Chapter 4

Samuel's POV

Seeing no further interference, the men dragged me by force into the dim underground garage.

In the stairwell, one of the men had a wildly unhinged look in his eyes as the steel pipe in his hands came crashing down.

"How dare you run? Driving a Porsche while dodging debts, huh?"

I couldn't tell how much time had passed. The ceiling blurred before my eyes as dull snaps of bones fracturing sounded and excruciating pain surged through my body.

Once they finished venting, they yanked off my luxury watch and stole my wallet and phone.

It wasn't until one of them noticed the puddle of blood beneath me that they fled in a panic.

I struggled to lower my head, greeted only by blood pooled across the ground and my own mangled, deformed ribs.

As the world spun wildly around me, it felt like I was being pulled back five years in time.

My first meeting with Rosa was at the crosswalk by the campus gate, where a car ran a red light and nearly ran her down.

I had thrown myself over her to take the hit, leaving my back scraped raw and bloody.

Afterward, she promised that as long as she was around, she'd never let me get hurt again.

Using the last of my strength, I dialed Rosa's number.

I wanted to ask her that even if our beginning was a twist of fate, did that promise to always care for me still count?

Yet when the call connected, Xander's voice came through the line instead. "Samuel, Rosa's helping me take a bath right now. Is something up?"

Rosa's voice drifted from nearby. "What is it?"

Xander let out a soft chuckle. "Samuel says his whole body hurts. He's probably just upset seeing us married."

Rosa's voice went instantly cold. "Haven't you made enough of a scene? Do you really have to ruin such an important day?"

The call disconnected right after.

As I listened to the dial tone, my call for help choked back down my blood-filled throat.

A second before total silence claimed the world, I held on with my last breath to dial the police.

Then, my consciousness plunged into complete darkness.

…

When I woke up, the stark white hospital ceiling filled my vision.

The doctor sighed, his tone laced with sympathy. "Good, you're awake. You suffered severe blunt force trauma and broke three ribs. If you'd dialed 911 ten minutes later, you wouldn't have made it."

I numbly placed a hand over the thick bandages wrapped around my abdomen.

Two months ago, a drunk Rosa had wrapped her arms around me with tear-brimmed eyes.

She said that after we got married, she would definitely take me to climb snow-capped mountains, dive into oceans, and travel the world.

Now, my broken body could no longer withstand any strenuous activity.

Officers arrived soon after to take my statement.

"You were targeted by violent debt collectors and robbed. Those men were violent psychiatric patients specifically hired by an illegal debt ring.

"They have a prior record of severely injuring innocent bystanders and are currently in our custody. It's a good thing you reported it in time, or the consequences would've been unimaginable."

After the police left, an eerie silence settled over the ward.

I picked up my phone from the nightstand. The screen was completely clear.

For three whole days, none of my family members or friends had asked where I was. Even my fiancee hadn't bothered.

Placidly opening my contacts, I blocked every familiar number.

Lilith, Mom, Dad, Rosa, Adam, Olivia, Harley…

The moment I was done, a deep sense of relief washed over me.

A week later, I processed my discharge while dragging my wrecked body along. I had yet to fully recover.

Since I'd left my documents behind, I obtained a temporary ID card and boarded a flight bound for Cyrenth.

As the plane took off, I cast one last glance at the city built on lies.

I would no longer pine for the past. My new life would begin here.

…

Third-Person POV

Meanwhile, Rosa had rented out the entire venue to celebrate her two-thousandth-day anniversary with Xander.

She shared her feelings with the crowd. "I still remember how the car couldn't brake in front of the campus gate back then, and Xander threw himself forward without a second thought to save me.

"It's a shame I was so terrified that I forgot to ask for his number. I waited by the university's gate for half a month before I finally bumped into someone who looked just like him. Who would've thought that was Xander's brother, Samuel?"

Hearing this, Lilith grabbed Rosa's arm. "Are you saying Xander saved you at the gate of Jindale University? But his health was poor. He never attended university."

Rosa froze on the spot.

Before she could process it, Harley's face suddenly turned ghost-white beside them.

"Look… Doesn't the psychotic attacker who just got arrested on TV… look like the guy who led the crowd to drag Samuel away outside the apartment that day?"