Chapter 3

The wedding proceeded seamlessly.

When the time came for them to exchange vows, Greyson froze, his gaze drifting over toward where I sat at the piano.

The officiant prompted them once more. “Will the bride and groom please exchange rings?”

An awkward, heavy silence settled over the entire venue.

Suddenly, a booming voice shattered the tension. “Scarlett! You actually went behind my back and married another man!”

A heavy-set man with a prominent beer belly marched forward, his face flushed with pure rage as he barked out his accusations. “How have I ever mistreated you over the last seven years? Back when we were dating online, I spent over two hundred thousand dollars on you…”

Scarlett’s face paled with panic, and she instantly cut him off. “What are you talking about? I don’t even know who you are.”

“You were the one who told me you had to fake your own death to hide it from your family just so you could run away with me! But the second my business went bankrupt, you went and crawled into bed with someone else, didn’t you?”

Greyson looked down at Scarlett, a shadow of suspicion flickering in his eyes. “What exactly is going on here?”

“Greyson, don’t listen to his lies! I have absolutely no idea who this man is. Someone is setting me up! Greyson, you have to believe me.”

Several security guards rushed forward to drag the intruder off the stage, but the man suddenly whipped out a knife. “Back off!”

Terrified, Scarlett shrank deeper into Greyson’s embrace. He stroked her back, offering a soft, soothing whisper. “Don’t be afraid, Scarlett. I believe you.”

With her eyes welling up with tears, Scarlett sniffled. “Could Zia have gotten jealous and paid someone to put on this entire performance?”

Greyson knit his brows and turned his gaze sharply toward me, his eyes overflowing with suspicion and deep disgust. “Zia, wasn’t it enough that you stole Scarlett’s happiness? Now you have to hire a thug to stage this kind of scene just to ruin her?”

I stared at him blankly. I wanted to open my mouth to explain, but a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me, making me feel like it wasn’t even worth the breath.

Seeing my absolute silence, the suspicion in Greyson’s eyes solidified into total certainty. He became entirely convinced that I was the mastermind behind this horrific stunt.

“Ah!”

High-pitched screams erupted from the crowd as the entire venue descended into absolute chaos.

Before I could even process what was happening, the man broke free and lunged straight at Scarlett with the knife raised high.

Scarlett’s face went entirely bloodless. In a frantic, cowardly blur, she forcefully shoved Greyson directly into the attacker’s path.

Greyson reacted just in time, twisting his torso to dodge the oncoming blade.

Scarlett immediately scrambled toward my side of the stage. The moment I stood up to run away, she grabbed my wrist in a vice-like grip, a sinister, twisted smile flashing across her face. “Zia, where do you think you’re going?”

The man charged at us like a wild animal, swinging the knife around in a frenzied, blind rampage.

Amidst the screaming and flying chairs, Greyson looked between Scarlett and me. After a agonizing few seconds of hesitation, he reached out, grabbed Scarlett’s hand, and pulled her safely behind his back.

I fought desperately to break free from her grip to dodge, but I couldn’t escape the blade. The razor-sharp edge slashed ruthlessly across my fingers and wrist.

Bright crimson blood splattered violently across the black and white piano keys.

Greyson’s eyes instantly locked onto the sight. Lunging forward, he snatched my bleeding wrist, yanked me hard into his chest, and delivered a brutal kick that sent the attacker crashing to the floor.

A split second later, a swarm of security guards swarmed the man and pinned him heavily to the ground.

The blood pouring from my hands completely soaked through Greyson’s pristine white tuxedo. I watched in absolute despair as all sensation stripped away from my fingers, inch by agonizing inch.

The madman was still screaming and thrashing in the background, but all sound faded into a dull, distant hum.

Panic-stricken, Greyson scooped me up into a bridal carry. Just before my eyes slipped shut for the last time, I heard him press his lips right against my ear, his voice trembling violently. “Zia, just how deeply do you have to hate her to use a method this malicious... even if it means destroying yourself?

“This is the last time I will ever tolerate your madness.”

When I finally woke up, I was lying in a sterile hospital room.

Greyson was sitting beside my bed, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on me, framed by faint dark circles of exhaustion.

I stared blankly up at the ceiling, my voice raspy and hoarse. “Can my hands still play the piano?”

He let out a cruel, mocking scoff. “Oh, so now you know how to feel regret? Did your heart soften even a fraction when you paid that psycho to traumatize Scarlett?”

Gently brushing his fingers against the heavy layers of gauze wrapping my hands, Greyson spoke every single word like a curse. “This is your karma. You will never be able to touch a piano again for the rest of your life.”

The corners of my mouth twitched into a pathetic excuse for a smile as I mumbled to myself, “Karma, huh?”

A quiet knock sounded at the door before his secretary, Toby Jenkins, stepped inside. The man shot a highly sympathetic glance toward me on the bed, then turned to Greyson, speaking with utmost caution. “Mr. Walker, the official investigation report from the police department just came in.”

Greyson sneered down at me. “Zia, how many years do you think you’ll get for bribing a man to commit murder? If you beg me right now, I might consider helping you out.”

Toby’s face contorted with immense awkwardness. “Mr. Walker... the truth actually seems to be completely different from what you’re thinking. Perhaps you should take a look at the file first.”

Greyson carelessly snatched the investigation report from Toby’s hand.

But as his eyes swept over the first few lines of the document, his entire expression shattered.

“How is this even possible?”