Chapter 5

Alexander bent down to pick up the phone, and he gripped the device tightly. "Why do you have a photo of me when I was younger?" Vanessa snatched it back, her voice slightly tense. "You're mistaken." Alexander's gaze was sharp. "No way. That uniform is from my high school, and even the tie clip matches." The face in the photo was slightly blurred, but the features were undeniably similar to Alexander's younger self. However, he had no memory of ever knowing Vanessa back then. An absurd thought flashed through his mind, and he released her wrist. He stared at her with an odd expression as he asked, "Are you that obsessed with me? You even cut out an old photo of me and photoshopped yourself next to it?" Vanessa opened her mouth but couldn't say a word. How could she explain to him that the person in the photo wasn't him but Matthias, who had long gone? Her silence only made Alexander's eyes turn colder. "I told you. No matter what you do, I'll never fall for you. My heart belongs to Lucille. Enough with your pathetic games." He turned to leave. However, something tightened in his chest, and his heartbeat quickened in a way he couldn't explain. ... Three days later, Lucille's birthday party was held as scheduled. Vanessa organized a luxurious and exquisite party that perfectly matched Lucille's preferences. At the event, Alexander doted on Lucille completely, personally cutting her cake and pouring her wine. He gazed at her with a softness that seemed almost too much to bear. People whispered from every corner. "Vanessa nearly died for Alexander, but his eyes are only on Lucille." "If I liked someone that long without reciprocity, I'd have walked away. What's she holding on for?" Vanessa stood in the corner, quietly listening with no expression. Then, Alexander walked over and, for once, gave her a rare compliment. "The party's well done. What do you want?" Vanessa was just about to answer when a sudden scream broke out. "Ah! It's so itchy!" Lucille clawed at her neck, her face pale. "Alex... I-I can't breathe..." She staggered backward and knocked over the champagne tower. Glass shards scattered everywhere, cutting her arms and legs, and blood immediately gushed out. Alexander's expression changed drastically as he rushed over to carry Lucille. Then, he headed straight to the hospital. Vanessa followed closely behind. At the hospital, the doctor's expression was grave after the examination."Ms. Watson has a blood clotting disorder. The wounds won't stop bleeding, and she needs a blood transfusion." Alexander was about to speak, but Vanessa had already rolled up her sleeve. "Take mine." He was momentarily stunned, looking at her with a complex expression. During the blood draw, Vanessa's face grew increasingly pale, her vision going black. In the end, she actually fainted. When she woke up again, she found herself tied to the edge of a swimming pool with heavy stones attached to her feet. Alexander stood in front of her, his gaze ice-cold."Vanessa, were the previous punishments too light that you ignored my words? I've already found out that Lucille's allergic reaction and fall were caused by eating cake with almonds." He hissed, "I clearly told you she was allergic to almonds, yet you added them to the cake?" Vanessa's eyes widened. "It wasn't me—" Alexander harshly interrupted her, "You're still denying it? Push her in!" The bodyguard immediately shoved her into the pool, and the icy water instantly submerged her head. Vanessa struggled desperately, but the stones dragged her body down deeper and deeper. A suffocating feeling overwhelmed her, and her lungs felt like they were about to explode. "It wasn't me... It really wasn't me..." Her voice was drowned by the water, leaving only intermittent bubbles rising to the surface. Alexander stood by the poolside, coldly watching her sink. Then, he signaled the bodyguard to pull her back up. When Vanessa was dragged out of the water, she coughed violently, and her face was as white as a sheet. She mumbled, "Alexander, I swear… I didn't put almonds in that cake…" "Are you still lying?" he hissed, grabbing her jaw so hard it felt like her bones would crack. "One of the housekeepers said she saw it with her own eyes." Vanessa was shocked to hear that. Suddenly, she seemed to fathom the situation and turned toward the hospital window. Lucille stood there, watching. When their eyes met, a small, wicked smile curled at her lips. "It was Lucille..." Vanessa's voice cracked. "She planned—" "Shut up!" Alexander roared, shoving her in the water again. "She nearly died, and you're still trying to slander her?" This time, he left her submerged even longer. Vanessa gradually stopped struggling, her body going limp as memories flickered in her mind like a fading film reel. The 15-year-old Matthias wiped the paint off her face in the library, the 18-year-old Matthias secretly held her hand at graduation, and the 20-year-old Matthias knelt in the snow, cupping her frozen hands and breathing on them for warmth. "Pull her up!" Alexander's voice brought her back to reality. Vanessa was dragged out of the water, and she collapsed by the poolside. She didn't even have the strength to cough. Alexander looked down at her from above. "Have you learned your lesson? Go apologize to Lucille." He grabbed her wrist and aggressively dragged her toward the hospital room. Vanessa's legs left bloody trails on the tile floor, but she had no strength to resist. In the hospital room, Lucille leaned weakly against the headboard. When she saw them enter, her eyes immediately became teary. "Nessa... I know you like Alexander, but loving someone shouldn't be like this..." Vanessa looked up and met Lucille's triumphant gaze. She suddenly felt exhausted, so exhausted that she didn't even have the desire to defend herself. She just mumbled, "I'm sorry." Those two words cost her the last of her strength. Lucille flashed a smug smile. Then, she pretended to be forgiving and shook her head. "Alexander, let it go. Nessa didn't mean it..." "No," Alexander replied coldly. "She hurt you, and she's going to stay and take care of you until you're fully recovered."