected, “Just a friend.”

Vivian’s expression faltered, but she refused to back down. Smiling sweetly, she added, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m getting married on the first of next month. I hope you can make it to the wedding.”

At her words, Nathaniel’s face darkened, his sharp gaze cutting toward Vivian.

“Vivian, Sylvia doesn’t know you well. Why would you invite her to your wedding?”

“Well, she doesn’t know me, but she knows you, and you know me, so doesn’t that make us all connected?” Vivian replied with a provocative smile.

Sylvia, catching the blatant challenge, turned to Nathaniel with a small smile. Her voice was light, almost teasing. “Nathaniel, wasn’t our wedding originally scheduled for that day? You said you had something important. Don’t tell me it’s to attend her wedding?”

Nathaniel panicked, his composure slipping entirely. He shook his head frantically. “Of course not! I have a business trip that day. I’ll be out of the country. Don’t overthink it.”

“Is that so?” Sylvia replied, her voice indifferent as his guilty demeanor spoke louder than his words.

She didn’t press further, her patience long worn thin. “Well, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to make it that day. I’ll be busy.”

“Busy? What a coincidence.”

Sylvia smiled faintly, her eyes sharp as she replied, “Yes, it’s such a coincidence that I’m getting married on that day too.”

Her words hit like a thunderclap.

Nathaniel froze, his face filled with shock as he stammered, “What are you talking about, Sylvia? Our wedding was postponed—”