Chapter 5

In the lounge backstage, when Yasmine pushed open the door and went in, Queenie threw herself into Zachary's embrace. "Zach, you're great! You actually lost the competition for me!" Zachary caressed her hair and wore a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You troublemaker, are you pleased now?" Yasmine couldn't help but let out a cough. Only then did Zachary notice her. He was stunned for a while and had just wanted to explain himself when a frantic fan suddenly barged into the room. "I knew that Prince Zach could be better than this!" That person's eyes were bloodshot. She was pointing at Queenie as she roared, "It was all because you persuaded him, bitch! Don't you know Prince Zach would achieve a grand slam if he won this competition?" Before she even finished speaking, she twisted open the bottle and splashed it at Queenie. It was acid. Zachary's pupils constricted. He pulled Queenie into his embrace and shielded her with his back. Yasmine, who stood at the side, didn't get to dodge in time. The acid splashed on her arm, corroding her flesh and forming a horrifying wound in no time. The excruciating pain made her scream and stumble to the ground. As her vision went blurry, she saw Zachary holding Queenie tightly without sparing her a glance. … When Yasmine regained her consciousness, she was greeted by a stretch of blinding white. The smell of antiseptic lingered. The wound on her arm was wrapped in a thick bandage, and she could still feel a slight, persistent pain. She turned her head slightly and saw Zachary sitting next to her bed. His eyes were ringed with faint, blue-gray shadows. Seeing that she was awake, he immediately leaned in and said in a low voice, "You're awake. Does it still hurt?" Yasmine said nothing and merely stared at him. Zachary furrowed his brows slightly and explained, "It was such a critical moment, and I could only save one person. I'm sorry for neglecting you. "I've arranged for the top surgeon in the hospital under Smith Group to perform the surgery. There won't be any trace of a scar." Hearing that, Yasmine suddenly grinned. Her voice was soft as she said, "Zachary, you said you could only save one person. I'm your girlfriend, but why did you save her instead?" Zachary was taken aback by her question. Just when he was about to say something, Yasmine had already closed her eyes. "Never mind. It doesn't matter anymore. I want to rest, so please leave." Those words struck Zachary's heart like needles, stirring up an indescribable tension in him. Without saying a word, he stood up and left the ward. After that, he continued showing concern for Yasmine—something he had never done before. He transferred the best medical team under Smith Group here and went through all the treatment plans for her personally. When the nurse did her dressings, he would wait outside with a deep frown, as if they were performing a major surgery. However, he only cared for her for half a day. At noon, Yasmine saw the screen of Zachary's phone flicker. His expression changed immediately after he read the message. After talking to the nurse, he left in a hurry. Yasmine watched him rush out as she grabbed her phone and found Queenie's latest post on her Instagram. "A handsome man asked for my contact number. Should I give it to him?" Yasmine sneered and tossed the phone aside. Zachary didn't return at all after he left. At night, Anthony darted into the ward, holding bags of supplements. He felt so bad for Yasmine when he saw the wound on her arm. "Yas, I thought you only went to watch the competition. How did things end up like this? Didn't Zachary protect you?" Yasmine shook her head. "I'm only his best friend's sister. He was holding another woman, and it was only natural for him to protect her." "Queenie York?" Anthony rolled his eyes. "I'm not surprised, then. You have no idea how possessed Zachary seems whenever he meets her." Anthony seemed to have found the right listener. He couldn't stop talking about what Zachary had done for Queenie over the years. "Back in high school, Queenie casually mentioned that she wanted desserts from a store in Westale. Zachary skipped class and went all over Jinhal to buy it for her. On her birthday, he spent ten million dollars to light up fireworks in the entire city. He even bought a theme park and named it after her. "He was even crazier after they broke up. Queenie went overseas, so he booked a flight there on her birthday and stood below her apartment the whole night just to give her a bouquet of flowers. "Yas, don't you think he's crazily in love with her?" Anthony propped his chin in his palm, seeming intrigued. "Do you think they'll get back together?" Yasmine nodded in response. "Yes." "I feel bad for his secret girlfriend." Anthony sighed. "I bet she doesn't know about this yet. I don't know how he's going to break up with her later." Yasmine looked out of the window, and the sun was shining brightly. "She'll meet someone who loves her as much as she loves him."