Chapter 6

"If she'd gotten surgery in time, maybe…" The doctor let out a heavy sigh and gently patted Eloise on the shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Eloise sank to her knees, like a lifeless stone statue.

Emma's voice kept echoing in her head.

"Eloise, I hope you and Zander will be happy together!"

"I got into Bromwich College!"

"From now on, I'll protect you."

And in the end, her last words had been, "I'm sorry."

Sorry I couldn't stay by your side.

Sorry I couldn't keep protecting you.

Tears rolled down Eloise's cheeks, one after another, hitting the floor.

The world would never again see Emma's warm smile, and Eloise had no family left.

Her phone screen lit up. It was a message from Zander. "The card was with Julia before. She may have used some of the money. Check how much is missing. I'll pay you back tenfold."

Eloise clenched her phone.

Julia again. She had ruined her life, and now she had gotten Emma killed!

Eloise had lost all reason. She forced herself to her feet and made her way back to the Pierson residence.

The house was packed with guests, all there to celebrate Julia.

Then, Eloise remembered. Today was Julia's birthday—the day she had planned to leave the Pierson family for good.

Eloise pushed through the crowd and found Julia by the pond in the yard.

"Eloise, why haven't you gotten your wounds…"

Before Julia could finish, Eloise slapped her hard across the face. Everyone around them froze in shock.

Julia covered her cheek, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes. Then, as if she were taking advantage of the momentum, she stumbled backward several steps and deliberately fell into the pond.

"Julia!" Zander arrived just in time. His expression changed the moment he saw Julia in the pond. He jumped in and pulled her out, then turned to Eloise, his eyes blazing with fury. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Yes, I have!" Eloise cried, desperation filling in her eyes. "I've been married to you for five years. Of course I've lost my mind!"

Zander's chest heaved as he struggled to contain his anger. He glanced around at the guests and forced himself to calm down. "Look around you. Do you have any idea what kind of occasion this is? You're embarrassing us."

He reached out to grab Eloise.

She fought back desperately. Then came a sickening crack. Her arm had broken. Her face instantly went pale with pain.

Zander froze for a moment. But when he saw her still trying to pull her arm free, his anger only intensified. "Let her cool off," he ordered the bodyguards.

"Yes, sir." The bodyguards stepped forward and shoved Eloise into the pond.

With a loud splash, icy water rushed into her mouth and nose, leaving her gasping for air. She struggled to lift her head above the surface, only for the bodyguards to force her back under.

It hurt so badly…

Was she going to die?

Maybe that was for the best. There was no one left in this world who cared about her anyway…

But she didn't get her wish.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in the bedroom in the west wing, her entire body bound tightly.

Zander stood in front of her, a trace of weariness in his eyes. "You caused a scene in front of all those guests. Eloise, you went too far this time."

"You're the ones who pushed me this far. You're the ones who took everything from me!" Eloise thought.

She tried to scream, but to her horror, no sound came out.

"To keep you from saying anything else and ruining Julia's birthday party, I had something administered to you to make sure you stayed quiet," Zander said casually.

"Mom thinks you've embarrassed the family enough. She says we don't necessarily have to get divorced. But you'll have to stay locked up. I know you don't want to leave me, so this is the only way. Just stay here and don't go outside."

He got up and walked toward the door. But after a moment, he hesitated and looked back.

"Don't worry. Once the party's over, I'll talk to Mom and ask her to let you out. If you behave, things can go back to the way they were." He paused before adding, "I'll even try to love you the way you've always loved me."

No. She had stopped loving him long ago.

A cheerful birthday song began playing outside. Chase slipped into the room and freed Eloise.

He let out a weary sigh. "I had to wait until today so you could use the chaos to get away. I was afraid Zander would stop you. I never imagined you'd suffered this much these past few days…

"Go. Your flight's already been booked."

Eloise couldn't speak. All she could do was thank him deeply before limping toward the door.

She glanced back. Chase had already left the west wing.

He set the building on fire. Flames roared into the night, their glow reflected in Eloise's eyes. She took a deep breath, turned around, and walked into the darkness.

The moon hung among the treetops, its soft, tender light breaking through the clouds and casting a soft glow over the world below.

From this day forward, their paths would diverge, and Eloise and Zander would never chance upon each other again.