Chapter 3

"What did you just call me?" Laura's voice trembled. Laur was the nickname he used to call her all the time, back when they were still in love. Dexter's expression shifted in an instant. He quickly dropped her wrist and stepped back, his tone turning cold again. "Stop wasting time. Regina doesn't have long." At his signal, two nurses stepped forward and pinned Laura's arms down. "Dexter!" she screamed, unable to break free, watching helplessly as the needle pierced her vein. "You bastard!" As the crimson blood flowed through the tube, Laura's mind flashed back to three years ago. She had been the one in a critical condition after a car crash. Dexter had searched all over the country to find a matching blood donor. Afterward, he guarded her the way a sacred item was protected, never letting her get hurt again. Even Regina had been brought into the company under special circumstances. She barely met the qualifications, but her blood type matched Laura's. Dexter had hired her anyway—just to keep a backup donor on hand. Back then, she had thought that was love. However, he was now draining her blood for Regina. "Ms. Bush needs more blood!" a doctor called out urgently. "Keep going," Dexter instructed without any hesitation. Laura had always been anemic. Her head was spinning, and she was losing her vision. In the haze, she could still hear the nurses whispering. "I heard Ms. Bush had a ruptured ovarian cyst and lost a lot of blood…" "Guess they've been having a little too much fun, huh?" Laura let out a quiet, bitter laugh, the sound laced with exhaustion. Tears spilled down her cheeks before she lost consciousness. However, just before she passed out, she heard Dexter's voice again, flat and emotionless. "Draw another 200 ml." … When Laura woke, the first thing she saw was the sterile white ceiling of the hospital room. Dexter sat at her bedside. As soon as he noticed her eyes fluttering open, he leaned down, gently caressing her forehead. "You're awake," he said softly. "Are you feeling okay? Do you still feel any pain?" She stared at him, her gaze piercing through the tender mask he wore. "Is Regina out of danger?" she asked bluntly. Dexter paused for a split second, something uneasy flickering in his eyes. "That's the other personality’s concern. I wouldn't know." He reached for her hand again, brushing his thumb across her skin. "I just want to stay with you right now." He was still pretending. Laura pulled her hand back, not even having the strength to play along anymore. Turning to the side, she closed her eyes without a word. … Whether it was guilt or an attempt to keep up the act, Dexter stayed by her side for the next few days. He took care of everything—down to the point of feeding her chicken soup himself, covered her with a blanket when she slept, and even canceled business meetings to accompany her through the various medical examinations. However, he disappeared again every night. Laura followed him once or twice. She stood outside Regina's hospital room, peering through the small window on the door. Inside, Dexter sat beside the bed and calmly peeled an apple. His hands were slow and deliberate as he fed Regina slice after slice. "Laura must've been furious when she was forced to donate blood for me." Regina giggled, her tone light and teasing. "Did it take you long to calm her down?" Dexter looked unbothered as he peeled another slice of apple. "She won't blame me. She understands—it's the dissociative identity disorder." Smiling smugly, Regina wrapped her arms around his neck. "Good thing you came up with that excuse. We don't have to hide our relationship anymore." She leaned in, her honeyed voice against his ear. "Promise me you'll never tell her the truth. I want to stay by your side forever." Dexter didn't reply. He simply cut the apple into smaller pieces and gently fed them to her. However, Regina was still persistent. Slowly undoing the top buttons of her hospital gown, she pressed her lips to the hollow of his throat. "I'll always satisfy you. Whatever you're into, I'll make sure you're never bored in bed." Her hand slipped beneath his shirt, her fingers grazing his skin. "You can love her, but I'll sleep with you. Isn't that for the best?" Still, Dexter said nothing. However, a second later, his hand gripped the back of her head, and he kissed her hard. The dynamics flipped in a flash. Pushing Regina down against the mattress, Dexter pressed his body into hers with unrestrained hunger. … Outside the room, Laura stood frozen. It felt like someone had cracked open her chest and left it bleeding in the hallway. She turned to leave, stumbling back blindly—only to crash into a nurse passing by. The metal tray hit the ground with a sharp clang, shocking Dexter and Regina inside the room. "Who's there?" Dexter's voice barked from inside, sharp and commanding. … The door flung open. He stood there, shirt half undone, breath unsteady. The moment he saw Laura, his face paled. "What are you doing here?" he asked.