Chapter 7

Pain shook through my entire body, but I still laughed. "Christian, do you really think the world revolves around you?"

Christian's expression darkened at once. He shot me a cold look, then turned and walked out.

By the time the maids helped me back onto the bed, I could barely stand. Blood had seeped from the wounds on my back and soaked through my clothes.

As I drifted in and out of sleep, I felt someone spreading cold ointment over my injuries. It stung.

Half-conscious, I thought it was Virgil. The words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Babe... it hurts..."

The hand applying the ointment stilled.

I forced my eyes open and saw Christian standing beside the bed, a tube of medicine still in his hand. He stared at me, his expression dark.

"Looks like you're not hurt that badly after all. Even now, you're still acting." His voice was cold enough to freeze. He tossed the ointment at me and turned to leave.

I let out a weak laugh and sank back into sleep.

Because of the whip wounds, I had no choice but to remain at the Winslow residence. I stayed in my room, yet I could still hear the Winslows and Fairmonts downstairs, discussing wedding arrangements day after day.

Lately, they seemed to be choosing a venue for the engagement party.

I heard Jessica ask, surprise in her voice, "Even if my sister always picks on me, is this really okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Christian replied gently. "Think of it as getting even for you."

I assumed "getting even" meant he would keep making things difficult for me.

I was wrong.

I had never imagined he would lay a hand on my mother's grave.

My mother had gone into the sea and never returned. There had been no body to bury.

When I was still with Christian, he had told me he felt sorry for me. He had personally set up a memorial grave for my mother on the back hill behind the Fairmont family's suburban estate. He had even had a headstone made.

It was the only place I had left to visit her.

The moment my injuries healed enough for me to leave the Winslow residence, I went straight up the mountain.

I had wanted to bring my mother's keepsake with me. Now all I had was a bouquet of flowers.

But when I arrived, I saw several workers prying at my mother's headstone with crowbars.

Jessica stood nearby with a set of design drawings in her hand, directing them as if she owned the place. "Once this is cleared out, level the ground and sow grass seed over it."

My vision went red. I dropped the flowers and rushed over, shoving the workers aside."Stop! That's my mother's grave. Who gave you permission to tear it down?"

Jessica looked at me without a trace of urgency. "Obviously Chris did. He said the view here was nice, perfect for the engagement venue, and told me I could change whatever I wanted. Julie, your mother's grave is taking up space."

Then she signaled for the workers to drag me away.

I wrapped both arms around my mother's headstone and refused to let go.

The standoff lasted less than a minute before Christian arrived. He took one look at the scene and frowned. "What's going on?"

Jessica hurried over, looped her arm through his, and spoke in a wounded tone. "Chris, my sister keeps interrupting our wedding plans. I'm really worried she'll cause trouble at the engagement party in two days."

Christian's brows drew together, but his eyes showed he believed he understood everything. He shot me a cold glance, then said to the bodyguards behind him, "Lock her in the storage room at the estate. You lot, keep tearing it down."

Two bodyguards stepped forward, seized my arms, and dragged me downhill. I struggled and shouted for them to stop, but no one listened.

The storage room was pitch-black. I curled into a corner, bitterness filling my chest.

By then, my mother's memorial grave had probably already been destroyed.

Tears slid down my face. "I'm sorry, Mom. I couldn't protect your keepsake. And now I couldn't even protect your grave…"

I didn't know how much time had passed before I heard Christian on the second-floor balcony, speaking on the phone.