Chapter 3

To her surprise, Victoria could actually hear Scott's voice trembling with tears.

But Victoria had no idea why Scott was crying.

'Wasn't he the one who made me end up like this? Is he seriously still putting on an act right now?' Victoria thought to herself.

Victoria couldn't help but think Scott was a damn good actor. He'd managed to keep up the act and trick her for three years straight.

At some point, Victoria blacked out. When she came to, it was the sound of Scott and his boys talking that woke her up.

She heard Scott mutter, "The doctor said if we'd been any later, Victoria would've died. This was way too close. Don't ever pull something like this again!"

"Who cares? If she dies, so what? Trash like Victoria isn't even worth mourning," one of the guys sneered.

Scott scowled. "No way."

"Scott, you never go soft on anyone. Why are you suddenly worried about Victoria? Don't tell me you're catching feelings for her?" another guy joked.

One of the guys reminded him, "But Scott, don't forget that time we went hiking and got caught in a mudslide. Everyone was seriously injured, and you barely made it out alive.

"Katie risked her own life for you. She donated a whole 1,200cc of blood! And that bitch Victoria? She just abandoned you to go party abroad!"

Hearing their words, Victoria couldn't help but frown.

'1,200cc of blood?' Victoria repeated in her head.

Back then, Scott really had been hanging by a thread after that mudslide. He needed a massive blood transfusion just to survive.

But that 1,200cc of blood? It was hers, not Katie's. The truth stung, but nobody seemed to care.

There were so many injured people, and the hospital's blood bank was already running on empty. Plus, Scott had that rare RH-negative blood type, so finding a donor was nearly impossible.

Victoria knew her blood type matched Scott's, so to make sure he'd have enough, she pushed herself to donate a whopping 1,200cc.

After the donation, she was unconscious for two whole days. Even when she finally came to, she was so dizzy and weak she couldn't even sit up. But once her friends told her Scott was out of danger, she finally felt like she could breathe easy.

Victoria didn't want Scott to worry, so she made her friends swear not to tell him just how much she'd sacrificed for him.

Worried he'd notice something was off, she kept her distance and just told him she was away on business overseas.

It wasn't until Scott got out of the hospital that they finally saw each other again.

After that incident, Scott, who'd always brushed off Katie's feelings, never pushed her away again.

The two of them started getting really close. Everyone could see the sparks flying.

Meanwhile, Victoria, his fiancée, basically turned into a nobody, the butt of everyone's jokes.

Victoria had never understood how Scott's feelings for her could change overnight.

Now, she finally saw the reason behind all these changes.

Turns out, it was nothing but a ridiculous mermaid-and-prince farce.

As his buddies kept throwing accusations, Scott's face grew darker and darker. He shook his head over and over, saying, "The only person I love is Katie. I'm just doing this out of gratitude for the Robinson family's kindness back then."

"The Robinson family did the Salazar family a huge favor. Before her parents passed away, they asked us to take care of Victoria, so there's no way I'm letting her die," he added.

As if trying to reassure himself, Scott muttered under his breath, "The only one I love is Katie."

Scott was saying that when Victoria opened her eyes and looked right at him.

He glanced down and saw her staring back at him, and he jumped a little.

Scott's face twitched awkwardly for a second before he grabbed his phone and typed out a message: [You're awake? Anything hurting?]

Victoria shook her head.

Scott was just about to say something when his phone started ringing, cutting him off.

Maybe he thought Victoria still couldn't hear him, so he picked up the call without worrying if anyone was listening.

Katie's shrill voice came through the phone. "Scott, where are you?"

"I'm at the hospital. What's up?" Scott replied.

"I just watched that video they sent of Victoria's warehouse, and my head's killing me. It feels like I'm about to remember something again. Can you come over and keep me company?" Katie pleaded.

Scott glanced at Victoria, pale and fragile in the hospital bed, looking conflicted. "Um..."

Before Scott could say anything, one of his buddies cut in for him. "Come on, nothing's more important to Scott than Katie. He'll be over soon, Katie. Just wait for him at home."

Katie giggled. "Okay, I'll be waiting."

After Katie hung up, one of the guys clapped Scott on the shoulder and grinned. "Relax, Scott. We'll look after Victoria. She'll be fine with us."

Scott glanced at Victoria, still uneasy, but then thought about Katie waiting for him at home.

Katie would be upset if he didn't go.

Scott sighed, biting back his frustration. "Alright, I'll head out and be back soon. You guys keep an eye on her for me."

The guys traded knowing looks. "Don't worry, Scott. We'll take good care of her, promise."