Chapter 3
In her daze, Leah felt her heart pounding again.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, burning as they fell.
When she struggled to open her eyes, the first thing she saw was Alexander's bloodshot eyes.
"Leah, how are you feeling? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice thick with worry.
He took her hand, sounding apologetic. "I'm so sorry. It all happened so suddenly. I panicked for a second and. I mistook you for someone else."
He watched her with the same intense tenderness, but Leah remained unfazed.
With her eyes shut, she turned her back on him and said in a calm voice, "I'm tired, Alexander."
Alexander was caught off guard for a second.
Seeing her turn away, he felt a confusing twinge in his chest.
During those days, Alexander canceled every meeting and wouldn't let Leah out of sight for a single moment.
He took care of her every need—gently cleaning her wounds, joining her for every exam, even feeding her medicine.
Every time the nurses walked by, they would gush with envy, "Mr. Rivers is so good to Mrs. Rivers. She must be the happiest woman alive."
However, to Leah, all his tenderness seemed like a joke.
She knew that every bit of kindness he showed her was fake and that he only cared about Rachel.
She was just too tired to say that.
*****
On the day Leah was discharged, Alexander wanted to cheer her up, so he took her to a special auction.
They joined with money in hand, bidding in a kind of gamble.
Whoever won the round earned the right to bid big and claim their coveted prize.
Leah hadn't been interested at all until she tossed the auction catalog aside and saw the sapphire necklace on the cover, the one that used to belong to her mother.
She snatched the catalog back up, a genuine smile lighting up her face.
When they arrived at the auction house, the security guard handed them a set of instructions and a mask.
The guard explained, "Here, it doesn't matter who you are or what you've got. If you win the game, you get whatever you want.
"However, once you pick an item to fight for, you can't jump to another table and join a different game. You have to stick with the one you chose.
"Break the rules, and you'll face the consequences."
Leah didn't hesitate for a second. She slipped on her mask and walked straight into the auction hall.
Bright lights filled the room, packed with well-known figures.
Leah weaved anxiously through the crowded auction tables, her gaze darting back and forth until at last, she saw the sapphire necklace gleaming on Table 9.
She dashed toward it, barely avoiding a stumble as someone blocked her way.
Alexander gently grabbed her hand, his voice tinged with concern. "Don't worry. Whatever catches your eye, I'll win it for you."
However, just as they sat down and Alexander was about to make a big bet, a sharp cry from Table 8 cut through the room.
Rachel screamed, "Alex, help."
It turned out Rachel had followed them and even got to Table 8 before they did, jumping right in to snatch up the ruby necklace.
She won the first round, but then changed her mind and backed out, completely ignoring the rules. The auction house was furious, and security immediately held her back.
Seeing Rachel being restrained by security, Alexander frowned.
Just as he was about to get up, Leah reached out and grabbed his arm.
She said, "Alexander, that necklace means everything to me. You promised you'd get it for me. Are you really just going to leave now?"
Alexander turned back to her, frowning as he tried to comfort her. "Leah, you know how sensitive Rachel is. I can't let anything happen to her.
"If you really like that necklace, I'll get a hundred of them for you next time."
Just then, a staff member said, "Table 9's game is already underway. If you walk away now to help that woman at Table 8, then this lady here will take the fall instead."
Alexander hesitated for a second, but when Rachel's desperate cries echoed again, he turned his back on Leah and walked away.
Moments later, the footage of him going all in for Rachel lit up every screen in the auction hall for all to see.
Leah let out a bitter laugh, silently mocking herself.
She murmured, "You always put her before me, Alexander."
She blinked away the tears, steeled herself, and slid decisively into her seat at the gambling table. Staring the man down, she said, "Let's make it really interesting.
"I'm putting myself on the line.
"If I win, I get the necklace, and you pay for it, but if I lose, both the necklace and I belong to you."
Her words stunned everyone in the room.
At that exact moment, Leah's mask slipped off, and the lights illuminated her face, her natural beauty on full display. Across the table, the man smiled, intrigued by what he saw.
He looked at her intently with a playful glint in his eyes. "If I win, I keep one of your beautiful fingers. Ms. Evans, are you okay with that?"
Leah's breath caught in her throat.
Clenching her fingers slowly, she bit her lips and said, "Deal."
"No." Alexander moved in with a stormy look, trying to pull Leah away from the table. "Leah, don't be stupid."
However, Leah shook off his hand without hesitation, and the staff members moved in, forming a barrier to block Alexander.
After all, he had already forfeited his right to fight for Leah in this game when he chose Rachel just now. Now, winning for Leah was no longer an option for him.
With both sides having one win each, Leah could feel cold sweat soaking through her clothes.
In that final showdown, the whole auction house was dead silent, every eye glued to the table.
The instant the result was out, the room exploded in excitement.
"Wow, the lady wins," the announcer called out, his voice ringing through the crowd.
Leah finally released her battered lips—she had bitten down so hard that it was bleeding.
Across the room, Alexander breathed a sigh of relief.
"Congrats, you really knew how to play this game." The man grinned, handing Leah the velvet box with the sapphire necklace inside.
Leah took the box with both hands, giving him a grateful nod. "Thank you."
After all, right now, Leah was basically worthless; she had nothing to lose.
If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have even gotten the chance to play the game.
Leah slipped into the quiet hallway and carefully opened the box.
The cool touch of the sapphire necklace seeped into her skin, soothing the storm of emotions that had just raged inside her.
As she gently traced her fingers over the necklace, it was like her mother's face appeared before her eyes all over again.
Just as tears streamed down Leah's cheek, somebody suddenly shoved her from behind. The box flew out of her hands, smacking onto the floor.
The sapphire necklace split in two right before her eyes.