Yara stood still as she watched Bryce and Yelena kiss. There were many things she wanted to say, but when she tried to speak, nothing came out.

Yelena's expression shifted in a panic. She pushed Bryce away and rushed over to Yara.

"Yara, why… Why didn't you c-call me when you got up? I was just talking to Bryce about what gift would cheer you up after such a b-bad injury," Yelena stammered. "Then a bug flew into my hair, and he was helping me get it out."

She rambled on, shooting Bryce desperate looks. She hoped he would agree with her.

His expression grew icy. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.

When he saw Yelena was on the verge of tears, he finally nodded. His voice was clipped and firm when he said, "Yes."

Yara knew Yelena was only doing this to protect their seven-year friendship.

When she first learned the truth, Yara had hated Yelena for a while. She didn't know

After they were done shopping, it was already evening. Bryce took a look at the time and asked Yara what she wanted to eat.

Yara didn't have much appetite, so he made a reservation at a Karonese restaurant.

He said offhandedly, "Lena said she's getting her nails done nearby, so I invited her to join us for dinner."

The city of Jedo was huge, but somehow they all bumped into each other here.

Yara didn't know if it was a coincidence or if it was planned, and she didn't care to find out. She just hummed a response.

Feeling tired, she went ahead to rest in the private dining room.

Ten minutes later, Bryce walked in with Yelena. 

Yelena came over with a bright smile. "Yara, I told Bryce to take you on a date today. How did he do?"

It was only then that Yara realized why Bryce had been so proactive today. Yelena had asked him to.

In their three years of marriage, even the rare moments

Everyone in the family argued until their faces turned red, but Yara stayed silent the whole time.

She sat upright in her seat, watching Bryce lose control while fighting with his parents. She felt like something was pressing on her chest, making it feel tight and heavy.

Just as she got up to leave, Richard, shaking with rage, suddenly flipped the table.

"What nonsense are you talking about? The Daltons have had nine generations. What do you mean you'll never have children?"

The dishes and plates on the table flew across the room. Bryce reacted quickly and shielded Yelena from it all.

Yara couldn't react in time and stood frozen in place. Everything—knives, forks, plates, and hot soup—hit her straight on.

She yelped loudly as the soup burned her arm. Her skin turned red, and blisters quickly rose.

Porcelain hit her shoulder, neck, and forehead. Blood spilled and quickly soaked through her clothes.

Yara let out a muffled groan and collapsed heavily onto the floor. Her whole body felt like she had been battered. Her limbs stung and itched sharply, and the pain tore through her nerves.

She forced her eyes open and saw Bryce walking away with Yelena in his arms. They left without even looking back.

Her vision blurred. She felt something heavy pull on her consciousness, and she blacked out.

…

Yara didn't know how much time had passed. When she woke up, she found herself in the hospital.

Yelena sat by the bed, dozing off. Behind her stood Bryce, his expression icy.

He took off his jacket and draped it over Yelena's shoulders. Just as he reached out to touch her face, he met Yara's gaze.

He froze, then pulled back his hand. Without saying a word, he turned to get the doctor.

After she watched him leave, Yara tried to pull her arm out from under Yelena's head, numb from being used as a pillow. She accidentally jostled Yelena awake.

Yelena opened her eyes in a daze, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"Yara, are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." 

Yara looked at the bandages on her body and shook her head.

Yelena finally relaxed and poured a glass of water, then handed it to Yara.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared yesterday. You got burned and had a bad allergic reaction," Yelena said. "I really regret not stopping you from eating that lobster tail. You knew you were allergic, so why didn't you tell Bryce?"

While she complained softly, Bryce came back with the doctor.

When he heard about the allergy, he froze. There was a complicated mix of emotions on his face as he looked at Yara.

Yara shook her head.

"I wasn't trying to prove anything. There were too many rules at the family dinner, and everyone was watching. I didn't want to ruin anyone's mood, so I ate the lobster tail."

Yelena sighed and held Yara's hand. "I know you don't like those dinners. I have some good news for you. Bryce promised me that we wouldn't have to go to any family dinner again, except for Christmas.

"You won't have to be so careful anymore, and I won't get pressured to marry either!"

Thinking back to the chaos before she passed out, Yara wasn't surprised at all when she heard the news.

Bryce had even gone against his family just to stop Yelena from getting married. It was evident that his love for Yelena had reached the point where he no longer cared about consequences.

Yara knew that with how he was doing everything he could to protect Yelena, it was only a matter of time before he made his feelings public.

When that happened, it would definitely stir up chaos again.

She didn't want to get dragged into it. Yara just wanted to walk away and never come back.

Yelena was about to say something when she saw how quiet Yara was, but her phone suddenly rang.

When she saw Richard's name on the screen, her expression faltered. Yelena looked at Bryce, almost like she was asking for help.

He frowned deeply and took the phone from her before quickly leaving the room.

Just from his expression, Yelena knew something would go wrong and rushed after him.

The room fell silent again, with only the doctor still checking Yara's condition. 

"Everything seems fine. But just to be safe, you should go upstairs for a full checkup," the doctor said.

Yara took the form from the doctor and went for the tests alone.

The elevators were all on the top floor. She didn't want to wait, so she headed for the stairs.

But just as she reached the stairwell, she heard a familiar voice.

"Yelena, listen to me. I don't care how they feel once they find out our feelings are mutual. I just want to keep you by my side and never let you go. If being with you means giving up the Daltons' inheritance, I'm fine with that!" Bryce said.

"Have you thought about Yara at all? She's your wife and my best friend. I can't put her through that!" Tears streamed down Yelena's face as she looked at him.

Bryce grabbed her hand. His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was tight with despair. 

"If you didn't want to hurt her, then you never should have pushed me to marry her! You knew I never liked her. You're the only one I love."

His voice broke as he poured out the pain he had held back for so long. Without holding back anymore, he leaned in to kiss Yelena.

Yelena closed her eyes and didn't push him away, melting into the kiss. Just as she began to lose her breath, she choked out a soft, "Bryce."

Then, she rested her head against his chest, breathing hard.

As she began to catch her breath, she looked up and saw someone standing at the doorway.

She froze.

"Yara?"

Yara stood still as she watched Bryce and Yelena kiss. There were many things she wanted to say, but when she tried to speak, nothing came out.

Yelena's expression shifted in a panic. She pushed Bryce away and rushed over to Yara.

"Yara, why… Why didn't you c-call me when you got up? I was just talking to Bryce about what gift would cheer you up after such a b-bad injury," Yelena stammered. "Then a bug flew into my hair, and he was helping me get it out."

She rambled on, shooting Bryce desperate looks. She hoped he would agree with her.

His expression grew icy. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.

When he saw Yelena was on the verge of tears, he finally nodded. His voice was clipped and firm when he said, "Yes."

Yara knew Yelena was only doing this to protect their seven-year friendship.

When she first learned the truth, Yara had hated Yelena for a while. She didn't know how to face her.

But once she decided to walk away, the love and hatred started to fade. None of i

Chapter 5