3/3
Chapter 143
Anna’s POV:
My heart trembled. After everything, this was how he responded I lay there, pain radiating through my body, terrified about what this fall might mean for our baby–n baby he didn’t even know existed,
Emily was nearly in tears beside me, her face flushed with ange and concern. “You asshole, hurry up! Anna, she’s
I squeezed her hand hard, stopping her before she could reveal my pregnancy. The words died in her throat as she looked at me, understanding crossing her face.
As I lay there, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyo
if anyone would actually welcome this child’s arrival. Would my baby feel so unwanted that it would simply slip away? Would Blake shed even a single tear if he knew our child was gone? A burning hatred began to build inside me. Why should I bear the pain of losing our child alone? This wasn’t fair.
Blake finall
Blake finally approached, extending his hand toward me. “Where are you hurt?”
I felt the warmth of his palm, and despite everything, my heart still fluttered at his touch. How pathetic I was, still responding to hini after all he’d done.
“I think I broke my ankle,” I said, wincing through the pain. “It hurts a lot. Will you take me to the hospital?”
Just as suddenly as he’d offered it, Blake e withdrew his hand. His face showed no emotion as he delivered his response.
“Claire has a rehearsal for her ballet performance. She asked me to come watch.”
Then he turned and walked away. Just
I watched his retreating back, the pain in my eyes matching the one in my body.
Two weeks of mandatory bed rest. That’s what the doctors ordered after the ambulance brought me to the hospital. “You could miscarry at any moment, they warned, their faces grave. Complete bed rest is essential if you want to save this pregnancy.”
Emily barely left my side, secretly wiping away tears when she thought I wasn’t looking, bustling around to make sure I had everything I needed.
I’m watching w
she declared fiercely. “You’re not going anywhere!”
For those two weeks, I tried not to think about Blake or
or Claire. My only concern was whether my baby was still with me.
Then Seth called with news that made my blood run cold. Scarlett had been attacked,
The bastard who assaulted her had been vicious, beating her so badly that the doctors said she would never be able to have children. The damage was irreversible.
My first thought was Claire. Who else would be so ruthless?
I felt sick thinking about how I should have warned Scarlett about Claire’s true nature. But I’d been too caught up in my own problems, too focused on my own survival.
1/3
Chapter 143.
It was time to fulfill my promise to William, I couldn’t Ignore what was happening anymore, couldn’t pretend this was just about me and Blake. There was a bigger potter here, and I needed to stop it before anyone else got hurt.
I slipped out while Emily was at work and made my way to Scarlett’s hospital room, ignoring the pain in my ankle and the doco’s orders to stay in bed. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I pushed open the door.
She lay on th
the bed like a broken doll, numerous IV bags hanging above her.
Her once beautiful features were now sunken and hollow. Her vacant gaze drifted toward me when I entered, taking a moment to focus,
Two tears slid down her hollow cheeks. “Mrs. Wright, she whispered, her voice barely audible, “why would you do this to me?”
I froze in the doorway. She thought I was behind her attack? The accusation hit me like a physical blow.
“It wasn’t me,” I said, confused and horrified. “Let me explain
“Who else could it be?” she cut me off, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me with surprising intensity given her weakened state.
I remembered how she used to be–playful and confident. The contrast with the shattered woman before me was heartbreaking. What kind of monster could do this to another human being?
I stepped back, realizing I’d come too soon. She was still too fragile, too traumatized. “Scarlett, please calm down-
*I just came back to help,” she rambled, words tumbling out frantically. “I came back to help Blake. You… you wanted to kill me… I was just acting. I’m not a mistress.”
Suddenly, she ripped the IV from her arm. Blood sprayed across the white sheets as she curled into herself, clutching her hair with both hands. The monitor beside her bed began beeping frantically.
Her eyes grew wide, unfocused, as she began to recall that night. “I was going home… a man suddenly appeared… I had no strength… he grabbed my hair and told me to open the door… was too scared…”
Scarlett screamed, covering her ears as if to block out the memory, rocking back and forth.
That i
man… he grabbed my hair… threw me
e down and beat me. Down there… It hurt so much! So much!”
Without warning, she slid from the bed and fell to her knees before me, her forehead touching floor in a position of complete submission. “Mrs. Wright, please spare me. I never meant to take your place. Please… I’ll go back abroad. I promise I’ll never see Blake again.”
I stood there, speechless at her terror. From her description, I understood that if she hadn’t opened the door as commanded, she might have faced an even more brutal death. This wasn’t a simple attack–it was a message.
When I noticed fresh blood flowing from between her legs, staining the white hospital gown, I rushed forward and embraced her, forgetting my own precarious condition.
“It wasn’t me,” I whispered, holding her trembling body. “Don’t be afraid of me. You’re safe now, No one can hurt you
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