Chapter 2

"Now, can you let her go?" Julian's face was paper-white, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he still forced himself to stand straight. "You let her go and come at me. Do whatever you want to me... Even if you want my life, that's fine..." The kidnapper burst into wild laughter. "It looks like you really are madly in love with her. That makes me want to kill her even more so you will feel what real despair is!" Just as he raised the knife toward Sienna, the guards who had been lying in wait rushed out from all sides and took him down in seconds. Sienna broke free and stumbled into Julian's arms, sobbing so hard that she could barely breathe. "Julian! Are you insane? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could've died!" Julian lifted a shaking hand and gently wiped the tears from her face, his voice low. "Don't cry... It doesn't hurt..." Sienna was furious and terrified. "You're bleeding everywhere, and yet you say it doesn't hurt?" She suddenly snatched the bloody knife off the floor and slashed it across her own arm. Blood burst from the wound immediately. "What are you doing?" Julian's expression changed instantly. He grabbed her wrist hard. Sienna's tears obscured her vision as she stared at him, her voice breaking. "Does it hurt now? Julian, do you understand? When I see you get hurt..." She paused and pointed at her heart. "It hurts right here just as much! So from now on, don't ever do something that reckless, not even for me!" Julian stared at the wound on her arm and the stubborn determination in her eyes. His eyes turned red. He pulled her tightly into his arms, his voice hoarse. "Alright. I get it. I'll take care of myself." The ambulance arrived quickly. The paramedics loaded Julian onto a stretcher and carried him out. From beginning to end, no one noticed Trina standing in the shadows at the back of the warehouse, her face drained of color. It felt like every bit of strength had been sucked out of her. Her whole body was freezing. What exactly was going on between Julian and Sienna? The way he looked at her, the way he hurt himself for her, and the way she slashed herself to stop him—all of it showed a bond so unbreakable that no one else could ever get between them. Countless questions and speculations spun through Trina's mind so fast that she thought she might lose it. Just then, a shadow suddenly fell across her. Trina looked up and realized Sienna was standing right in front of her. Without warning, Sienna raised her hand and slapped Trina hard across the face. Trina's head jerked to the side, heat burning across her cheek. Rage shot straight to her head. Trina had never been the type to swallow an insult. If someone hit her, she would hit back. She raised her hand, ready to return the slap twice as hard. "Go ahead! Hit me! Beat me to death if you want!" Sienna lifted her chin and closed her eyes like she was facing an execution. Her voice shook with tears and hatred. "It doesn't matter anyway. The Shepherd family already ruined both my life and Julian's! If we can't be together in this lifetime, I don't want to live either!" Trina's raised hand trembled and froze in midair. She forced herself to swallow the pain in her cheek and the sharper pain in her chest. Staring at Sienna, she squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. "What's going on between you and Julian?" Sienna looked at Trina with a twisted, sorrowful smile. Then, she laid out the truth. Two years ago, Sienna and Julian had been in love. They were already talking about marriage. Then, Sienna was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that required an extremely expensive imported miracle drug to keep her alive. And across all of Flarora, only Trina's father, Wayne Shepherd, had the connections to obtain that drug. To save Sienna, Julian went to beg Wayne. Wayne made his condition clear. He wanted Julian to marry Trina, who was spoiled and reckless. If Julian agreed to marry Trina and make sure she had his child, Wayne would give him the medicine. So, Julian married Trina and completely cut ties with Sienna. When the truth hit, Trina felt like she had been struck by lightning. Her teeth clamped down on her lower lip until the taste of blood spread through her mouth. It was no wonder Julian had never backed out of the engagement and never let her go, no matter how she acted out or how hard she pushed him away. No wonder that after the wedding, he had given in to her on everything—except in bed, where he became obsessively intense. He went to her almost every night, over and over. Even when she was drained and pleaded for him to stop, he still wasn't satisfied. What she had taken for love and devotion was really just him forcing himself. He had been doing whatever it took to keep another woman alive. The humiliation and heartbreak were so sharp that it felt like they were tearing her apart. Trina looked straight at Sienna, her eyes as cold as a blade. "If what you just said is a lie, I swear I'll make you wish you were dead!" She paused, her voice rough with a kind of broken resolve. "If it's true... I'll give you and Julian an answer." She didn't look at Sienna again. She turned around and walked straight back to the Shepherd residence. When she walked in, her father was at the dining table with her stepmother, Jessica Reed, and the pampered illegitimate children they adored. They were all laughing over dinner, the picture of a happy family. "Wayne Shepherd!" Trina called his full name, her voice icy. "I have something to ask you!" Wayne's face darkened. He set his cutlery down with a clang. "You have no manners at all. You married Julian and still haven't learned to be even a little mature? What, you can't even call me 'Dad' now? You're getting more and more out of line!" Trina stared at him with reddened eyes and said nothing. The next second, she strode forward, grabbed the heavy tablecloth with both hands, and yanked it. Dishes and cups crashed to the floor. Soup and food splattered everywhere. Jessica and the children screamed. "Now, can you talk to me properly?" Trina asked, standing in the middle of the wreckage, her eyes locked on Wayne.