Chapter 3

My cheek burned where he had struck me.

In my previous life, Sienna slit her wrists on the night of our wedding. Stefan could not find a matching blood type in time. He helplessly stood there and watched her die.

He hated me for it. Even in the moment he took that bullet for me, part of him still wished he had never met me.

But we were not married yet. So why had Sienna's attempt come early?

It did not matter. I had come back to settle Stefan's regrets, and this one had arrived on its own.

I met his gaze. "My blood type matches Sienna's. You want me to donate. That's what this is, right?"

He blinked, just once. Then his voice dropped back into that hard, flat register. "You caused this. Giving your blood is the least you can do. Don't stand there looking like I owe you something."

I smiled and said nothing.

…

Stefan took me to Sienna's house. She lay in bed, her small face drained of color, frighteningly still.

Without a word, he pushed me toward the doctor.

The doctor did not hesitate. He inserted the needle into my arm and ran the test.

The machine beeped.

The doctor looked up, visibly relieved. "It's a match."

Then his expression changed. "However, Sienna has lost a significant amount of blood. Miss Romano would need to donate a large volume to stabilize her. That level of blood loss carries serious risk. There is a chance Miss Romano's body may not be able to handle it."

I looked at Stefan. His eyes remained fixed on Sienna.

I smiled to myself, quiet and restrained. "It's fine. If it saves her, that's enough."

Stefan turned to look at me. A crease formed between his brows.

A moment passed. Then he turned away again. "Consider it a debt. I owe you one."

The needle went in again. I watched my blood move through the line and felt myself growing lighter, emptier, with each passing minute.

My thoughts drifted.

After my parents died, all the kids at school sensed my vulnerability and closed in. Stefan was the exception. He stepped in front of them without being asked. Later, he held me and said, "I'm here. Don't be afraid. I'll always protect you."

He meant it. Even when he came to hate me, he kept protecting me. He could not seem to stop himself.

That was how I fell in love with him. That was why I could not let go.

But I knew what I had to do. I could not love him this time. I had to sever whatever bound us, cleanly and completely, before it could grow into something that destroyed us both.

The blood kept flowing, and the room began to tilt.

As I lost consciousness, Stefan's voice surfaced from somewhere in my memory. "Annie, how much better my life would have been if I had never met you."

Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes before I could stop them.

"Stefan… I promise. This time, I'm letting you go," I mumbled.

…

When I opened my eyes again, sunlight filled the room. I lay in a hospital bed, my body hollowed out, too heavy to lift.

It was already 11:00 a.m. I needed to leave.

Voices drifted in from the corridor. Nurses spoke among themselves.

"Did you all go to the church last night? They say it really works."

"I went. My parents went years ago, and they're still completely devoted to each other. I believe it."

I listened and let out a small, crooked smile. I had missed it after all.

The door opened.

Stefan entered carrying a lunch tray. Everything on it was something I liked. He had remembered. I had not expected that.

He stood beside the bed and studied me for a long moment. The edge from last night was gone. "Anything still hurting?"

I shook my head.

"Sienna is out of danger. Thank you."

I nodded.

He held my gaze for a while, then said, "I was out of line yesterday. I said too much."

He paused. "But don't go near Sienna again. She has nothing to do with any of this."

The words settled in my chest like a stone.

"Okay," I said.

Stefan exhaled. "I didn't take you to make your wish last night. I'll make it up to you after the wedding. You've always wanted to go to Rodona, right? We'll go there for our honeymoon."

"You don't have to do that. That was my decision. You don't owe me anything for it," I said.

He turned away, his posture leaving no room for argument. "I already had my assistant start the arrangements. Once you've recovered, we'll go."

I lowered my gaze and said nothing. My eyes drifted to his arm, to the old bullet scar—the one he had gotten the first time he saved my life.

Without thinking, I reached out and touched it. "You were hurt like this because of me. Do you regret it?"

"Don't read into it. I would have done the same for anyone." Stefan's voice remained even.

I nodded. "And the night you stood in the cold to pray for my fever?"

"Same answer."

I fell silent.

So that was how it had always been. I really had imagined everything.

I gathered a smile. "Stefan, thank you. For every time you saved me."

I kept my voice gentle. "I lost my parents when I was young, and all I ever wanted was a place I could call home. I know now that I looked for it in the wrong person. I'm sorry for making things harder for you."

After today, none of this would carry forward. Stefan could have Sienna. He would not have to spend five years in conflict with me. He would not die at 26 for the sake of someone he had never loved.

This time, I would make sure he lived.

Stefan opened his mouth to speak.

Before he could, the doctor appeared in the doorway. "Mr. Grimaldi, Sienna has woken up. She's asking for you."

The change in his expression was immediate. Something lit his eyes, and he was already moving.

He reached the door, stopped, and looked back at me. "Wait here."

"Stefan…"

He turned.

I smiled at him warmly without reservation. "I hope the rest of your life is everything you want it to be."

He frowned. "I'm just going to check on Sienna. I'm not abandoning you. Listen to the doctor and stay in bed. I'll be back later."

Then he was gone.

I waited until his footsteps faded. Then I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

The doctor appeared at once. "Miss Romano, you can't—"

"I'll rest properly, I promise." I steadied myself against the mattress. "Please tell Mr. Grimaldi that I've gone to Rodona. Tell him I wish him well."

-

Stefan left Sienna's room and went straight down the corridor.

He pushed open the door to Annie's room and found the bed empty.

He seized the nearest nurse by the arm. "Where is she? She could barely stand. Where did she go?"

The nurse shook her head, unable to offer any answer.

One of his men came running, nearly colliding with him in the doorway, breathing hard. "Boss, there's a problem. Gunfire just broke out at the intersection down the street. Someone who looked like Miss Romano has been shot."