Chapter 7

Tristan cleared his entire schedule and stayed by Annabel's side while she was in the hospital. He fed her, changed her bandages himself, even woke up in the middle of the night just to make sure she hadn't kicked off her blanket. Through it all, Annabel stayed calm and unmoved. The day she was discharged, Tristan assumed she was bored out of her mind after being cooped up for so long. So, he went all out and threw her a lavish party to celebrate her recovery. The place sparkled with gold and crystal. Champagne glasses stood like a house of cards, and the room buzzed with laughter and clinking glasses. Everyone there was dressed to the nines, smiles on their faces, full of envy and praise. "Mr. Morse is so devoted to his wife…" "Word is, all those gifts are limited editions. Some were even won at private auctions, bidding wars and all…" "She's so lucky…" Annabel stood in the middle of the crowd, expressionless. Tristan finally pulled her aside, lowering his voice. "Are you still mad at me?" He gently rubbed the inside of her wrist, his tone soft and coaxing. "I swear, I really thought it was you that day. What do you want me to do so you'll forgive me? Just say it, I'll do anything." She looked at him and broke into a smile. "Okay. Fire Cassie." His face dropped, and his tone softened immediately. "She's got a tough situation, and her parents are sick. Do we really have to go that far?" Annabel stared at him quietly. Just moments ago, he had said he would do anything. The second it came to Cassie, he backed down. Before she could say more, Tristan's phone suddenly rang. Cassie was calling. She cried hysterically on the phone, "Mr. Morse, please help me! Someone hired a bunch of thugs… They're going to violate me!" "What did you say? Where are you now?" he questioned, only to hear a busy tone the next second. The panicked Tristan quickly called back, but couldn't reach her anymore. Suddenly, he cocked his head at Annabel, a suppressed fury overtaking the initial anxiety and suspicion in his eyes. "Where is Cassie, Anna?" he said through gritted teeth. Annabel felt her heart drop. Tristan didn't believe her, did he? Or more precisely, he was confident she had done it without even verifying the truth. She asked with a trembling voice, "Are you suspecting me?" "I'm not." He rubbed his temples, continuing, "She said someone wanted her violated—" "And? You think I did that?" He fell silent briefly before lowering his voice. "I didn't say that. Things are just out of hand right now and—" "She got you all worried like this with just a single phone call." Annabel scoffed, eyes overtaken by indifference. "What is your relationship with her, Tristan?" He frowned. "We're talking about her life and death! Do you have to get jealous right now?" "Jealous?" she repeated softly. "Do you think this is about jealousy?" Tristan took a deep breath, softening his tone. "There's nothing between me and Cassie, Anna. But now that she's in danger, I need you to tell me if you'd—" "I didn't do it!" Annabel interrupted him, each word slicing through the air with hostility. "For the last time, I don't know where she is, and I didn't do anything to her!" The longer he stared at her, the more evident the frustration in his eyes became. Seconds ticked by, and there was still no news from Cassie. She remained uncontactable. At last, his patience ran thin. He grabbed Annabel's wrist so hard that it felt like her bones might crack. "I told you I've dealt with her, Anna! Why are you still pushing this? Ruining her like this is the lowest thing you can do! Now, I don't have time for your drama. Just tell me where Cassie is!" Annabel's face went pale from the pain, but she stared him down and repeated, "I don't know! Ask me a million times, and I still won't know!" "I don't even know you anymore, Annabel!" Tristan snapped, fury getting to his head. He shoved her away hard, causing her to stumble back and hit the edge of the table with her lower back. Her forehead slammed into the sharp corner of a decorative piece, and blood instantly started to pour. The crowd screamed, "Mr. Morse, your wife is hurt!" However, Tristan couldn't care less. Without turning his head, he strode outside the building while making calls. "Check the surveillance and pinpoint the location where Cassie was last seen!" Annabel leaned on the edge of the table and slowly stood up. Warm blood trickled down her temple, sticky and thick, but she didn't feel any pain. Compared to the ache tearing at her heart, this little wound was nothing. She stared blankly in the direction Tristan had walked off, then suddenly smiled. Why would he care about her? Right now, all he could think about was Cassie, the same way he used to be all about her. People rushed over in a panic, trying to help her to the hospital, but she gently shook her head and pushed their hands away. Alone, she walked out of the party. But just as she stepped outside, a loud crash echoed behind her. Annabel turned around and saw that the gilded plaque that read "I love you forever, Annabel" had fallen heavily to the ground, shattered into two pieces. As she stared at the broken plaque, she burst into laughter. Oh, Tristan. Who knew your idea of forever was this short-lived?