Chapter 3

Caesar's expression was hideous as he revved the engine, making it roar. The sound pulled Nadia out of her reverie. She could tell he was mad—mad that Josephine had gotten into someone else's car before his very eyes and that she was going to marry someone else. She grabbed the handle above the door without saying anything. Then, she watched as he deliberately blocked the other car's path and cut it off. He also sped up as if challenging it. The trees outside zoomed past, and the nausea of having had too much to drink welled in her again. She endured it for as long as she could. When she was almost about to puke, she turned to Caesar to ask him to slow down. Her eyes widened as soon as she turned her head. As a deafening roar rang out, Nadia instinctively threw herself at Caesar. The impact was brutal. The car, which had been moving far too fast, was sent airborne before slamming back onto the ground with a sickening force. The airbags deployed instantly, making the glass shards scrape against her skin. Pain shot through every inch of her. Fortunately, it also stimulated her nerves, which helped her remain conscious. The sound of fuel dripping from the tank made its way to Nadia's ears, reminding her that she needed to get out of there fast. She didn't dare to just sit there and wait for someone to save them. Instead, she tried to break the window and get out. She didn't dare rest once she was out. She grabbed her cracked phone from her pocket and called 911 while trying to drag Caesar out of the car. "Hang on, Caesar! I'll get you out of there right now!" Fortunately, he was fine, thanks to Nadia's shielding him. Once he was free, he ran straight to the other car, which looked totaled. "Josie! Josie!" He staggered to the car and saw Sebastian stumble out. When he looked inside, he saw Josephine unconscious in the front passenger seat. Her head was covered in blood. Fury instantly burned away his rationality. He stormed forward and grabbed Sebastian by the collar. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "How the fuck could you not protect Josie?" "Who wouldn't save themselves first in a situation of life and death? I'm the Hartnett family's only son!" Sebastian shoved Caesar aside, still looking fearful. Then, he ran off to the roadside to hail a cab to the hospital. Caesar was left alone to save Josephine. Once he got her out of the car, he held her tightly. Just then, both cars exploded! The ambulance soon arrived, and everyone was taken to the hospital. Nadia silently watched as Caesar paced before the operating theater. Panic and worry were written all over his face. He didn't even spare her a glance. The doors swung open, and a nurse ran out. "The patient is suffering from significant blood loss and needs a transfusion, but we don't have enough on hand. Does anyone here have blood type A?" Caesar immediately said, "I do! Take my blood!" "No!" Nadia stopped him. She grabbed his arm and said firmly, "You've just been discharged from the hospital; you can't donate blood." He was about to go on a rampage when she continued, "My blood type is also A. Take mine." The nurse looked at her hesitantly, taking in her wounds and bloodied clothes. "But you're injured, too. You're not suited for a blood donation…" "I'm fine. Take mine!" Nadia stood before Caesar stubbornly, so she didn't see the complex look in his eyes. He never would've expected her to go to such lengths for him. Ultimately, Nadia headed to the blood donation room with the nurse. She was already injured; the nurse wanted to stop the donation when she saw how pale Nadia's lips became. However, Nadia stopped her. "I'm okay. I can get through this." Nadia felt her vision blur by the time everything was over. She braced herself against the wall as she staggered out of the blood donation room. Her head was spinning. Coincidentally, Josephine's surgery ended at that moment. She was wheeled out of the operating theater. Caesar hurried forward. His heartache was practically oozing from his eyes. He stayed by Josephine's side as she was wheeled to the hospital ward and cared for her with tender devotion. Nadia watched all of this play out from behind him. The dizziness and overwhelming weakness from blood loss finally caught up with her, and she fell sideways. Right before she passed out, she heard the nurse supporting her sigh and ask, "Do you love your boyfriend so much that you're willing to hurt yourself for his sake? I saw that he only has eyes for the woman who was in the operating theater, though!" Nadia smiled wanly without saying anything. However, she answered in her heart. She didn't love Caesar at all, but this was the only way for her to ensure that the wedding would go on as planned. That was the only way for her to save the person she truly loved. … Sebastian didn't show up anymore after that day, giving Caesar the perfect opportunity to stay by Josephine's side. The tension in their relationship reduced with every day that they spent together. They were no longer at each other's throats. Meanwhile, Nadia found herself barely speaking to Caesar. The few times they'd spoken on the phone or texted each other was when he'd ordered her to bring food for Josephine. She cared for them without complaint, though. One day, when she brought two portions of food to the hospital, Josephine looked at her and said, "Those caretakers do such a bad job of caring for me, Caesar. I think Nadia seems to be pretty good at that. How about you ask her to care for me for the next few days?" She sounded like she was asking for permission, but the look in her eyes made it clear that she was sure Caesar would agree. Sure enough, things turned out the way she expected. He didn't hesitate or ask Nadia for her opinion before agreeing. "I'm leaving Josie in your hands, Nadia. Take good care of her."