Chapter 3

Because of last night's weighted run, Hayden had collapsed right there on the field.

When I walked into the base infirmary, Hayden was lying on the hospital bed, eyes closed, hooked up to an IV.

Lily, dressed in a white coat, was sitting beside the bed, gently dabbing his cracked lips with a water-soaked cotton swab.

Her movements were tender.

"Captain Cross is just too stupid," Lily said without lifting her head, her voice low. "He pushes himself this hard every time just to get back to New York sooner to marry that Miss Sterling. But doesn't he think? With all these injuries, who's going to take care of him when he gets back?"

I stood at the door watching this scene, my heart constricting like it was being squeezed by a steel wire. I could barely breathe.

Once upon a time, Hayden had taken care of me like this too.

The year I caught a cold that turned into pneumonia, he ran three blocks through a blizzard just to buy me the pear soup I'd craved. When he came back, his eyebrows were caked with ice.

While blowing on the soup to cool it, he coaxed me in a soft, heartbroken voice: "Vivian, good girl. Drink this and it'll stop hurting. From now on, I'll watch over you. I'll never let you get sick again, not for the rest of your life."

Now, that same tenderness, he was giving to someone else.

Hearing the noise, Lily turned her head.

Seeing it was me, a flash of panic darted across her eyes.

"Miss Sterling? When did you get here?" She jolted to her feet, the water cup in her hand crashing to the floor.

Hayden startled awake.

He opened his eyes, and the instant he saw me, his pupils contracted sharply.

"Vivian... why are you here?" His voice was hoarse, and he instinctively tried to sit up, but the movement pulled at the wounds on his back, making him break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

"I heard you self-harmed again to marry me, so I came to see," I said calmly, walking to the bedside, my gaze sweeping over his blistered hands. "Hayden, I almost believed it."

Hayden's face stiffened for a moment, then he looked urgently at Lily: "Lily, step outside first. Vivian and I have things to discuss."

Lily bit her lip, her eyes rimmed red: "Your wounds haven't been re-dressed..."

"Out!" Hayden's tone hardened.

Only then did Lily leave, glancing back every few steps.

Just before stepping out, she deliberately adjusted the work badge on her chest.

I saw it clearly—it was the position of Chief Accompanying Medic for the peacekeeping base.

A position that should have belonged to the specialist sent from headquarters.

So Hayden had used his authority to forcibly keep Lily by his side for five full years.

"Vivian, listen to me." Hayden grabbed my hand desperately. "Last night I just felt guilty, felt I'd let you down, so I wanted to burn off some energy. Lily is just the doctor here. There's really nothing between us..."

"Nothing?"

I looked down at him, my eyes filled with nothing but cold mockery. "Hayden, you dared to reject the return-home marriage approval with your own hand. What am I really to you?"

Hayden's breath suddenly stopped, panic flooding his eyes: "You... you saw?"