Chapter 4

Liam, sitting by the bed, finally sighed in relief when he saw me awaken, his voice unconsciously softening. "I know you're upset, Audrey, but you really did the wrong thing. No matter what, you shouldn't have harmed Serena. "

Waking up only to face his accusations, I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. "You trust her that much? "

Liam frowned, a flicker of impatience in his eyes. "Alright, that's enough. I've had a spiritual advisor perform a blessing ritual for your mother's ashes at sea. Don't cause any more trouble. Right now, Serena's condition is really the tricky part... "

"She's been pampered since childhood. This time, you scared her, and they can't find a diagnosis. She can't sleep all night. The spiritual advisor said that the person who harmed her must personally grind a protective bracelet from thorny branches for her... "

I froze. So, he was watching over me, waiting for me to wake up, all just for Serena? My hoarse voice trembled. "Liam Vance, can't you see me like this? "

I lifted my arm; it was covered in large, red welts, without a single patch of normal skin. The deep bloody marks were horrifying. But Liam remained silent for a moment, then cruelly said, "Serena hasn't rested for a whole day. The bracelet must be finished tonight! "

"What if I say no? " My eyes reddened, but no more tears would fall. "Are you going to lock me back in that solitary room and let those venomous bugs bite me to death?! "

Liam seemed hesitant to look at me, swallowing my tears, and merely closed his eyes in resignation. "Audrey, just bear with it. Once Serena's body is fully recovered, once I've repaid her for saving my life, we'll go back to how we used to be. "

He spoke as if making a promise, then placed several finger-thick thorn branches on the bedside table, his demeanor returning to calm. "Remember, if you don't do it, the bodyguards will help you. They say a bracelet ground from these thorns works best if it's stained with human blood. "

The guest room door slammed shut. Several bodyguards dutifully stood by the bed. "Madam, don't waste time. Mr. Vance said you need to remove the thorns with your fingers, and each bead must be polished by hand with sandpaper. "

That night, I was pulled out of bed by the bodyguards and didn't close my eyes for a moment. My fingers were punctured with bleeding holes, torn into raw fissures by the sandpaper. Every movement brought agonizing pain. Finally, at dawn, Serena's satisfied chuckle drifted from the master bedroom. "Liam, this bracelet really works. My head doesn't feel dizzy anymore once I put it on. "

Liam responded gently, "That's good. Be a good girl, get some sleep. I'll stay with you. "

I slowly curled myself up in the corner of the bed, clenching my injured fingers, watching blood drip onto the sheets. My eyes burned, wanting to laugh. Once, if a rose thorn pricked me and drew a bead of blood, Liam would be heartbroken and remorseful for half a day. Now, he could take a bracelet stained with my blood and use it to make another woman happy. Liam Vance, Liam Vance, you still say we'll go back to how we used to be? How could it be the same? My love for you has clearly been exhausted... The next day, Serena had a peaceful night's sleep thanks to the bracelet. In high spirits, she dragged Liam out for a stroll. I only found out about their outing through her online posts, sharing that they had gone to Greece to watch the sunset. The photos showed the white walls of Santorini. Serena's hand was held tightly by Liam's long fingers, with the caption: "Ten years of loving you, a wish finally granted... "

I stared at the photo, my heart feeling empty as if wind swept through it. Yet, surprisingly, I no longer felt pain. I silently slipped off the ring from my ring finger, then went to the garden, pulling up all the bellflowers in the flowerbed by their roots. I snipped them into pieces, discarding them in the trash. After doing this, I opened my laptop, logged into the account filled with hateful comments, set a scheduled post for one month later, and wrote: "When this letter is sent, I will likely no longer be here... "

I wrote that planned "suicide note" for a very long time. As I typed the last period, the sound of a car parking suddenly echoed from the yard. Liam rushed into the villa, his steps hurried. "Why did you destroy those bellflowers, Audrey? Didn't you love them most? I planted them myself for you back then. "

For some reason, his face was pale, and there were traces of blood seeping through his sleeve. I calmly glanced at him, asked nothing, and simply slammed my laptop shut. "Their roots are rotten. We should plant something else from now on. "

Hearing me mention "from now on," Liam finally suppressed his unease. "Alright, I'll plant them for you again later. "

The night Liam returned, there was a charity gala in their social circle that required me to attend. In the evening, before the Rolls-Royce headed to the event venue, it first stopped at a styling salon. Liam personally got out to greet us. Serena, wearing a million-dollar custom-designed gown and carrying a rare-skin diamond bag, stood there motionless. Liam reluctantly opened the rear car door. "Audrey, look... "

But before he could finish, I got out of the car without a word and directly sat in the passenger seat next to the driver. The charity gala was held at a grand estate villa.