Chapter 4

As she spoke, Kaylee adjusted herself into a comfortable position and lay down in the snow. By the time Atlas arrived in a panic, Kaylee was already lying there, while Ember had been buried under the deep snow at the base of the mountain.

Kaylee told Atlas that Ember wasn't with her and that she had no idea where Ember had gone.

Atlas then rushed Kaylee back to the hospital for treatment, leaving Ember alone and abandoned at the foot of the mountain.

Ember had developed an unexplainable fear of being alone ever since witnessing her parents' deaths. Back then, though, Atlas had been there to stay by her side.

It was for this reason that she had agreed to come skiing with them. She wanted to spend as much time with Atlas as possible, even if it meant competing for his attention against Kaylee.

But she never imagined it would nearly cost her life in the depths of the snowy mountain.

Recalling the despair of being trapped, Ember began to tremble uncontrollably. The physical pain and mental anguish surged over her, and a cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Atlas grabbed her roughly by the arm, yanking her up from the hospital bed. "Apologize immediately! Do you hear me?

"If it weren't for you, how would Kaylee have injured her arms? If Kaylee can never hold a paintbrush again, you'd better be ready to atone for it!"

His rough handling reopened Ember's wounds, and blood seeped through her hospital gown, soaking it.

It was only then that Atlas noticed her injuries showed no signs of improvement. If anything, they looked worse than before.

"What's going on here?" he demanded while turning to Spencer with a furious glare.

"She's been given the best medicine, and people are looking after her every day. Why isn't there any progress?"

Spencer froze for a moment, then quickly tried to defend himself. "How would I know? I've been coming in every day to examine and treat Ms. Sloane. The nurses can vouch for me!"

Seeing this, Kaylee immediately turned to Ember, speaking with apparent concern.

"Ember, I know you're upset, but you can't refuse treatment like this. If you keep this up, you're just going to make Atlas and me even more worried."

"Ember Sloane!" Atlas roared in fury after hearing this. "You don't even care about your own health now? There's just no saving you!

"If you keep this nonsense up, the wedding can wait until your next life!"

What Atlas didn't know was that Spencer had never actually treated or examined Ember during his visits. Instead, he had intentionally worsened her wounds, peeling them open for his own twisted amusement.

As for the imported medicine Atlas had ordered for Ember, Spencer had secretly taken it out of the hospital to sell for profit. He didn't use a single dose on her.

Ember looked at him, yet the words she had wanted to say caught in her throat. She simply swallowed them back silently.

At this point, it didn't matter what she said—Atlas wouldn't believe her.

Atlas was still fuming outside the hospital room. It had to be his fault for spoiling Ember over the years. He'd allowed her to develop such an unbearable personality.

Yet, despite his anger, he couldn't stop himself from worrying about her. She was defying him, but wasn't she also hurting herself in the process?

Kaylee, who was carefully watching his expression, seized the moment to suggest, "Ember is too stubborn and too unwilling to change. If we want her to fix her bad habits, why don't you… cancel the wedding for now?"

"No." Atlas rejected the idea without hesitation.

He only wanted Ember to be more obedient—he had never considered letting her leave him.

Every time he saw the engagement ring on her hand, which matched his, he couldn't help but soften no matter how furious he was—especially when he thought about those horrifying wounds he'd just seen.

A pang of guilt stirred in his heart.

Ember had already endured so much; he couldn't bring himself to push her further.

"But if you let her continue like this…" Kaylee's eyes briefly flashed with resentment, though she quickly hid it as Atlas glanced at her. "She's not just hurting herself. It pains you too, Atlas."

Atlas pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

"The engagement was arranged by our elders. It can't be canceled lightly. This decision is final."

A flicker of malice passed through Kaylee's eyes, but she quickly masked it. She then weakly swayed slightly as she spoke, "I'll do whatever you say. I just…"

"What's wrong? Is your hand hurting again?"

Atlas immediately held her in concern, scooping her up and rushing toward the duty room in a panic. "Help!"