Chapter 3

Rosalie's face was dark with fury as she shoved her phone in front of me. On the screen was a video of her and Dorian tangled up together. "Did you do this?"

The slap knocked me to the floor. My fingers trembled as I took the phone. "It wasn't me."

Dorian charged out of nowhere and slammed his fist into my face, and blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. Still not satisfied, he kicked me hard in the stomach.

"You're the one who filmed it! If you didn't post it online, who did? You were jealous that Rosalie posted my photo, so you wanted to ruin me!"

Rosalie just stood quietly off to the side and let Dorian beat me until the housekeeper cried out, "Mr. Strand's nose is bleeding!"

Panic flickered in her eyes. She was about to come help me up when Dorian shouted, "Rosalie, you promised you'd get justice for me. Are you going back on your word?"

Rosalie stopped in her tracks and gave me a complicated look. Then she turned away and said helplessly, "I'll have my people deal with what's being said online."

But Dorian pulled out a knife and held it to his own throat, his eyes bloodshot. "Rosalie, I really love you. That's why I was willing to be called a homewrecker and why I went along with filming those lessons for Gideon. But now he's leaked the video, and everyone's calling me a shameless gold digger!

"What are my family and friends supposed to think of me? I'd rather die!"

He took one step back after another, his voice breaking. "Rosalie, getting to be by your side for ten days is more than enough for me. Maybe in another life, I'll find you sooner."

Rosalie's eyes softened, but the next moment, blood splattered across her face.

"No!"

Choking back a sob, she helped Dorian up. In the dim light, she knocked me down again on her way past.

Before she left, she seemed to remember something. She turned back and looked at me coldly, then told her bodyguards in an icy voice, "Take down every video of Dorian online."

"As for you, Gideon, if anything happens to Dorian, I'll make you pay for it."

With that, she rushed out the door with him.

Bright red blood was seeping from my stomach. While no one was looking, Dorian had slipped a knife into me.

I dragged myself to the door and grabbed the housekeeper's ankle. "Take me to the hospital."

The housekeeper's voice trembled. "I'm sorry, Mr. Strand. Ms. Kerr gave orders that you're not allowed to take a single step out of the house."

I grabbed my phone and called Rosalie again and again, but she hung up every time. Just as I was about to black out, a familiar figure rushed toward me.

"Gideon!"