Chapter 4

When Adrianna opened her eyes, the blinding white light made her instinctively raise an arm to shield them. The cluster of needle marks along her arm was a stark reminder of that brutal, forced blood draw. "Anna, you're finally awake!" Nolan was the first to rush to her bedside. His eyes, usually brimming with affection, were now full of feigned concern. He reached out to touch her face, but she turned away. "Sorry, we were too late." Conrad's gentle, apologetic voice rang out beside her. "James has really gone too far. How could he force you to donate your blood?" Liam handed her a glass of warm water. "Get some rest. We'll deal with James right now." She watched their clumsy performance, her throat dry and burning. After all, she was way too familiar with this. Every time James neglected her in the past, those three men would always appear at the right time and sweet-talk her into brushing off her sufferings. "No need," she croaked. "Leave me alone." The three of them exchanged a glance. Nolan stood up first. "Alright, then you get some rest. We'll… be right back." They left in such a hurry that they didn't even shut the door properly. Through the crack, Adrianna could hear their hushed conversation in the corridor. "Has Ceci woken up yet?" "James won't let anyone see her…" "Let's go buy her favorite dessert first." When the door finally clicked shut, she laughed—hard until tears spilled down her face. She was too exhausted to even bother exposing their lies. In the days that followed, Adrianna had been spending her time in the hospital alone. Every time the nurse came to change her dressing, she looked like she had something to say. But in the end, she only sighed. "Ms. Quinnen, your friends aren't visiting you today? Adrianna shook her head, her gaze falling on the bouquet of lilies on her nightstand. The edges of the petals had begun to yellow and curl—just like the false concern that came with them. That bouquet had been from Nolan, three days ago. Her phone buzzed with a message from Conrad. "Anna, something urgent came up at the company. We have to go abroad. I've arranged the best caretaker for you, so don't worry." Another message from Liam came through. "We'll bring you a gift when we're back, princess!" "Focus on your recovery. When we return, I'll take you to your favorite restaurant." The last message was from Nolan. Adrianna tossed her phone aside. She didn't care whether they came or not—what she couldn't stand was the incompetence of the caretakers they hired. They had spilled scalding water over her hand and hadn't noticed when her needles came loose. And during dressing changes, they had yanked the gauze so roughly that it made her wince in pain. In the end, her injuries didn't heal. She gained new burns and bruises instead. "I want to be discharged." Finally, Adrianna could no longer bear it. She ignored their protests and signed the discharge papers. At the same time, Nolan, Conrad, and Liam had finished dealing with their so-called company matter and came to pick her up. As they passed the VIP ward, a tender exchange drifted out of the slightly ajar door. "Just one more sip, okay?" James' low, doting voice echoed in the air. "The doctor said you need more nourishment." Adrianna froze. Through the crack, she saw James feeding Cecilia soup, his movements as gentle as if she were a fragile treasure. "Mr. Emmons hasn't left Ms. Reed's side these past few days," a passing nurse whispered to her colleague. "He's even postponed company meetings. Such devotion!" Adrianna instantly gripped the hem of her shirt. "Anna…" Nolan stepped forward, a hint of concern flickering across his face. "Don't be sad. James doesn't know what he's missing—but we like you." "That's right," Conrad concurred gently. "You can choose one of us for your birthday party." Liam leaned toward her as well. "We'll treat you right." Adrianna smirked, though her eyes had turned cold. "I don't want to choose." She met their gaze, enunciating each word. "I don't want any of you."