Chapter 5

In that instant, countless fierce, wolf-like eyes all turned toward Claire in the corner.

Claire's eyes widened in disbelief as she met Nathan's gaze. He stared back coldly and said, "Claire, what did you do to your part of the key data?

"You must've seen this coming. To keep the credit for yourself, you ended up causing someone's death."

Claire trembled from head to toe, desperate to explain. She wanted to tell him the experiment hadn't succeeded yet. It was still in the clinical stage.

It was Sophie who wanted fame and recognition so badly that she rushed things and ended up costing a life.

But the crowd didn't give her any chance to speak. They surged forward, pressing her into the center. Unlike Sophie, she had no one to protect her.

All she could do was crouch down, cover her head, and try to shield herself as fists pounded down.

Through the crowd, Claire saw Nathan lift Sophie in his arms and quickly carry her out of the chaos, without looking back.

By the time the crowd finally stopped, Claire's body was covered in bruises and welts.

After the crowd finally left, Claire lay on the ground, so exhausted she couldn't lift a finger.

The shrill ring of her phone snapped her back to reality. She struggled to pick up, and a panicked voice came through.

"Is it Ms. Thompson? A group of people stormed the cemetery, saying they're going to dig up your sister's grave. You need to get here right now."

It felt like thunder exploded in Claire's head. She scrambled up, barely thinking, and rushed to the cemetery. But when she arrived, she saw Nathan's Maybach parked right at the entrance.

She staggered toward him, her eyes brimming with tears of blood and fury. "Nathan, it's you again. You hate me so much, and you hate my sister. Even after she's dead, you still won't let her rest in peace."

Nathan's eyes flashed with irritation. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, you don't know?" Claire sneered. "Go on, Nathan. Are you threatening me with my sister again? Want me to cover for Sophie, is that it?"

Nathan froze, like she'd hit the nail on the head, then suddenly shut his eyes tight.

Sophie got out of the car and hooked onto Nathan's arm. "Let it go, Nathan. I was too impatient for success. It had nothing to do with Ms. Thompson."

Nathan's breath hitched, his brows furrowed hard. "Claire, you knew there were issues with the clinical trial. Why didn't you say anything?"

Claire laughed recklessly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Did you ever give me a chance? And why should I? You killed my sister, and now you want me to bail you out? Nathan, do I really look that cheap to you?"

Nathan's eyes went cold, his jaw clenched so hard it looked like he might crack a tooth. "So you really did it on purpose."

With a sharp click, Nathan flicked his lighter. A ghostly blue flame flickered in the air, casting an eerie glow over his deep, shadowed eyes.

Suddenly, Claire felt all her strength drain away. She realized Nathan had always been stubborn, and ever since he started falling for Sophie, he hadn't listened to a single word she'd said.

Claire tore her gaze away and turned, heading into the cemetery to check on her sister's grave.

Suddenly, a truck came roaring down the road, its headlights blazing right at the three of them. The light hit Claire's face, turning it ghostly pale. It was like the truck was aiming straight for her.

Claire's body went limp, and she instinctively turned to Nathan. "Help me."

But before the words were out, Nathan grabbed Sophie and pulled her out of harm's way, leaving Claire to face the truck alone.

With a thunderous crash, Claire was thrown high into the air and slammed back down to the ground. Agonizing pain shot through her whole body, and she coughed, the taste of blood rising in her throat.

Seven or eight burly men jumped out of the truck, each towering over six feet and wielding iron bars.

"That's her. She used our buddy as a guinea pig for her own reputation, sacrificed him to pave her way."

"Let's take her out today."

Claire lay sprawled on the ground, forcing out a shout. "It wasn't me. The experiment was still in clinical trials. Patients should never be taken off medication or monitoring during trials. Whoever brought him to that press conference is the real killer."

Claire pushed herself to the limit, stretching out her arm and pointing straight at the Maybach. "It's her. The one who took your buddy's life is Sophie."

Claire's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging in her neck as she screamed, hysterical and desperate.

Everyone's gaze followed Claire's finger to the Maybach. They spread out, surrounding the car. One of the men climbed back into the truck, slammed the gas, fixing the Maybach with a predatory stare.

"Who's Sophie? Drag her out. If she doesn't show herself, don't blame us for what happens next. A Maybach means nothing to us. A truck can smash it without a second thought."

The tension in the air was thick enough to choke.

Inside the Maybach, Nathan gripped the steering wheel so hard his veins popped, his gaze dangerous.

"What do we do?" Sophie curled up against Nathan, shaking like a leaf. "Nathan, I'm so scared. Am I going to die here?" She clutched the door handle, her face pale.

"We left in such a hurry, you didn't bring any bodyguards. Maybe I should go out there. I don't want to drag you into this. You didn't do anything wrong."

As she was about to push the door open, Nathan slammed it shut with a bang, cutting her off. "As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you."

Then Nathan rolled down the window and tossed a recording device out into the night.

Their voices rang out, clear and sharp in the darkness.

"Claire, you knew there were issues with the clinical trial. Why didn't you say anything?" Nathan demanded.

"Did you ever give me a chance? And why should I?" Claire shot back.

Nathan's face was half lost in the Maybach's shadows, his eyes icy and his tone deadpan. "You all heard that, right? That's the real story."

A vicious slap cracked across Claire's face, making her ear ring with pain.

"You lying bitch. So you knew the trial was screwed up from the start, kept it hidden, and tried to dump the blame on someone else."

The mob rushed her, shoving Claire to the ground as fists hammered down on her, merciless and wild.

The truck's engine thundered, and through her haze, Claire heard someone scream, "Crush her. Run that bitch over."

Then, the truck crept toward her, slow and relentless.

At the same time, the Maybach's engine roared. Nathan, hell-bent on keeping Sophie safe, didn't look back at Claire. He floored it and vanished into the night.

As the Maybach disappeared into the darkness, the truck mercilessly ran over Claire's legs, the sickening crunch echoing through the night.

She thought she was already numb, but the pain hit her like a lightning bolt. White-hot agony exploded in her vision, and then, nothing.