Chapter 4

I stared him cold in the eye, every word clear.

"I threw it away."

Those wedding rings. He'd made them himself, from a piece of his own bone, after saving me from kidnappers back when he actually loved me. He'd broken ribs and gotten stabbed for me then.

He said I was his missing rib—that with me, he was whole.

How pathetic.

He squeezed my wrist tighter, practically growling the words.

"Threw it away? Aurora Hayes, you're unbelievable!"

His face went completely dark. He dialed a number, never taking his eyes off me.

"Freeze all of Mrs. Harrison's assets. No one gives her a single cent! And..."

Blake let out a cold laugh, speaking directly to my face.

"Transfer Lily's trust fund to Leo's name!"

My eyes went wide, shocked.

"Blake! You wouldn't dare!"

He shrugged off my hand violently, pulling Chloe close with a sneer.

"Just watch me! Aurora, this is what happens when you cross me. You think throwing a fit will make me back down?"

"Since you refuse to accept Leo as your second child, Lily's trust fund will go to him as compensation!"

I was shaking with anger. Behind me, my daughter still slept with a fever.

I couldn't even protect her shares, and now they were taking her trust fund too!

Chloe frowned, pretending to persuade him.

"Blake, that's Aurora's mom's inheritance..."

Blake stroked her face gently, each word like a knife to my heart.

"You're right. A dead woman's things are bad luck for Leo's first birthday gift. Let's donate it to... St. Jude Hospital instead."

I didn't know I could scream that loud.

Bodyguards held me down. My eyes burned, I bit my cheek till it bled, screaming in agony.

"Blake! You can't—you can't do this! You know St. Jude Hospital is where my mom died!"

I'd suffered countless nights over my mom's death. Even after making those people pay.

Even after Harrison Medical barely survived my family's retaliation, clinging to life by a thread, I still hated them!

And Blake knew all of this, yet he still did this to me!

I was sobbing so hard I could barely breathe, my throat closing up.

Through my tear-blurred eyes, I thought I saw his expression soften for a second.

But then Chloe's voice cut in, sweet and happy.

"Really? Blake... you're amazing. You remember—that's where we first met."

Those words shattered whatever was left of my love and hate.

I heard Blake hesitate for a second, then laugh, giving in to her.

"Of course. Our special place. I'll keep it forever, and Harrison Medical... will stand strong forever, just like our love."

Lily woke up behind me. She got scared by the scene and started crying.

Blake, completely heartless, left with Chloe. His last words were:

"Aurora, let's see how long you can last!"

My heart felt completely crushed.

He was forcing me—forcing me to accept that bastard, forcing me to take the humiliation of being betrayed by the two people I trusted most!

As Lily snuggled into my arms, I got a call from the private investigator my dad had hired.

"Ms. Hayes, during my investigation, I found that the car accident five years ago—when you were pregnant—wasn't an accident. It was deliberate!"