Chapter 3

I spent a whole month in a hotel before anyone bothered to check if I was dead or alive.

My father’s assistant finally called.

"Your father's birthday party is tomorrow. He expects you to be there on time."

I stared at the phone.

Memories of the warmth my family used to give me flashed through my mind. Against my better judgment, I showed up.

When Liam spotted me across the crowded hall, his fake smile instantly evaporated.

"Cassandra? What are you doing here?"

I stayed put, quietly watching my parents and my best friend, Mia, hovering protectively over Tiana.

Ten years ago, when my adoption was finalized, they had stood in front of me the exact same way to protect me from the press.

Same people. Same protective stances. But everything else had changed.

Before I could even process the bitterness, Tiana’s eyes filled up with fat, heavy tears. She fixed her gaze on my wrist.

"That charm bracelet is so pretty, Cassandra..." she whimpered. "I guess I got sick so young because nobody ever prays for my safety."

Every eye in the room instantly turned toward me.

A sickening wave of dread washed over me. "What are you doing?"

Liam remained silent for a beat. "Cassandra."

"What?" I demanded, staring straight into his eyes.

He averted his gaze, frowning.

"Tiana is weak right now. She can't handle any stress. Just lend her the bracelet for a few days."

I let out a harsh laugh. "Liam Daniels, this was a gift from my late grandfather."

Mia stepped forward, pulling a manila folder from her bag.

"Cassandra, that big corporate contract you've been working on... it's crucial for your promotion, right?" She slid out the documents. "The lead investor is a close friend of my family. I can have them pull the funding with one call."

My breath hitched. My eyes burned. "You wouldn't."

I lunged forward to grab the papers, but two security guards instantly grabbed my arms, pinning me in place.

Liam smirked coldly and stepped up to me. He grabbed my wrist, roughly yanking the silver chain off.

The links dragged painfully across my skin, but the physical sting was nothing compared to the agony in my chest.

"It's just a bracelet," Liam sneered. "I'm sick of your constant drama."

Tiana gave me a triumphant, subtle smirk before burying her face in Liam's chest.

"Thank you, Cassandra," she purred. "You're the best sister ever." She looked up at Liam with big, innocent eyes. "Please don't be mad at her. I don't want to come between you two."

Her words were sweet, but her eyes were venomous.

As she pulled back, her eyes flicked to the burning outdoor catering grill right behind me.

With a sudden, dramatic stumble, she collapsed backward, knocking the entire tray of hot coals straight into me.

"Ah!" she screeched.

The impact slammed me down. Red-hot coals spilled over my legs.

Liam rushed forward immediately. "Cassandra, are you crazy?! Did you just try to push Tiana into the fire?!"

"It wasn't me…"

"Enough!" Liam snapped, completely cutting me off. He gathered the trembling woman into his arms. "Don't worry, Tiana. As long as I'm here, no one will hurt you."

Everyone rushed to surround Tiana. Not a single person looked at me.

I laughed quietly into the dirt. I finally saw the truth.

To every single one of them, I was entirely disposable.

Then, a sharp, tearing pain stabbed through my lower abdomen. Warm blood began pooling rapidly beneath me.

Panic gripped me. I opened my mouth to scream for help.

"Liam Daniels!" Tiana sobbed hysterically. "I'm so scared..."

Liam's heart broke for her right then and there. "Did you get burned anywhere?"

Tiana buried her head in his chest, weeping dramatically. "What about Cassandra? She's still over there..."

I was lying less than two feet from the scattered embers, the lighter fluid soaking through my clothes.

"The baby..." I choked out, my voice barely a whisper.

Liam paused for a split second, but my father stepped in with a cold face.

"Cassandra has gone way too far lately. If we don't teach her a lesson now, she'll never learn."

Liam's posture hardened. He turned his back on me.

As sweat and cold fear drenched my body, Liam's final warning drifted over the crackle of the embers.

"Stop acting, Cassandra. It's a tiny flame. You're fine."

The heavy pressure in my lower stomach reached a crushing point. I couldn't move. My vision began to fade to black.

With the absolute last bit of strength in my body, I gasped, "Liam Daniels... our baby..."

---

When I woke up, the sharp stench of hospital disinfectant filled my nose.

I sat up, reaching for my phone to call my boss about taking the overseas transfer.

But before I could dial, the hospital’s main desk called my room.

"Ms. Davis... the remains of the stillborn infant from last night... they're missing."

The faint composure I had maintained shattered instantly.

Even if Liam and I were over, that baby was a life I had carried inside me.

I ripped the IV line out of my arm, blood dripping down my hand as I stumbled frantically down the hall to the morgue.

"Where is my baby?" I grabbed a nurse by the shoulders. "There were security guards here! How could the body just disappear?!"

The nurse stammered, terrified. "A woman named Tiana Davis came by last night... She showed proof she was the aunt and said she wanted to handle the arrangements..."

My mind went completely blank. I instinctively dialed Tiana's number.

It rang forever before someone finally picked up.

It wasn't Tiana. It was Liam Daniels.

"What do you want, Cassandra? Are you trying to pull another stunt to hurt Tiana?"

I forced my trembling voice to stay steady. "Put Tiana on the phone."

He hung up in my face.

I stared at the black screen as every subsequent call went straight to voicemail.

Without another word, I walked back to my room, packed my bag, and booked the earliest flight out of the country.

At the gate, right before boarding, I selected two files on my phone.

The ultrasound photos and the emergency miscarriage discharge papers from last night.

I hit send, delivering them directly to Liam Daniels.

Then, without a single moment of hesitation, I blocked his number, deleted his contact, and wiped him from my life forever.