Chapter 4
Before Emily could process what was happening, Olivia pulled a knife out of nowhere.
Olivia flashed a cold, mocking smile, fixing her icy stare right at Emily. Then, without the slightest hesitation, she stabbed herself straight in the body.
Blood burst out in an instant, drenching Emily's face and clothes in a gruesome spray.
The door burst open from the outside, and in that moment of utter chaos, Ryan showed up right on cue.
Olivia collapsed to the floor, clutching her still-bleeding wound, her eyes wide with helplessness as she cried out, "Ryan, help me!"
Panicked, Ryan scooped Olivia into his arms and shot Emily a glare so fierce it nearly made her flinch.
Emily was still reeling from the shock when that look from Ryan stabbed her all over again.
It was the first time he'd ever looked at her with such coldness and resentment.
So he finally didn't have to fake loving me anymore?
Ryan turned and left with Olivia cradled in his arms, while Emily slowly raised her hand and wiped the cold blood from her face.
She knew, from that look in Ryan's eyes, that no matter what, he'd always side with Olivia over her.
That was what Olivia was after tonight. She'd pulled it off and crushed the last shred of hope Emily had been holding onto.
Early the next morning, after checking out of the hospital, Emily dragged herself back to the house she once shared with Ryan, where every corner was still filled with memories of them together.
She moved through the house in a daze, packing up her things.
For the past three years, Ryan had always gone out of his way to make her smile, coming up with new surprises every single day.
The house was still filled with all the gifts and surprises Ryan had given her.
Expressionless, she dumped all the designer bags and expensive jewelry straight into the trash.
Even the daily handwritten love notes Ryan used to leave, once hidden away as precious keepsakes, were tossed out without hesitation.
None of it was ever real, only beautiful lies. By clearing it all away, she was ridding herself of the last stubborn hopes she had desperately held onto within.
She was finally letting go, freeing herself from the past, ready to start over.
Suddenly, the doorbell chimed urgently, cutting through the silence of the house.
A few men dressed all in black pushed their way inside.
Emily recognized them instantly and watched on guard. They were the bodyguards Ryan had assigned to her.
Ryan had once told her that every moment she wasn't by his side, he couldn't help but worry about her.
That was why he'd quietly stationed so many bodyguards to keep her safe, always watching from the shadows.
But now, as those bodyguards started closing in on her, Emily felt a chill running down her spine.
"What are you doing?" she blurted out.
"Sorry, Ms. Summers. This is going to be rough, but we're following Mr. Carter's orders," one of them said, sounding a little apologetic.
Emily frowned, about to demand an explanation, but before she could say another word, a rough sack was yanked down over her head.
She started to struggle instinctively, but someone landed a swift chop on her neck, and everything went black.
Right before she blacked out, those words from the bodyguard kept ringing in Emily's head, haunting her like a curse.
It was Ryan's orders. The man I'd once loved with all my heart, the one who had once promised to protect me forever, turned out to be the one willing to hurt me most in this world.
When Emily came to her senses, she found herself tied up in a warehouse, her wrists and ankles bound so tightly that she could barely move.
Standing off to the side, arms crossed and looking down at her with a smug, superior air, was none other than Olivia.
When Olivia saw Emily wake up, a smug smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"Finally awake? Did you enjoy your nap?" Olivia sneered.
Emily shot Olivia a guarded look and snapped back, "What do you want?"
"What do you think?" Olivia sneered. "You wouldn't cooperate, so now I'll have to get tough."
"I have no clue what you're talking about. Let me go," Emily insisted. She glanced around, but there was no escape. Only she and Olivia were in the locked warehouse.
Unless Olivia decided to set her free, Emily had no chance of escaping.
Olivia reached out and tilted Emily's chin up with her finger, forcing her to meet her icy stare.
"Emily, now that I'm back, there's no point in you hanging around Ryan anymore. I told him to get rid of you, but he hesitated," Olivia said with a smirk.
Emily stared at Olivia, her face a mask of indifference.
"You think he's fallen for you? Dream on. After I got hurt that day, do you have any idea what he said?" Olivia scorned.
Olivia pulled out her phone, fiddled with it for a moment, and sneered, "I recorded everything. Let's hear it. Maybe you'll stop deluding yourself."
Seconds later, the voices of Olivia and Ryan played from her phone.
Olivia said softly, "Ryan, don't blame Emily. She only acted out because she was upset after learning the truth. I'm fine now. Please, don't be angry with her."
Ryan replied, "Olivia, I know you're kind, but she stabbed you.
"I wanted to come clean with her when the moment was right. I thought she was sweet and well-behaved. Guess I was wrong. It turns out she's eaten up with jealousy. If I don't give her some real punishment, she'll never get the message."
"So, how do you plan to punish her?" Olivia pressed.
"She has to suffer pain a thousand times worse than what you ever felt," Ryan said coldly.
Emily bit down on her lower lip, forcing herself not to react, her face numb and hollow.
She'd already seen it coming. The instant those bodyguards knocked her out, Emily realized that Ryan was doing all this to avenge Olivia.
Olivia traced the blade lightly along Emily's soft cheek and smirked, "Don't be scared. I begged him to take it easy on you. He asked me to scar your face, and that would be enough.
"After this, he'll let you go. You and he will have no ties ever again."
Really? Was this how it ended between us?
The knife carved into Emily's skin, stroke after stroke, but with every cut, it was her heart that bled.
Pain flooded through every inch of her body and soul until she lost consciousness from torment.
When Emily came to her senses again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed.
Ryan hovered anxiously right beside her, his face a storm of worry.
For a moment, Emily felt lost and disoriented, not sure if this was real or if she was still stuck in some awful dream.
She frowned a little, and that movement made the wounds on her face sting all over again.
"Emily, you're awake," Ryan blurted out, his voice bursting with worry and relief.
He reached out and gripped her hand, his touch clingy, anxious, and almost desperate.
Emily fixed her gaze on him, not saying a word. She felt the urge to question him if he had to go that far.
But right as the words were about to come out, she swallowed them back. There was no point anymore.
No matter what excuse he gave, it meant nothing to her now.
Everything he'd done to hurt her happened, and there was no denying it.
"Please go. I want to be alone," Emily said.
With that, she closed her eyes, turning away from him.
Ryan said, "Emily, I know you're still mad at me about Olivia, but whatever happened, Olivia is the one who saved you this time."
Emily's eyes snapped open, and she stared blankly at Ryan.
He looked right back at her, his eyes as honest and pure as ever.
Emily almost forgot he'd always been such a convincing actor.