Chapter 5

Elena POV

Halfway through the party, Lily went to the restroom to touch up her makeup.

I was required to follow her in.

The restroom was empty. No cameras.

Lily looked at me in the mirror. Her sweet expression vanished instantly.

"Elena Rivers, how does it feel watching someone else dressed to the nines, taking credit for your work while everyone applauds?"

She reapplied her lipstick slowly as she spoke.

I kept my head down, my voice hoarse. "I already gave you the perfume. What more do you want?"

"I don't want anything."

Lily turned around. She walked toward me in her four-inch heels, staring at my damaged hands.

"I just think your hands are an eyesore."

The moment the words left her mouth, Lily pulled a small glass bottle from her purse.

It was industrial-strength corrosive acid, normally used to clean stubborn stains from lab equipment.

She unscrewed the cap and without hesitation poured the entire bottle onto my right hand.A piercing scream tore through the restroom.

The sizzling sound of flesh burning mixed with the searing pain nearly made me pass out.

I clutched my right hand and collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony.

At that moment, the restroom door was kicked open violently.

Damien charged in.

The instant the door opened, Lily dropped to the floor, clutching her dress, tears streaming down her face.

"Damien! Help me! Elena's lost her mind. She was jealous I won the award and tried to throw acid on my face. I dodged and it hit her hand instead..."

Damien looked at me. His eyes were as cold as ice.

He didn't look at my mangled, bloody hand. Instead, he strode to Lily and carefully helped her up.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine. Just my dress got dirty..."

Lily sobbed pitifully.

Damien turned his head and glared at me. Then he lifted his foot and kicked me hard in the shoulder.

"Elena Rivers, you're absolutely vicious!"

The kick sent me sprawling. I landed on my back on the cold tile.

I held up my nearly destroyed right hand toward Damien, tears mixing with cold sweat streaming down my face.

"It wasn't me. She did it to herself. Damien, look at my hand. I'm a perfumer!"

"Someone like you doesn't deserve to be called a perfumer."

Damien cut me off. "Security!"

Several guards rushed in immediately.

"Throw this lunatic out! Don't let her ruin Lily's celebration!"

The security guards dragged me through the hotel lobby.

Outside, snow had started falling.

They threw me mercilessly into the snow.

The hotel's heavy revolving glass doors closed, cutting off all the warmth inside.

I lay in the knee-deep snow, my right hand numb with pain.

But worse than my hand was my stomach. A crushing, twisting agony swept over me like a tidal wave.

I struggled to turn over onto my back and stared up at the black sky.

Snowflakes landed on my eyelashes and melted into icy water.

I felt something warm slowly melting the snow beneath me.

Blood spread from under my skirt, blooming across the white snow like crimson flowers.

"Baby..."

I closed my eyes in despair and lost consciousness completely.