Chapter 3
Two days later, in the emergency ward of another hospital, Andrew slammed a stack of medical records onto the bedside table. "The D&C records are ready."
He stood by the bed, his brows furrowed in worry. "That medicine was already hurting you. Are you trying to throw your life away?"
He clenched his jaw, barely holding back his anger.
I grabbed a wet wipe.
With my head down, I slowly wiped the dried fake blood from under my nails.
My stomach twisted again.
I grabbed the vomit bag by the bed and dry-heaved, bringing up nothing but sour bile.
Andrew handed me a cup of water. "Now's not the time to fall apart."
He stared at me, eyes steely and unforgiving. "He'll only pull back the guards watching you when he thinks you're totally broken and useless."
I took the cup and the fake medical records, clutching them together in a death grip.
The edge of the paper cut into my fingers, leaving red marks and a dull ache spreading through my fingertips.
Pain kept me clear-headed.
I looked up, meeting Andrew's gaze head-on. "I'd rather die than let him manipulate me ever again.
"If he wants to drain my blood to save Sophie, then I'll make the entire Sterling Holdings pay with everything they've got."
Barely had I finished speaking when a heavy thud sounded.
The hospital room door burst open.
Andrew quickly slipped out of sight behind the door.
Richard strode in.
His suit had lost its sharp lines, creased from stress.
His gaze swept the room, then locked onto the miscarriage record lying on the bedside table.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
His eyes reddened, emotion flooding his face.
His chest was rising and falling, his breath ragged.
In a few quick steps, he was at my bedside.
He bent down and enveloped my cold hands in his own, holding them tight. "Emmy, I'm sorry. I should've come sooner."
A burning tear fell onto the back of my hand.
I instinctively tried to pull back.
But he gripped my hands tight, not letting me escape.
"It's okay." His voice shook, heavy with emotion and congestion. "The baby's gone, but we can try again. Once you're healthy, we'll have another."
I looked at him, feeling nothing.
Staring into his eyes, I saw that flawless, airtight affection.
Those eyes had tricked me for five years straight.
The acid in my stomach started rising again.
I bit down hard on my tongue, forcing the nausea back.
Tears streamed from the corners of my eyes, hitting the pillow below.
I stayed silent and didn't resist.
Richard looked at me, seeing me so drained and lifeless.
His tense jaw softened, barely noticeable.
He sighed and leaned in, gently pressing his warm lips to my forehead.
His phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
His cheerful ringtone rang out, cutting through the quiet of the hospital room.
Richard froze.
He straightened up and pulled out his phone.
The screen lit up.
I caught a glimpse of the name flashing on the screen, Sophie.
Richard answered the call. "Richard, help me."
Sophie's voice came through the phone, thick with tears. "The doctor said all my vitals are dropping. I'm so scared."
She was gasping for air, sounding like she was about to suffocate. "Hurry back. My chest hurts so bad I can't catch my breath."
Richard's face turned very pale.
He jumped to his feet.
He'd been clutching my hand seconds ago, but now he let go all at once.
"I'm coming back to the villa right now," Richard said.
He hung up, avoiding my gaze. "Emily, there's a problem with Sophie. I'll have the driver take you back—"
"Take me with you," I interrupted him.
My throat was dry and raspy. "It's freezing in here. I want to go home."
Richard hesitated for a moment.
He glanced at me, seeing how drained I was, and though a hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes, he didn't say no.
*****
Half an hour later, the car pulled up outside the Sterling villa. I followed Richard inside.
In the living room, Sophie, dressed in a flimsy silk nightgown, was being held up by a maid.
She was blocking the hallway in the foyer.
When she saw how pale I was, her lips curled in a subtle, almost invisible smirk. "What's wrong with you, Emily?"
She covered her mouth, pretending to be shocked. "You look so awful. Did that unlucky baby really not survive?"
Her drawn-out words sounded especially harsh in the living room.
Richard's brows furrowed as he strode over and caught her. "Why did you come downstairs?"
Sophie pressed herself against him, breathing in shallow gasps. "I was worried you'd be upset, so I had someone bring out the liquid you had made for me overnight."
She pointed at the steaming, dark brown liquid on the coffee table. "You've had a rough time, Emily. Why not take this tonic and get your strength back?"
The air was laced with the bitter aroma of pricey herbs simmering away.
But the so-called medicine they'd made me drink to protect my baby was nothing but deadly poison.
I looked up, my eyes empty as they landed on the coffee table. "Yeah, you should definitely drink that liquid."
Richard's face darkened instantly. "Emily, that's enough."
He spoke in a low voice, full of disappointment and impatience. "Losing the baby hurts everyone. Do you really have to take it out on Sophie?"
I stared at his self-righteous face, not having the energy to scoff.
Sophie's eyes were practically overflowing with smugness.
She clutched her chest, gasping for air.
Her legs buckled, and she collapsed straight toward me.
She grabbed my sleeve in a death grip.
Her nails clawed through the fabric, digging painfully into my skin.
Taking advantage of her staged fall, she leaned in close to my ear.
She murmured in a dangerously low voice, "Don't rush. Once I've drained every drop of your blood, I'll send you off to keep that doomed brat company."
Before I could pull away, she released her grip.
She went crashing straight into the coffee table.
With a loud bang, the impact echoed through the room.
Scalding water and medicine spilled all over the floor.
The porcelain cup smashed on the ground, shards scattering everywhere.
A few drops of scalding brown liquid splattered onto the back of my hand, raising bright red welts.
"Ah, it hurts." Sophie fell to the floor, wailing sharply.
"Sophie?" Richard shouted. His eyes reddened with panic.
Without hesitation, Richard shoved me hard.
Already drained, I was knocked straight into the chaos on the floor.
Sharp porcelain shards cut into my leg.
Blood bled into the brown tea, staining the floor.
Richard didn't spare me a glance.
He cradled Sophie in his arms and, in a frenzy, dashed upstairs to the study.
That was where Sophie's emergency medication was kept.
It was also the place where Sterling Holdings' secrets were stored.
I collapsed onto the floor, surrounded by shattered porcelain and puddles of tea and medicine.
I lifted my head a little.
My eyes stayed glued to Richard's back as he carried Sophie and frantically punched in the code at the study door.