Chapter 4

Samantha's pale, tiny face looked scarily similar to Holly's.

She couldn't pinpoint what was similar about them, but there was an immediate resemblance.

It would take a second glance to tell them apart.

When she looked closely, she saw that Samantha was the frail, feminine version of herself. She had curved eyebrows, and her forehead was wrinkled slightly. She had a button nose and a tiny mouth, and her features seemed fragile.

In contrast, Holly was calm and composed, and there was resilience in her.

At that moment, Holly realized that she had always been a replacement in Bryce's heart.

She laughed at herself.

No wonder he had promised to marry her once he saw her. This was the reason.

"Bryce, y-you've come, too." Samantha's mother, Quirina Habel, greeted them with a forced smile.

Her gaze sharpened as it swept over Holly.

Bryce inclined his head in greeting.

Quirina walked over to the bed and patted Samantha's shoulder gently.

"Samantha, Bryce has come to see you."

Samantha opened her eyes slowly, and her gaze swept over Holly's face. She didn't look very surprised.

She seemed to be already aware of how similar they looked to each other.

She looked at Bryce, and her eyes filled with tears as she whimpered, "Bryce, I didn't commit suicide. I just couldn't sleep, so I took a couple more sleeping pills.

"My mom just made a fuss and forced me to come to the hospital to get my stomach pumped. It's already so late, and I had to trouble you and Holly to come. I'm sorry."

Quirina's eyes reddened as she said, "Were those just a couple of pills? You ate half the bottle. If I hadn't found you in time, you would have…"

She covered her mouth and began crying.

Bryce walked over to the side of the bed and sat down.

He looked down at Samantha and said fondly, with a hint of reproach, "You're not to do something so silly again, alright?"

"Okay." Samantha pouted and nodded tearfully. She looked helpless and compliant.

Bryce took a handkerchief and began carefully wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. He treated her as gently as if she were the most expensive piece of pottery.

His eyes were tender and gentle as he looked at her.

Holly stared at him dazedly.

He had never treated her so tenderly in all their three years of marriage.

He must have been like this when he was in love.

Even though Samantha had abandoned him during his darkest times, he still loved her.

Perhaps to some men, the women who hurt them were more precious than any other women, no matter how well other women treated them.

Holly felt as if there was something lodged in her throat.

She couldn't stay there. "You two can talk. I'm leaving."

Bryce turned and looked at her indifferently. "Explain to Samantha before you go."

Holly took a deep breath and said, "Ms. Cott, Bryce and I just don't want to upset Granny, so…"

Her voice caught in her throat, and she couldn't continue. She turned around and left.

This was the first time she had disobeyed Bryce.

It was also the first time she had lost her composure in front of him.

When the door had closed, Samantha said to Bryce, "Bryce, you should go after her. She seems to be angry."

Bryce was silent for a moment. "It's okay. She won't be angry."

"She must be very good-tempered, then," Samantha said quietly. "I didn't expect Holly to be so classy. She's gentle and confident and doesn't seem like she came from the countryside at all. I always thought she wasn't worthy of you."

This made Bryce uncomfortable. "She grew up in the countryside, but her mother and grandmother were both teachers. Besides, her grandfather was an old paintings restorer at the museum before he retired. They're a family of scholars."

"No wonder."

The two of them suddenly had nothing to say to each other.

They were quiet for a while.

Samantha said tentatively, "Holly is so pretty and good-tempered. You must love her a lot, right?"

Bryce had just looked down at his phone and was distracted. When he heard her voice, he looked up and asked, "What did you say just now?"

There was a flash of disappointment in Samantha's eyes. "Bryce, you'd better go and send Holly off. It's so late. It's not safe for her to be out alone."

Bryce stood up. "I'll come back to see you after sending her off."

Samantha said gently, "Go on."

Bryce got up and left.

Samantha's eyes darkened as she watched him leave.

When he had gone, Quirina criticized, "How could you just let him go when we took all the trouble of luring him here?"

Samantha's brows furrowed. "Didn't you see how distracted he was? He was here, but he was just worried about Holly. We might as well let him do what he wants. He would blame himself if anything happened to that woman on the road. He might even blame me."

Quirina smacked her lips. "You're young, but you're even more sly than your mother."

By the time Bryce found Holly, the latter had already reached the hospital entrance.

Her slender figure stood upright in the cold night wind, and her silhouette seemed to waver like a reed in a watercolor painting.

Bryce caught up to her quickly.

Neither of them spoke as they walked side by side. The silence between them was as deep as the night.

Once they exited the hospital, Holly turned and went to wait for a cab at the roadside.

Bryce grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the parking lot.

They got in the car.

Bryce took out a card from his bag and stuffed it into her coat pocket. "I'm sorry for my attitude tonight. That's my compensation to you. The password is your birthday."

Holly felt insulted.

He thought that she could be persuaded with money. He didn't even bother comforting her.

He only wanted to comfort Samantha. Holly stuck her hand in her pocket to take out the card.

Bryce pressed her hand down and said in a voice that would accept no argument, "Take it. I can't give you anything other than money."

Holly felt as if her mouth was filled with sand. It hurt.

She had never wanted his money.

On the way home, Bryce got a call from Olivia. "Are you disregarding what I said? Come back at once."

"We're almost home," Bryce said impassively and hung up.

They got back to the old Gabelman residence and went in.

Olivia was slumped on the couch, looking pale. However, her eyes gleamed as she looked at them.

She stuck out her hand. "Give me your phone."

Bryce pulled out her phone and gave it to her.

Olivia found Samantha's number and dialed it.

After it connected, she said harshly, "Ms. Cott, Bryce is a married man. Please watch yourself, and don't keep calling him for no reason! Since you broke up with him three years ago, don't look back, and don't even think about going further with him!"

Before Samantha could answer, Olivia hung up and tossed the phone on the coffee table.

Bryce frowned. "Samantha has severe depression. She can't be triggered."

Olivia laughed coldly. "Even if she had cancer, it would have nothing to do with you. You should be concerned about your wife!"

Bryce's eyes turned cold. "Granny, you—"

Olivia covered her mouth and began coughing violently.

Holly rushed over to help her up.

She put Olivia to bed, comforted her, and then returned to the guest room.

She saw that Bryce had just hung up a call and was putting his phone on the bedside table.

He must have been comforting Samantha.

Holly went over to the living room couch, took a pillow, and put it between them on the bed.

Then she went to the closet and took out another blanket.

She took off her coat and got in bed.

It was already 3:00 am, and she was exhausted. Her mind felt like a puddle of goo, and all she wanted was to sleep.

She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She slept until late the next day.

When she opened her eyes, Holly was shocked to see a handsome face staring straight at her.

They were so close that she could almost hear him breathing.

His warm breath tickled her forehead, and his eyes were intense.

She was in his embrace, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and their legs were entwined together. It was very intimate, and the very air seemed ambiguous.

It seemed unreasonably warm.

Holly jumped as if she'd been shocked with electricity. She hurriedly let go of his waist and scrambled out of his embrace.

She said in annoyance, "Why was I in your arms?"