Chapter 7

"Marie, what's wrong?"

Rylan rushed over in a panic and scooped Marie into his arms. A sudden wave of dread washed over him as he studied her tear-streaked face.

"Why were you sitting on the floor? Why are you crying? Did you... hear something?"

Marie shook her head mechanically, struggling to speak through her sobs.

"My wounds... they hurt so much."

Rylan visibly relaxed. Gently, he laid her back on the hospital bed and began murmuring words of comfort. "It's okay. Just hang on. I'll get a doctor."

With that, he hurried out of the room.

But the minutes dragged on, and he still hadn't returned. Then Marie's phone buzzed with another message from Coraline.

The attached video showed Coraline lounging in a velvet chair like a proud swan, one leg extended in front of her. Rylan knelt beside her, cradling her foot in his hands as he gently massaged her ankle.

"I thought you were faking that sprain. How did you actually hurt yourself?"

"Do you care? Marie was mauled by snakes. Doesn't your heart ache for her?"

"I... My heart only aches for you."

"Really? Then what about her? Aren't you always calling her your princess? How come you didn't protect her like a prince?"

"A princess is just a princess," Rylan murmured, cupping Coraline's foot in his palm. "But you're my queen."

Marie let out a cold, bitter laugh and turned off the video. Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall.

To Rylan, she was nothing more than a pawn—someone he could abandon whenever it suited him. Coraline, on the other hand, was his queen—the woman he devoted every waking moment to pleasing and protecting.

He could place bids worth millions at an auction just to make Coraline smile. Yet at her slightest objection, he was willing to pretend he couldn't afford a single thing for Marie, leaving her to face a horrifying punishment alone.

Marie had been bitten by snakes until hardly an inch of her skin remained unscathed. Yet when Coraline merely twisted her ankle, Rylan had panicked as though the world was ending.

Marie lifted her head and fought to hold back her tears.

She couldn't bear to spend another second in Rylan's presence, so she moved her flight to that very afternoon—the day of her final exams. She was determined to leave as soon as she could.

Perhaps out of lingering guilt, Rylan continued visiting her in the hospital every day.

He attended to her needs personally, applying ointment to her wounds with such painstaking gentleness that anyone watching might have mistaken him for a devoted boyfriend.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked one day.

Marie remained silent, her face still deathly pale.

"My princess needs to get better soon," Rylan murmured, cupping her cheek as he leaned closer. "Otherwise, I'm going to worry myself to death."

Then he lowered his head to kiss her.

A sudden wave of nausea surged through Marie. She shoved him away and doubled over, dry-heaving violently.

Rylan froze, staring at her in shock.

Just then, one of his friends, who had been standing in the doorway, blurted out, "Marie... are you pregnant?"

A sharp clatter rang out from the hallway. Coraline stood just outside the room, her expensive handbag slipping from her fingers and crashing to the floor.

Rylan's hand curled into a rigid fist.

Marie stiffened and immediately shook her head, desperate to deny the implication. But before she could, Coraline had already spun around and stormed away.

Rylan shot to his feet and hurried after her, his expression frantic.

Marie scrambled out of bed and followed them. When she rounded the corner, she saw Rylan desperately grabbing Coraline by the wrist.

"Coraline, please. Just listen to me..."

Coraline spun around and slapped him hard across the face.

"What is there to explain? Congratulations! You're going to be a father!"

"Don't you dare say that!"

He seized her hand and pinned her against the wall.

"Get rid of it!" Coraline hissed. "Otherwise, don't ever expect to be with me!"

Rylan clenched his jaw, his voice cold with ruthless determination.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure it's taken care of."

A chill shot down Marie's spine.

She didn't wait to hear another word. Turning on her heel, she raced back to her hospital room and frantically began stuffing her belongings into her bag. She had to get away from Rylan before he could do anything else to her.

But before she could finish packing, the door swung open. Rylan stood in the doorway, holding a bowl filled with dark liquid.

Marie stared at it, her eyes widening in horror.

"What is that?"

He stepped into the room and slowly approached her, closing the distance between them one step at a time.

"Be a good girl and drink your medicine," he said, his voice eerily calm.