CHAPTER 4

The hospital was crowded with people. Ava had followed alone to the hospital, her wedding gown already covered with dust and dirt. During the chaos, her wedding gown was soiled with a drink stain which a waitress had accidentally spilled on her.

She leaned exhaustedly on the hospital wall. Everything happening now seemed like a dream to her. With the sudden suicide, the reporters' flashing lights, and nurses running back and forth, it just felt like a dream. Having a little insight into the Blackwood family, she already felt that this suicide wasn't that simple. And for sure, someone was behind it. But who? And to gain what? She could now understand why she was so resistant about this sham marriage, and now look at the results.

Old Blackwood had tried persuading her to go home and rest, but she refused. She really needed to speak to Erickson. She wasn't sure she could go on with this contract marriage. She now understood the way the wealthy family works—it was just a blood-for-blood scenario. And she couldn't cope in such an environment. Her father was already dead, her brother in a coma. She couldn't take this risk. She could still investigate her father's death outside the Blackwood family.

Just as she concluded her thoughts, Erickson was walking out of the doctor's office—Anthony's to be specific. He had made some calls to suppress the media.

When Erickson saw her, he furrowed his brows, wondering why she was still at the hospital.

"Why haven't you gone home?" he asked, taking pity in her appearance.

"I want to talk to you," she replied.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really hoped she wasn't calling him to nag at him because he noticed she loved to nag.

"I want to talk to you about something," she said, looking down, her long lashes fanning her cheeks.

"What is it you want to say that can't wait until after this chaos?"

"Can we just dissolve this marriage and pretend like it never happened?" Ava said nervously.

Erickson laughed like he had just heard the biggest joke, and his eyes turned cold, though he still had his signature smile on his face. Ava studied psychology and could guess that this man was up to no good. She decided to mess with the most dangerous man in New York City.

"Then what happens to your brother? Have you gotten him a grave spot, or do you plan on selling yourself like a cheap whore to raise money for his surgery?"

Erickson wasn't someone who spoke a lot, but this little girl in front of him made him say so much at a time. What did she mean pretend it never happened when the news was all over every media platform? Or did she think the wedding was a joke?

Ava's eyes burned with tears. Did he think she had a choice doing all this? If not for her brother, she wouldn't be doing all this.

"Is there another way we can settle this? Like, is there something I can do?" she asked softly.

"There is nothing you can do. The only thing you can do is be a wife and bear me a child, and in two years you go. Or you break the contract and your brother dies. The choice is yours."

After saying this, he walked away to see the Whites. They had just arrived at the hospital and were causing a lot of trouble.

Ava breathed out a heavy breath. Right now, she was just mentally exhausted. She just felt her world was cruel. In order to save her brother, she had to sell herself and her womb. A drop of pearl-shaped tears rolled down her pink cheeks. Whoever saw her now would want to give her a hug and hold her close. Everyone was just focused on trying to suppress the media, especially with the White family being around.

Just as she turned to return home and carry her cross, she almost bumped into Mr. Blackwood's chauffeur. She wiped her tears.

"Mrs. Blackwood, Mr. Blackwood asked me to send you back."

Ava nodded softly as the chauffeur opened the bright red Rolls-Royce for her to get in.

The chauffeur, who noticed Ava looked off and still had traces of tears in her eyes, had to ask, "Madam, are you okay? If not, just let me know."

"Mr. David, I am fine. I'm just overwhelmed."

"I understand, Mrs. Blackwood. The situation of today was bad, but trust me, Mr. Blackwood isn't that type of person, and he is innocent."

This particular statement got Ava more confused. What did the chauffeur man mean by Mr. Blackwood was innocent and wasn't that type of person? She laid her head on the backrest and drifted off to sleep. She was too tired to think about all this.

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BACK AT THE HOSPITAL

The White family was having a big clash with the Blackwoods. They had somehow brought out a voice note and some abortion test reports, claiming that Erickson got her pregnant and had asked her to abort the pregnancy. She couldn't live with the shame after losing her womb, so she committed suicide.

The story really baffled Erickson. He and Kate never had such a relationship. They were supposed to get married, but due to the conflict with the Whites, they couldn't go on with their relationship. So he wondered how the whole scenario of pregnancy, abortion, and the rest came about.

Just then, the doctor, accompanied by a group of nurses, moved Kate's body on a stretcher to the mortuary department. As the body passed by Erickson, he got a glimpse of it. It didn't seem to look like Kate White anymore. He just brushed it off as Mrs. White dragged him to hit him.

Erickson's bodyguards separated him.

While Mr. Blackwood intervened to rectify the issues with the White family, Erickson quickly called his private investigator to investigate the issue because all of this seemed so unsettling to him.

Just then, Richard walked by, seeming to be acting tired like he was being chased, but he was accompanied by some reporters. Flashes of camera lightened up, and another chaos seemed to erupt.

Old Blackwood gave Richard a resounding slap. These kids were going to be the death of him. Just to keep the press away was so difficult for this fool.

Richard sneered. This was just the beginning. There was more to come.

Erickson's phone kept buzzing here and there, and the Blackwood stock price had plummeted. Investors were calling him here and there. Erickson got overwhelmed and handed his phone to Tony to help him out. He wondered how Kate's death just turned out this way.