Chapter 3

"Hendrick Shaw, what am I to you?"

Hendrick was rendered speechless at my words, irritation and frustration flashing across his face. Then, he suddenly lifted his leg and lashed out with a vicious kick at my calf.

I crashed backward into the warehouse, but before I could get up, the door had already been shut.

"Just stay there. Once things blow over, I'll let you out."

The darkness surged toward me like a syrupy tide, instantly swallowing me whole. I found it getting increasingly hard to breathe. Every gasp of air seemed to sap away more of my strength.

"Let me out! Please! I'm begging you. Let me out…" I didn't even realize that I was scratching blindly at the floor as I curled up in a corner.

The suffocating sensation pressed down on me further, growing stronger and stronger. I could feel myself slowly sinking…

Suddenly, there was a loud boom outside the door, followed by the sound of someone forcefully breaking open the steel lock.

A man radiating an air of icy composure appeared at the doorway. "Ms. Turner? I'm Mr. Turner's personal assistant, Xavier Kent. Please assist me in withdrawing the investment and getting Starlight back."

I opened my mouth to reply, but the words caught in my throat.

Right before I lost consciousness, Xavier finally realized something was wrong. He swiftly stepped forward to scoop me into his arms.

The next time I opened my eyes, the sterile scent of bleach tickled my nose.

Seeing that I was awake, Xavier immediately pulled out his phone to make a video call. "Mr. Turner, Ms. Turner is awake."

Noah appeared on the screen, his expression terrifyingly dark. "Elle, how are you feeling?"

Shaking my head, I tried to speak, but my throat was so parched that I couldn't make a sound.

"Just get some proper rest." Noah stopped me. "Once I'm finished with the summit, I'll return to the country. After that, it's time to make Hendrick pay for daring to hurt my younger sister!"

After ending the call, Xavier left to handle the divestment matter and retrieve Starlight.

Selena had been parading around with the Starlight necklace, smugly showing it off, when Xavier stopped her and ripped it away in front of everyone.

"Give it back! Hendrick gave that to me!" she shrieked.

"As if an insignificant bug like you is worthy of wearing Starlight." Xavier gazed at her, his eyes filled with contempt. "You're just dirtying it!"

Selena was so angry that her whole body was trembling. With that, she went crying to Hendrick. However, he was too busy with the company's matters to have any time for her at all.

It wasn't until the third day I was hospitalized that Hendrick finally remembered me.

Despite it only being two days since I last saw him, he was noticeably more gaunt, exhaustion lining his once confident features.

"Elle, you're awake! That's great!"

He reached my bedside in a few strides and tried to grab my hand, but I coldly avoided him. His empty hand hovered in mid-air, an awkward expression crossing his face.

"Elle, I know I was wrong and that I'm a bastard, but I really need your help right now! The company's cash flow is about to be disrupted, and those shareholders are demanding that I pay back that 200 million dollars! Could you please beg that mysterious investor to have mercy and not withdraw his investment?"

Leaning back against the headboard, I leveled a frosty gaze on him. "No."

Hendrick froze in surprise, seemingly not expecting that I would reject him so bluntly. He forcefully suppressed his frustration, exclaiming, "Elle, now isn't the time for your impulsiveness! You said it yourself before, right? The company is like our child—"

I cut him off coolly. "From the moment you slapped me for Selena and locked me up in that warehouse, it was over between us."

"You!" Hendrick choked on his anger, his face purpling with rage.

At that moment, his phone buzzed with an incoming call. With irritation seeping from every pore, he answered it.

Immediately, Selena's panicked voice came over the line. "Rick, I have terrible news! All the core team members have tendered their resignations!

"Also, the board of directors is waiting in your office right now. T-They insist on getting an explanation immediately!"

All the color drained from Hendrick's face before he spun on his heel and raced out of the room.

…

The next morning, my room door was pushed open once more.

This time, Hendrick hadn't come alone. Behind him trailed Selena, wearing a pitiful expression.