Chapter 4

Taryn bit down on her lip so hard that she tasted a hint of blood. With just a few words, Zane had brushed aside everything Bernice had done. Did he really like Bernice that much? Before Taryn could even ask, a panicked shout from a staff member rang out. "Oil is leaking! This is bad. Run! The car's going to explode!" Everyone ran without thinking. A second later, an explosion erupted. Taryn was a step too slow. The blast wave knocked her off her feet, and something sharp struck her. Pain crashed over her, and her ears rang. Through her blurry vision, she saw Zane. Zane had shielded Bernice completely, leaving her uninjured. Even so, he was trembling. His voice shook with fear as he asked, "Bernice, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Zane didn't spare Taryn a single glance. Tears burned her eyes, and it felt as if her heart had been torn apart. He had made it clear that they were only sleeping together and that he had someone he liked. At this point, Taryn couldn't even tell which hurt more—her body or her heart. Still, she looked toward Zane again, stubbornly, but she had no strength left. Soon, the pain and the tears pulled her under, and she closed her eyes. In the haze before losing consciousness completely, she thought she heard him calling her name in a panic. She gave a bitter smile. That was impossible. There was no way he would care whether she lived or died. When Taryn woke, a sharp smell of disinfectant hit her. She instantly realized she was in a hospital. "Ms. Vant, you're awake." Taryn turned toward the voice and saw Bernice sitting to the side with a smug smile. During the explosion, Bernice hadn't suffered a single scratch thanks to Zane protecting her. Meanwhile, Taryn had been rushed into emergency care and was operated on for five hours before she was stabilized. "Ms. Vant, this isn't our first time meeting. You should already know that I'm Zane's first love. Do you know why he fell for me? Seven years ago, you saved a boy who fell into the water," Bernice said. Upon hearing that, Taryn froze, and her eyes widened. Back then, she had been living with Ethan. During training, she had rescued a teenage boy who had accidentally slipped into the water. But how would Bernice know that? With a smug smile, Bernice brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "The person you saved was Zane. When he woke up, he mistook me for you. He fell for his rescuer at first sight, but he fell for the wrong person." Taryn's heart pounded wildly. As her memories resurfaced, her nose stung. She clenched the bedsheet, but Bernice wasn't finished. Bernice continued, "By the way, your mentor didn't die from rescuing you. He was saved at first, but I happened to be hospitalized then. My organs were failing, so Zane secretly ordered a compatibility test. "Coincidentally, your mentor was a match. So, Zane had your mentor's heart transplanted into me. If not for that, your mentor wouldn't have died." Taryn turned her head, and time seemed to freeze. Her ears buzzed. Only one thought echoed in her mind—Ethan died because of Bernice and Zane. Seeing how shaken Taryn was, Bernice looked delighted. She stood and delivered one final blow. "Zane treats me very well. I said my heart hurt and that I'd only feel better once the original owner's ashes were destroyed. So he did it. He knew exactly whose ashes they were. Your mentor's ashes are probably at the bottom of a fish pond by now." Taryn's eyes reddened. The hatred rising inside her burned away the last of her restraint. She lunged from the bed and grabbed Bernice by the throat. Her voice was hoarse as she shouted, "I'm going to kill you!"