Chapter 5

Liana continued clearing the board. There was only one victor in checkers, but Clarissa didn't want to admit defeat so easily. Wanting to make herself feel less humiliated, she said stubbornly, "You might've won, but I was only one move away from victory. I won, too!"

She made one last move so she could "win".

Liana looked at her for a few seconds like she was a fool. "Does that mean I can continue?"

She placed the chess pieces back on the board and made a few moves to show the different ways she could've won. She did this for the next minute, making sure that there was nothing else Clarissa could do to stop her.

Clarissa's expression became more hideous with each move Liana made. In the end, she clamored about wanting another round.

They played a second round, a third round, a fourth round… Each time, Liana would either string her along and make her suffer a slow defeat, or she would make Clarissa lose with a few moves. It was clear that Liana was just playing her for a fool.

Clarissa was so angry that she burst into tears.

"That's enough!" Jaxon snatched the chess piece Clarissa held, his expression so frosty that it was scary.

Clarissa threw herself into his arms when she saw that he was on her side. She clung to him and sobbed as if Liana had done something horrible to her.

He comforted her, and Melinda joined them. At the same time, she pointed at Liana and snapped, "It's just a game of checkers on a chessboard! Did you have to take it so seriously? As expected of someone from a poor family. You're petty and jealous!"

Her words became a muffled mess in Liana's ears, and Jaxon's face turned into an image from a faded frame of film. He'd once been radiant and dazzling in her heart, but he was now so twisted and drained of color that she couldn't see him properly anymore.

Liana decided to let it go. After all, she only had 20 days left. He could do whatever he wanted.

She threw the chess pieces onto the chessboard flippantly and got up to leave, looking indifferent. As she did that, a few drops of blood fell onto the chessboard.

It was only when she was outside that she found her fingers to be slightly chilly. She realized that she'd gripped them so tightly that she'd drawn blood.

"Liana!" Jaxon called, his tone finally carrying a hint of panic. He wanted to get up to go after her, but Clarissa tightened her hold on him and sobbed louder.

Liana left Stone Manor. Her phone kept ringing as she drove. They were all calls from Jaxon. She blocked his number and sent Melinda a text. It read, "I want 1.5 billion dollars, and not a dime less, or I'll make all of you pay the price!"

Melinda almost had an aneurysm when she read that.

…

The sky turned dark as Liana drove, and it started raining. Her mind started to wander as the raindrops fell. Suddenly, a flash of color appeared, and a yellow motorbike swooped in before her, startling her. She immediately slammed on the brakes.

Then, there was a crash from behind, and she smacked her head on the steering wheel. A sharp pain shot through her. When she raised her head, she found that the world outside had turned crimson from the blood that had flowed into her eye.

She hurriedly grabbed a tissue to wipe it away. Another car had rammed into her from behind, and the yellow motorbike was nowhere in sight.

Someone knocked on her car door. So, she rolled down the window.

A man who looked to be close to 50 stood outside. He wore glasses and looked like a proper gentleman. He held a black umbrella and looked apologetic, saying, "Hi, miss. I'm from the car that ran into you from behind. We'll bear full responsibility for this.

"I'd also like to discuss something with you. My employer is in a rush to get somewhere. So, can we exchange numbers to discuss the compensation another time? I promise we won't leave you hanging."

"I think it's better to leave this to the police." Liana was already in a bad mood to begin with and had suffered from a double shock. Her negativity peaked.

She exited the car and circled to the back to see that the trunk of her car was dented after being rammed by the Bentley behind her. She frowned and took photos as evidence before calling the police.

The man couldn't exactly stop her when he saw that she insisted on getting the police involved. He returned to the Bentley to report to his employer. "Sir, the lady doesn't want to settle this in private. What do you…"

The rain was heavier now. The car's wipers pushed the rain from the windscreen, but new droplets soon blurred it again. The young man leaned back comfortably in the backseat and watched Liana as she called the police while clutching her forehead with her free hand.

She was shrouded in intense negativity, and the rain soaked through her white shirt. The raindrops fell on her thick, long lashes before trickling down to her lips.

"Sir?" Roger Carter called.

The young man, Soren Jourdain, checked his watch. "Joseph is already on his way here. I'll leave with him later, so you stay to deal with this."

"Yes, sir."

Liana got back into her car. The traffic police soon arrived, with a silver Maybach trailing behind them. The two cars stopped almost simultaneously.

She got out, as did the people in the Bentley. Aside from Roger, whom she'd seen earlier, a regal-looking young man with flawless skin and chiseled features was also there. He noticed her eyes on him and turned to glance at her, his gaze sharp and daunting.

She thought that he seemed familiar.

"Give this to her." Soren handed Roger the suit jacket he'd thrown over his arm. Then, he got into the Maybach without saying another word.

Roger jogged to Liana with the suit jacket. "Your shirt is wet, miss. Put this on."

She looked down at herself. Only then did she notice that her white shirt clung to her body after soaking through. Her bra was practically on display.

She awkwardly took the suit jacket. "Thanks."

As Roger spoke to the police, the Maybach slowly drove off. It sliced through the rain and got back onto the road. All Liana got was a brief glimpse of Soren's side profile.

The suit jacket still carried a hint of his warmth, and the slightest trace of sandalwood gently chased away the damp chill of the rain.

The traffic police came up with a resolution that satisfied both parties. Liana and Roger exchanged phone numbers. The latter even wanted to accompany her to the hospital so she could get her forehead checked.

However, Liana politely declined. Now that she was calmer, she realized how irrational she'd been earlier. She apologized and explained that she'd only acted that way because she was in a bad mood and that Roger and Soren had nothing to do with it. "I'll courier the suit jacket to you after washing it."

Roger didn't tell her that it was unnecessary. Knowing Soren, he wouldn't want the suit jacket anymore, even if Liana did return it. Despite that, Roger agreed amicably.

Thus, Liana went to the hospital alone.

Meanwhile, Jaxon's mind became filled with horrible guesses when he couldn't reach Liana, which were only made worse by the rain.

At that moment, he received news of her being at the hospital.