Chapter 4

Aurora POV

"Serena!"

Ethan's eyes widened in fury, his body reacting faster than his brain.

He instinctively wrapped an arm around Serena's waist, pulling her fiercely into his embrace, while rapidly spinning his body to avoid the fatal stab.

But he forgot I was standing right behind him.

His forceful turn, combined with the sheer inertia, directly flung me into the path of the madwoman's knife.

The sound of a blade piercing flesh was eerily clear in the empty living room.

A searing pain erupted beneath my left shoulder blade. The cold blade plunged deep into my body, and warm blood immediately gushed out, staining my white shirt crimson.

I let out a muffled groan, my legs gave way, and I collapsed heavily onto the floor.

"Aurora!"

My adoptive mother shrieked, rushing down from upstairs.

I clutched my wound, blood continuously oozing from between my fingers.

My vision began to blur, but before darkness completely enveloped me, I clearly saw Eric's face.

He was holding a shaken Serena, turning his head to look at me, lying in a pool of blood. His pupils trembled violently, his face a mask of disbelief and a flicker of fleeting panic.

He opened his mouth, seeming to call my name.

But I could no longer hear.

I woke up again in a hospital VIP room.

The pungent smell of disinfectant made me frown.

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw my adoptive mother sitting by the bed, her eyes swollen like walnuts.

"Aurora, you're finally awake! You scared me to death..."

My mother held my hand, tears falling again.

I weakly forced a smile.

"Mom, I'm fine."

"What do you mean, you're fine! The wound was barely an inch from your heart!"

My mother suddenly turned her head and roared at Eric, who was standing by the window.

"Eric, are you blind?! You can protect that bitch all you want, but why did you push Aurora out to take the knife?! She's your sister!"

Ethan stood in the shadows, his face terribly grim.

He looked at me, his jawline tight, his voice a little hoarse.

"I didn't mean to. It was an emergency; I didn't see her behind me."

"Didn't see?! Who else do you see besides that Serena Miller!"

My mother was trembling with rage.

"Let me tell you, Aurora is about to..."

"Mom!"

I used all my strength to cut off my mother's words.

My mother froze for a moment, seeing the pleading in my eyes, and finally swallowed the rest of her sentence.

Ethan subtly sensed something was wrong, his brow tightly furrowed.

"She's about to what?"

"Nothing."

I looked at him coldly.

"Mom means I'm about to go to the Pacific Northwest. I won't die, so Mr. Owens doesn't need to worry."

Ethan's face immediately turned cold.

He walked to the bedside, looking down at me, his voice carrying its usual mockery.

"Aurora, you don't need to play the pity card with me. Don't think that just because you took a knife, I'll soften up and give you the project back. Your trick is too cheap."

I looked at him, my heart devoid of even a ripple.

"Eric, do you have a persecution complex?"

I said calmly.

"I'll consider this knife wound repayment for ten years of the Owens family's hospitality. From now on, I owe you nothing. The door is over there. Get out. I need to rest."

He stared intensely at me, as if trying to see through my pretense, but in the end, he only scoffed coldly.

"It better be that way."

With that, he turned and strode out of the room.

After a week in the hospital, as soon as my stitches were removed, I insisted on being discharged.

The day the Vance family was to pick me up was approaching, and I didn't want any trouble.

On the day of my discharge, it wasn't my mother who came for me, but Eric's assistant.

The car didn't return to the Owens mansion but stopped at the entrance of a high-end private club.

"Miss Hayes, Mr. Owens is waiting for you inside."

The assistant said respectfully.

I frowned and pushed the door open to get out.

The private room door opened. Inside, the lights were dim, and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and alcohol.

Eric sat at the head of the table, Serena Miller leaning weakly against him.

Opposite them sat a man with a fleshy face and vulgar eyes.

That was Victor Reed, a notorious scoundrel in the city.

Seeing me enter, Victor's eyes immediately lit up, his gaze brazenly sweeping over me.

"Well, well, is this Aurora? She really is a stunner."

My stomach churned, and I looked coldly at Eric.

"What do you mean by this?"

Ethan flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone nonchalant.

"Serena lost a few major collaborations due to the online scandal. Mr. Reed has a new project that can make up for the losses. Didn't you say you don't owe me anything anymore? Spend some time drinking with Mr. Reed tonight, get the contract signed, and then what you owe the Owens family will be completely paid off."

I looked at him in disbelief.

To pave the way for Serena, to squeeze out my last bit of value, he was actually pushing me towards a notorious degenerate in their circle?

"Eric, you truly sicken me."

I turned to leave.

"Stop!"

Eric's voice was as cold as ice.

"Aurora, if you dare to step out that door today, I'll cancel all your cards and kick you out of the Owens family! You're an orphan; without the Owens family, you're not even worth a stray dog!"