Chapter 3

A sharp, furious voice suddenly rang out across the banquet hall.

"Victoria! You're carrying my kid! Stop pretending you're innocent!"

Victoria's face drained of color, and her body began to tremble. Seeing her distress, Liam immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her from the man.

"Watch your mouth!" he snapped.

But the man was too enraged to listen. He grabbed a paring knife from the table and lunged at Victoria.

Liam instinctively pulled her into his arms to protect her. His sudden movement knocked me off balance, sending me stumbling into the knife's path. The blade pierced me.

A wave of blinding pain tore through my body. Blood quickly soaked through my shirt, yet Liam didn't even spare me a glance.

His attention remained entirely on Victoria, as though I weren't even there. But that man wasn't finished. He yanked the knife back and lunged at her again.

My vision blurred as I struggled to stay conscious. Just before everything went dark, I caught a glimpse of Liam reaching out with his bare hand to grab the blade.

Blood dripped from his palm, splattering across the floor.

...

When I opened my eyes, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nose.

The doctor, who had apparently been waiting for me to regain consciousness, let out a long sigh of relief. "You were lucky to survive that. Your boyfriend got you here just in time. He ran more than a dozen red lights on the way."

My throat was dry and raw, and I could barely speak. Still, I couldn't help wondering whether it had really been Liam who rushed me to the hospital.

The door to my private room opened, and Liam walked in. When he saw how pale and weak I looked, his expression softened.

"Mathilde, I'm sorry for what happened to you."

He gestured to the bodyguards behind him, who promptly carried in stacks of designer shopping bags and luxury gift boxes. Before long, they had nearly filled the room.

"I got all this to make it up to you. So, don't be upset anymore."

He sounded as though a few expensive gifts could make everything that had happened disappear.

"Liam," I rasped, "you do this every single time."

He paused. "What... do you mean?"

"Do you really think you can erase all the pain and humiliation I've suffered just by buying me things?" I stared at him until my eyes began to sting.

He sighed and reached out to cup my cheek.

"Taking that hit for Victoria earned you another 0.1 points. You've reached 100 now. Let's get married."

For five years, I'd dreamed of the day my score finally reached 100. Every time I earned another 0.1 points, I imagined the future Liam had promised me.

I'd pictured a wedding by the sea, with the ocean breeze lifting my white veil as we exchanged vows. Those dreams had helped me endure every injury and push through every moment of pain.

Yet now that I'd finally reached 100 points, the promise I'd clung to for so long felt like a cruel joke.

I remained silent, unable to summon even a single word.

Liam furrowed his brow, seemingly growing impatient. He was about to speak when a doctor suddenly rushed into the room.

"Mr. Reed, Ms. Adams is badly frightened. She keeps calling for you…"

Liam turned and hurried out without another glance at me. The door closed behind him, leaving me alone in the quiet room, surrounded by the expensive gifts.

If Victoria had never returned, perhaps I could have kept lying to myself for the rest of my life. I might have continued believing that Liam's promise meant he loved me, even if his actions had never made me feel loved.

...

By the day I was discharged, a drizzle had settled over the city, and the air had turned noticeably colder.

Liam didn't come to pick me up.

There was only a text message: [Something came up with Victoria. Just take a cab home yourself.]

I pulled my coat tighter around my shoulders and headed outside.

After the cab dropped me off, I turned into the narrow alley leading to the estate. I was almost at the entrance when an angry voice suddenly cut through the rain.

"Victoria Adams! You double-crossing bitch! If you don't wire me that five million dollars tonight, I'll expose everything! You're not the Adams family's heiress. You're a fraud!"

I stopped in my tracks.

The voice sounded familiar, and when I looked over, I recognized the same man who had attacked us at the banquet.

He was shouting into his phone, but whoever was on the other end hung up on him. He cursed and dialed again, but there was no answer.

I cautiously backed away, hoping to leave without being noticed.

Unfortunately, my foot caught on a fallen branch, and the sharp snap echoed through the alley.

The man spun around, his eyes narrowing as he recognized me.

"It's you! Your boyfriend stole my woman. Now I'll make you pay the price!"

I immediately turned and ran for my life.

My first instinct was to call Liam. His number was saved as my emergency contact, and for years, he'd been the person I turned to whenever I was in trouble.

I dialed once. Then again.

After several attempts, he finally answered.