Chapter 4

Jason's expression changed drastically. He rushed forward, scooped up the unconscious Sophia, and ran toward the hospital without looking back. Maya stood there, her fingers curling slightly, but eventually followed. Under the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor, the operating room remained illuminated. Jason stood outside the doors, Sophia's blood still staining his suit. His usually composed face showed rare signs of anxiety. Maya sat quietly nearby, saying nothing. Suddenly, the operating room doors burst open, and a doctor rushed out. "We have an emergency! The patient is hemorrhaging and needs an immediate transfusion. But she has O-negative blood, and our supply is critically low!" Jason's brow furrowed. He was about to speak, but Maya had already stood up. "I'm O-negative. I can donate to her." Jason whipped around to look at her, shock flashing in his eyes. Maya met his gaze calmly. "Saving her life comes first." She followed the nurse for the blood draw. As a pint of blood slowly drained from her body, her face grew increasingly pale, but her expression remained serene. Jason stood nearby, staring at the needle in her slender arm. That strange feeling in his chest was growing stronger. Just how much did she care for him? After the donation, Maya pressed gauze to her arm and walked out to find Jason still standing motionless outside the operating room. She hesitated, then approached him softly. "Don't worry. She'll be fine." Jason looked up at her, his voice somewhat hoarse. "Why haven't you left yet?" Maya shook her head. "Ms. Page had the wrong idea about us. When she wakes up, I need to clear things up with her." Jason stared at her pale face and suddenly asked, "Do you really care about me that much?" Maya froze. Just as she was about to respond, the operating room doors opened and the doctor emerged. "The surgery was successful. The patient will wake up once the anesthesia wears off." Jason's tense shoulders finally relaxed. Maya quietly stepped aside, saying nothing more. … A few hours later, Sophia woke up. The moment she opened her eyes and saw Maya standing by her bed, her eyes immediately welled with tears. "Jason, did you bring her here so I'd give up on you?" Maya quickly stepped forward, explaining softly, "Ms. Page, you've misunderstood. Jason really did have a meeting that day. He only took me shopping because it was convenient. It wasn't a date. He didn't lie to you." Jason nodded as well. "This is just an arranged marriage. There are no feelings involved." Sophia bit her lip as tears fell. "Then prove it. Prove you don't have any feelings for her whatsoever." Jason frowned. "What do you want me to prove?" Sophia thought for a moment, then suddenly pointed toward the window. "Throw her into the icy lake." Jason's expression shifted. "Sophia…" "You're hesitating?" Sophia's voice trembled. "You do have feelings for her!" Jason remained silent for several seconds before sighing and gesturing to his bodyguards. "Throw her in the lake." Maya's pupils contracted. She knew Jason would do anything for Sophia, but she hadn't expected him to be this ruthless. But she couldn't resist. She had to endure it. The bodyguards dragged her outside while Jason remained motionless, his expression unreadable. The lake's water was freezing. The moment Maya was pushed in, she nearly suffocated. Freezing water flooded her nose, numbing her limbs. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay afloat, but her body still sank. The bodyguards on the shore watched indifferently. Not one extended a hand to help. Maya's consciousness gradually faded. In that moment, she seemed to see herself as a child, abandoned by her parents in the countryside. She was shivering in winter without warm clothes, curled up in Olivia's woodshed. Her entire life, she had never truly mattered to anyone. After what felt like an eternity, Maya was finally pulled from the water. Her body was ice-cold, her lips blue, and she had lost consciousness. In her haze, she felt someone wiping her body with warm towels, the movements surprisingly gentle. She instinctively grasped that hand, murmuring, "Just hold on a little longer… I can leave soon…" The next moment, that hand gripped hers tightly, with enough force to almost crush her bones. "What do you mean leave?" Jason's voice was icy.