Chapter 6

I woke from a deep sleep to a sharp sting in my arm. When I looked down, bright red blood had backed up into the clear IV tubing.

I pressed the call button by the bed.

A nurse walked in, frowning at the tubing. "How come no one's keeping an eye on you? Where's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend. He had to leave," I said evenly.

"How long ago?" she asked as she changed the IV.

I looked at the clock on the wall. It was 2:00 am. Daniel had left at 7:00 pm. It had already been seven hours.

"A long time," I said.

The nurse shook her head. "That's just how the rich are. All they care about is appearances. When it counts, they are never around."

After she finished, I couldn't fall back asleep.

By dawn, I decided to get out of bed and stretch my legs. I pushed the IV pole into the hallway and overheard two nurses whispering to each other.

"That young woman in the VIP ward is fortunate. Her boyfriend booked the entire floor for her."

"They say he even brought in specialists from all over the world, and she has care around the clock."

"The Falkner heir treats her well. He hasn't left her side."

I stopped short.

The VIP ward was on the tenth floor. I was on the eighth floor, in a standard room.

I pressed the elevator button and went up to the tenth floor. The whole floor was sealed off, and only one room was lit. I went up to the door and peered through the gap.

Daniel sat at the bedside, patiently feeding Serena spoonfuls of oatmeal. She leaned against the headboard, pale but content.

"Does it still hurt?" Daniel asked softly.

"I feel much better." Serena opened her mouth and let him feed her another spoonful. "I'm not afraid of anything with you around."

Alfred sat on the couch, peeling an apple for her. When she finished the oatmeal, he handed her a small slice.

"Eat slowly. Be careful so you don't choke," Alfred said, his voice warm with affection.

Serena smiled sweetly. "Mr. Seymour, you are so kind to me. You are just like a real father to me."

He patted her hand. "You are my daughter now. From now on, this family is yours."

Daniel, too, smiled gently and reached out to smooth Serena's hair. "Still dizzy?"

"No, just a little tired."

He drew the curtains and dimmed the lights. "Then sleep a little longer. I'll stay right here with you."

That tender scene was a knife driven hard into my heart. I bit down hard on my lip and forced myself not to let a sob escape.

I turned and left the VIP area, then went back to my own room.

I told myself not to cry. I told myself I couldn't cry.

…

Four days before I was scheduled to fly to Velport for the wedding, I checked out of the hospital. As soon as I walked out of the hospital, I saw Daniel leaning against a black sedan, waiting for me.

"Get in," he said.

"I'll just take a cab."

"Get in."

His tone carried a threat, leaving no room for refusal.

I looked at his cold, hard expression and, in the end, got into the car.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Daniel started the engine. "To clear your head. You've been cooped up in the hospital too long."

Half an hour later, the car pulled up outside Whitman's Auction House in the financial district.

I looked at the poster by the entrance. "An auction?"

Daniel got out of the car. "There's an art auction today. Aren't you into this stuff?"

I was about to refuse, but as I took the auction catalog he handed me, I saw a familiar item. Listed as Lot 47 was a pearl necklace.

My hands began to tremble. I knew that necklace all too well.

It was Mom's.

Noticing the change in my expression, Daniel asked, "What's wrong?"

I clutched the catalog. "Nothing. Let's go in."

…

In the restroom, my fingers shook as I called my lawyer. "Sell everything I'd set aside. Right now. Immediately."

"Ms. Seymour, those are the assets you said you were taking to Velport—"

"I've changed my mind," I said, my voice urgent. "How much can we get?"

"About 100 million dollars."

"That'll do."

I hung up and took a deep breath. I must retrieve Mom's necklace.

…

Once inside the auction hall, Daniel found us seats in the front row.

Just as I was about to sit down, a familiar voice called out, "Danny!"

She had on a pale pink dress. A bandage was still on her head, yet she looked heartbreakingly beautiful in her own fragile way. She came over and slipped her arm through Daniel's arm, affectionate as ever.

Serena looked at me with a sweet smile. "Freya, you're here too. I told Danny I wanted to apologize to you at the auction, and I didn't think he'd actually bring you."

In that instant, everything became clear.

Daniel hadn't brought me here to cheer me up or help me clear my head. It was only because Serena wanted to "apologize" to me, and I was just a prop he'd brought along on the way.

Looking at Serena's smug smile, even the last trace of pain in me vanished. I was already numb.