Chapter 9

Gianna was pinned down by Shane's men, and a chill ran straight through her. Was he really going to lock her up? He knew. He knew better than anyone that the one thing she feared most was being trapped in a confined room. When she and Grace were kids, they had been kidnapped and thrown into a dark storage room for seven days and seven nights. Ever since then, she had crippling claustrophobia. Any tight or dark space made her shake uncontrollably. She had once told that story to Shane in Grace's studio. He had held her so tightly back then and said, "It'll never happen again." She thought that was a promise he meant for life. But now, he was using her biggest fear against her. All because of Stella. Gianna curled up in the corner of the confinement room, panic crashing over her until her whole body shook. The fear squeezed the air out of her lungs until she couldn't breathe. But even then, she still didn't give in. This was her sister. She had to protect the last bit of dignity Grace left behind. Three full days and nights passed. Gianna hadn't had a drop of water. Her stomach was painfully empty. The cramps twisted so hard she had to gasp for air, her body on the edge of giving out. Shane's voice suddenly came through the speaker in the confinement room. "Gianna, are you really going to keep this up?" Gianna jerked her head up. Dozens of tiny red lights glowed back at her, each one like a pinprick stabbing straight into her eyes. The whole room was covered in hidden cameras. Which meant everything she'd been through these past three days, every tremor, every panic attack, every moment of despair, Shane had seen all of it. But even knowing everything, Shane still chose silence for Stella. He was cruel. Gianna shook so hard her vision spun, the room tilting wildly before everything went black. Right before she passed out, she heard one of Shane's men through the surveillance feed. "Mr. Kurt, we pulled some strings. Ms. Kurt has been bailed out." ... When Gianna opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital ward. On the bedside table sat a note in Shane's sharp, heavy handwriting, reading, "Stella's fine now." There was not a single word about Gianna. She tore the note into pieces, and a sharp, mocking smile tugged at her lips. At that moment, the trending page showed Stella's engagement livestream sitting at the top. It was only then that Gianna realized that it was Stella's engagement day. And it was also the final day of her divorce waiting period. She yanked out the IV, didn't bother changing out of the hospital gown, and went straight to the courthouse. An hour later, Gianna walked out holding two folders containing the divorce documents. Right then, Shane called. "You're not in good shape. You don't need to come in person." Gianna froze for a beat before it clicked. He was talking about the engagement venue. "I wasn't planning to—" Shane cut her off. "Get yourself ready. They need you on the livestream." He paused, then added, "You're still her sister-in-law." A sharp flicker of sarcasm crossed Gianna's eyes. So that was it. He was afraid her absence would make the Kurt family look bad. But thankfully, none of it hurt her anymore. She was so calm that she felt nothing. If anything, she was ready to return every bit of pain she had been put through these past few days. When she answered Shane, she even gave a faint smile. "Got it." Seeing her so agreeable, Shane let out a breath. "We'll discuss everything else after the engagement party." Gianna replied, "Sure." After hanging up, she didn't go back to the hospital. She called a cab straight to the airport. She bought a last-minute ticket to Icehill. While she was waiting at the gate, Shane's video call for the livestream came through. Gianna opened the streaming app. Her pale face appeared before the millions watching. The host greeted her, "Mrs. Kurt, hello! "We heard you're hospitalized due to health issues. Wishing you a speedy recovery. "As Ms. Kurt's sister-in-law, you insisted on being part of her engagement even from afar. That's so sweet. We're all jealous. You two must be so close! You can send your blessing now." Gianna cleared her throat. She adjusted the camera so her face filled the screen, every tiny expression impossible to miss. Then she spoke, slowly and calmly, "Stella, marrying a man you don't love must feel awful, right? As your sister-in-law, of course, I don't want you to be unhappy. "So, I've already divorced Shane. I'm done with him. He's all yours. ​​I wish you and Shane a long, happy life together. May you stay together forever."