Chapter 5

Upon hearing Sienna's words, Callum couldn't hide the disappointment on his face. "Why are you hurting Sienna again?" Whatever instinct had driven him to save her dissolved, replaced by anger. He began scolding her. "Didn't I already tell you? Sienna's pregnant, and I've done what I had to do. "There's nothing more between us, and we're just in-laws. Why can't you just leave her alone? Apologize to her." Harper shivered in the lake, but Callum's blind accusations cut deeper than the cold water ever could. Water filled her mouth as she struggled, and the injuries on her back were torn open, staining the lake red. As she struggled toward the shore, he kicked her back into the water. Then, he fixed his cold gaze on her. "If you want out, then apologize." Without saying a word, she tried to swim to a different spot, but he was always one step ahead of her. Harper unyieldingly refused to apologize. Every time she got to the shore, Callum kicked her back in. When she reached her limit, she suddenly thought of the first time she met him. It was right by the lake as well. Back then, she was just trying to earn a living when some rich heir tried to force her into being his plaything. When she resisted, he threw her into the lake and toyed with her like she was a dog. It was sheer luck that Callum happened to pass by and rescue her. That was how their twisted story began. But who was going to save her this time? Harper smiled bitterly as she finally gave up. The water rose over her eyes and ears, crushing her from the inside out with sharp, searing pain. Right before she blacked out, she figured that dying by Callum's hand was as good an ending as any. But then, she felt someone pulling her out. He kept calling out to her, "Harper." Callum had been mad about Harper picking on Sienna and refusing to apologize. This time, he was dead set on teaching her a lesson. But he didn't expect her to be so stubborn, even when her life was on the line. When she disappeared under the water and didn't resurface, panic set in. Callum jumped in without thinking and pulled her out, but she was cold and lifeless, like a ragdoll. Overwhelmed with fear, he kept trying to push the water out of her and breathe life back into her. No matter how much Sienna called out to him, he didn't budge. At last, Harper spat out a mouthful of water and slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the regret in Callum's eyes, she grinned. It turned out that he still cared about her. Now she was even more curious how he would react once she faked her death. He mumbled nonsense as he held her closely, like she was a treasure he thought he had lost forever. "Thank God you're fine, Harper! This is all my fault. I don't know what the hell I was thinking—" Sienna called out, "My stomach hurts, Callum!" She had to call him over and over before he finally calmed down and let go of Harper. He looked at Sienna clutching her stomach, then at Harper's pale face. After a long pause, he came to a decision. "Leave the Colter residence, Harper. You've gone after Sienna's baby again and again. I won't be able to save you forever." Callum held Harper's hand firmly. "But don't worry. After things are stable with Sienna's pregnancy, I'll come to you, and we'll start planning our wedding in peace." He wasted no time and changed her into clean clothes. Then, he quietly sent her away from the Colter residence before dawn. But he didn't know that Sienna had gone behind his back and gotten the chauffeur to take her to a hotel instead. Before Harper could react, a group of men in black had already pinned her down. They threw her into a room where a man in a suit was waiting. But he didn't lay a hand on her. He just yanked at their clothes, tearing the seams and leaving the fabric twisted and askew. A woman suddenly stormed in, grabbed her hair, and slapped her over and over. Someone nearby recorded everything with a camera, and they didn't stop until the sound of a police siren filled the air. The woman yanked Harper by the hair to the doorway and whispered smugly in her ear, "Do you honestly think you can marry into the Colter family, you bitch? Keep dreaming." Then, she yelled, "I'm reporting someone for soliciting a prostitute."