Chapter 2
Just then, the sound of the door opening echoed through the entryway, and in the next instant, Ryan stormed in.
His expression was grim, but the moment he saw Emily, he finally let out a breath of relief.
"Emily, why didn't you answer your phone?" Ryan's voice was sharp, almost desperate. "I called you fifty-four times."
She blinked, momentarily thrown off. She'd blocked his number, so of course his calls never came through.
"Why did you check yourself out of the hospital?" Ryan stepped forward, gripping Emily's wrist tightly. "Do you even know what it felt like not being able to find you? I thought you..."
He stopped, clenching his eyes shut, fighting back the surge of emotion.
Emily's brows knit together, her voice cold and distant. "Let go. You're hurting me."
However, Ryan still wouldn't release her. He glanced at the bare wall, his eyes raging like a storm.
"Why did you throw away our wedding photo? I knew you were still angry! Emily, you used to understand me. It's not about me—it's about the country! We need Sophie right now, so nothing can happen to her..." Ryan's voice was tight with frustration.
"That's enough. I don't want to hear your lies anymore," Emily snapped, jerking her hand free.
A fake marriage couldn't fool anyone, and neither could the way he care about Sophie. She was not blind.
Ryan looked at her, disappointment written all over his face. "Emily, you've changed."
Emily almost laughed. 'Yeah, I've changed. Because I'm finally not a fool anymore,' she thought.
"But I just want you to understand—you're the one I love most. I can't live without you, I just can't..." Ryan's eyes went teary as he suddenly strode over and picked Emily up.
Ignoring her resistance, he threw her onto the bed, pulled out a pair of gleaming handcuffs from his pocket, and cuffed her to the headboard.
Emily stared at him, utterly shocked. "Ryan, are you crazy?"
"I really lost it when I couldn't find you!" Ryan fired back.
Ryan leaned over her, his kiss wild and reckless, almost losing control. "Emily, please, don't be mad at me..."
As he kissed her, Emily felt a surge of nausea rise up inside her.
With her free hand, she slapped him hard across the face.
Ryan froze. Emily was breathing hard, her eyes rimmed with angry tears. "Get out! Who gave you the right to touch me?"
"I..." Ryan started, but before he could finish, his phone rang sharply.
He glanced at the caller ID, and his face darkened.
Ryan shot to his feet and bolted out of the room.
"Emily, wait for me! I've got something to deal with, I'll be right back!" he shouted as he left.
And just like that, he was gone.
The only thing left in the room was Emily's ragged breathing. She fought against the handcuffs, and soon her wrists were rubbed raw by the cold metal.
All that struggling made her unhealed wounds throb with pain. It took ages for Emily to calm down, and when she finally did, she just bit her pale lips and let tears fall.
The sky was getting darker, but Ryan—who said he'd be right back—was nowhere to be seen. Her phone was still lying on the couch, completely out of reach.
Emily tried everything she could think of: picking the lock with a hairpin, dragging the bed as far as she could, even trying to pry the headboard loose. Nothing worked.
Even worse, dizziness started to hit her, with her wounds aching nonstop, and hunger clung to her like a shadow. She curled up on the bed, miserable and hurting all over.
Day turned into night, and night turned into day.
Ryan never came back, not for a whole day and night.
As Emily drifted in and out of consciousness, she found herself dreaming of the day Ryan proposed to her.
Back then, Ryan's eyes were full of tenderness as he looked at her, his voice soft and sincere. "The most important rule for a negotiator is to always stay calm. But ever since I met you, I've been breaking that rule every single day."
With that, he slipped the ring onto her finger with such gentleness, and his kiss was so precious, like he was afraid he might lose her.
How could everything turn out to be a lie?
A sudden cramp twisted through her stomach, leaving her dazed and barely hanging on between pain and consciousness. For a second, she really thought she might die right there.
Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door burst open, and Ryan's frantic voice echoed in the room. "Emily!"
His hands shook as he struggled with the handcuffs, fumbling several times before finally getting them off. Without wasting a second, he gathered Emily into his arms and hurried out, desperate to get her help.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Ryan choked out, his voice shaking with emotion.
He rushed her to the car, his words tumbling out in panic, almost a sob. "I swear I didn't mean to leave you like that... Emily, please, wake up..."
*****
When Emily opened her eyes again, the cold, sterile glow of the hospital lights was all she saw.
She'd ended up in the hospital three times in just a few months—all because of the man she once loved more than anything.
He never stopped saying he loved her, but he never stopped hurting her either.
Her head felt like it was splitting open, and as soon as her fingers barely moved, someone grabbed her hand.
"Emily?" Ryan's voice was rough, full of worry. "Does anything else hurt?"
The instant Emily heard Ryan, she jerked her hand back. The sudden movement sent a jolt of pain through her injuries, and she hissed in pain.
"Don't move!" Ryan moved swiftly, his hands gripping her shoulders. Emily saw the raw redness rimming his eyes.
Without a second thought, she mustered all her remaining strength and slapped him across the face.
But she was so weak, her slap was soft and barely landed.
Yet his head still jerked to the side from the impact.
He said, turning back to her with a faint smile, his cheek already flushed, "Nice one. I deserved that.
"If hitting me a few more times helps you get it out of your system, go ahead."
Emily's voice was hoarse. "I don't want to see you again."
The smile froze on his face. Panic flared in his eyes as he reached for her hands, his tone softening to a pleading murmur. "Darling, don't say things like that... it's all my fault. There was an urgent situation, a negotiation that ran for a full day and night... Please, just forgive me this once?"
Emily closed her eyes, fighting back the urge to say it out loud—she'd seen the caller ID, it was Sophie. Just one call from her, and Ryan dropped everything, leaving Emily cuffed to the bed for an entire day and night, like she didn't even matter.