Chapter 3

I snapped my head up.

The coordinator glanced nervously at Chloe, lowering her voice even further.

"Miss Chloe said earlier that she was going to take your grandmother to watch your engagement video preview."

The next second, the giant projector screen in the hall lit up.

But it wasn't our engagement video.

It was the security footage outside the VIP dressing room.

The video had no sound, but it was clear enough for everyone to see. Chloe walked out of the room with her shoulder strap falling down, and Julian followed closely behind, buttoning up his collar.

A dead silence fell over the hall.

Then came the sharp gasps and the hushed, frantic whispering.

May was sitting in her wheelchair in the front row, still holding the candy I had prepared for her.

She didn't understand the drama.

But she understood the look on my face.

She looked up at me, her lips trembling. "Audrey, sweetie... is someone hurting you?"

I rushed forward to block the screen.

"Turn it off!" I screamed.

The staff scrambled in a panic, but the video kept playing.

Chloe stood in the crowd, calling out, "Audrey, I just wanted May to see that Julian can actually be passionate. You always act so cold and distant, May probably thought Julian didn't even like you."

Julian strode over to the control panel and violently ripped the power cord out.

The screen went black.

He turned around and saw May's deathly pale face. For the first time, panic flashed in his eyes.

"Call a doctor!"

By the time the standby medical team rushed in, May was clutching my hand, refusing to let go.

"Audrey, what's wrong between you and Julian?"

My nose stung with tears, and I pressed her cold hand against my cheek.

Julian knelt beside her, softening his voice. "May, I'm sorry. I messed up. I'll handle this."

May didn't even look at him.

Julian looked up at me.

"Audrey, let's postpone the engagement party. I'll take Chloe away first. Tomorrow, I will personally come to your house to make things right."

His eyes held that familiar urgency.

I almost believed him.

But then Chloe suddenly picked up a broken champagne glass from a table and dragged the sharp edge across her palm.

Blood instantly welled up and dripped down her wrist.

She didn't cry. She just stared straight at Julian.

"You're taking me away? To where?"

She let out a bitter laugh that sounded worse than sobbing.

"Julian, after my dad died, my relatives treated me like a nuisance. Audrey has May to love her, and she has you to protect her. Even her stupid countdown serves as her shield. What about me? I try to steal you just once, and she wants to drag me through the dirt."

Julian stood up, clearly torn. "I need to take her to the hospital too."

I stepped in front of him. "You just said you were taking her away."

He stared at the blood dripping from Chloe's hand, his jaw clenched tight.

"She's bleeding, Audrey. Hospital first."

Chloe shot me a look.

It was a brief, subtle glance.

But it said everything: See? He still cares about me more.

In the hospital hallway, May was wheeled into the observation room.

Julian stood next to me, his phone buzzing nonstop.

Chloe was sobbing hysterically from the emergency bay on the other side of the corridor.

I said, "Julian, go to her. Let's just end it here."

He closed his eyes.

"Audrey, stop using breakups to threaten me. Don't you believe in your countdown more than anything? Until it hits zero, you won't leave me."

"It already did."

Julian froze.

Chloe's crying echoed from the other end of the hall again.

Ultimately, he turned away.

"I'll be right back."

He never came back.

At 2:00 AM, a nurse walked up to me with a ward transfer notice.

"Miss Audrey, the pre-op consultation for your grandmother has been suspended. Also, we need to vacate this VIP private suite."

I took the document.

On the family signature line, written in bold, familiar handwriting, was one name:

Julian Sterling.