Chapter 2

As Ivy sank into the icy river, her consciousness slowly slipped away. She thought she was going to die, but when she opened her eyes, she was met with a blinding white light. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled her nose. Lying on a hospital bed, every inch of her body ached as if she'd been run over. "You're awake? How do you feel?" a nurse asked as she stepped in to change her bandages. Ivy's throat was dry, yet she managed to choke out in a hoarse voice, "W-Who brought me here?" "A kind stranger," the nurse said with a sigh. "What happened? How did you end up in the river for no reason?" Ivy closed her eyes as the voices echoed in her ears. "Ms. Lane sent us. You don't have to know who she is, but remember that Julian belongs to her. You don't deserve him." She said nothing, and the nurse didn't press either. The latter quietly left after dealing with her wounds. The ward fell into an eerie silence as Ivy lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her phone sat silently at the head of the bed. There were no messages or missed calls. Julian wasn't even searching for her. He might not have even realized she had gone missing. The corners of her lips tugged into a bitter smile as she figured that he was probably off seeing Sophia Lane. Well then. From now on, they could go their separate ways. He would continue being the heir of the Wests while she'd go back to being the heiress of the Bennetts. … Most of Ivy's injuries had healed after a few days in the hospital. While she was handling her discharge procedures, a sudden commotion broke out in the lobby of the hospital. "Move aside! Make way!" A line of bodyguards pushed through the crowd and cleared a path. When Ivy looked up, she noticed Julian striding in, carrying a woman. He wore a sharply tailored black suit with his luxury watch flashing coldly under the lights. Everything about him radiated aloof elegance, and he was a far cry from the delivery man he pretended to be. "Where's the director? Clear the entire floor and get the best orthopedic specialist here—now!" he coldly commanded. Frozen in place, Ivy stared at the lady in his arms. Dressed in a designer dress, her ankle was swollen and red. She whimpered softly as she nestled closer into his chest. "Julian, it hurts…" The sight stabbed Ivy straight through the heart like a dagger. So, that was his first love, Sophia. Ivy suddenly remembered that when she twisted her ankle last winter, Julian had gently helped her with applying the ointment. Back then, she truly believed he loved her. But now, Sophia had just sprained her ankle, and he was frantically commanding every doctor in the hospital to tend to her wounds. The kind treatment he had given Ivy wasn't even a fraction of what he gave Sophia. Ivy clenched the discharge papers and turned to leave, but Sophia suddenly asked, "Julian, who's that lady? She's been staring at you for a long time." Julian halted and followed her gaze. When he spotted Ivy, he frowned slightly. "Wait here," he murmured to Sophia before walking over. "Ivy, what are you doing here?" "I wasn't feeling well, so I came in for a check-up," she calmly replied before tossing him the question, "What about you? Who's that lady in your arms?" Julian's expression shifted slightly, but he soon regained his composure. "Don't get the wrong idea. I ran into her while delivering takeout, and I'm just sending her to the hospital." Delivering takeout? Ivy glanced at his suit and priceless watch, feeling utterly absurd. Now that Sophia was back, was he still unwilling to come clean? Was he addicted to this lying game now? She was about to expose that she knew all about his lies and his pretending to be poor. But before she could speak, Sophia cried out in pain in the ward. "Ouch! It hurts!" Julian paled and hurriedly said, "You head home. I'll be busy the next few days and won't be back." With that, he turned and sprinted toward the ward. He didn't look back once as he rushed to Sophia's side and carefully gathered her into his arms. "Where does it hurt? Hang in there. The doctor's on the way." Ivy stood frozen, watching him anxiously fuss around. Then, she chuckled softly. "Since you insist on putting up an act, do it to your heart's content," she murmured under her breath.