Chapter 6

When Maya came to, she found herself staring at the stark white ceiling of a hospital room. "You're finally awake!" the nurse said with a sigh of relief. "With injuries this severe, we need to contact your family immediately." She paused, then couldn't help but add, "That Ms. Page next door fell into the ocean at the same time. Her injuries are much lighter, yet Mr. Reid hasn't left her side for a second. He treated her like some kind of treasure." Looking at Maya, she asked, "Where's your family? It's been two days and no one's shown up." Maya's lips curved slightly, but she said nothing. Just then, the hospital room door was violently pushed open. Jason stood in the doorway, his face stormy, his gaze cutting into her like a blade. The nurse was startled, seemingly confused about why Jason would be here. Seeing his terrible expression, she quickly slipped out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Jason swept his arm across the bedside table, sending the medicine tray crashing to the floor. Glass bottles shattered with an ear-piercing sound as pills scattered everywhere. "Did you push Sophia into the ocean?" His voice was cold as ice. Maya froze. She didn't understand why Sophia was still framing her. A wave of exhaustion washed over her. "I didn't." "Still lying?" Jason grabbed her wrist, his grip so tight it nearly crushed her bones. "Sophia told me herself! You used to be so understanding. Why did you suddenly become like this?" He let out a cold laugh, as if suddenly understanding something. "Unless… all that tolerance before was just an act? Just to get my attention?" Maya's face went pale with pain, but she simply looked at him calmly, not even bothering to explain. That look completely enraged Jason. He violently released her hand. "Fine. Since you won't admit your mistake, then face the consequences yourself." He turned to leave, his voice ice-cold. "From now on, no medical staff will take care of you. You can suffer through this pain alone!" For the next few days, Maya endured extraordinary hardship. No doctors made rounds, and no nurses changed her dressings. She could only drag her battered body to the medicine cabinet, trembling as she applied medication to her own wounds. She collapsed several times, her knees bruising from the impact. Still, she gritted her teeth and pulled herself back up. Jason probably expected that she, a supposed Coleman heiress, wouldn't be able to withstand such torment. But he didn't know she wasn't Victoria. She wasn't some socialite raised in luxury. She was Maya, who had grown up surviving in the countryside. She had been abandoned by her parents as a child, forced to endure even illness alone. What was this pain compared to all that? A few days later, Maya had just finished her discharge paperwork and was packing when the hospital room door was violently kicked open. Jason stormed in with a dark expression, grabbing her wrist. "Come with me." "What for?" Maya frowned. "Sophia's been kidnapped by Wesley Hall." Jason's voice was tense. "He specifically asked for you in exchange. He'll let you go after three days." Maya's heart sank. Wesley was notorious in their social circle for being a pervert. Every time he looked at her, those cold eyes made her sick. "I'm not going." She refused outright. Jason's gaze turned icy. "You don't have a choice." He stared at her, then suddenly softened his tone. "Wesley's interested in you. He won't hurt you. Just behave. After this is over, I'll agree to anything you want." Maya looked up at him and suddenly smiled. "Alright then. I want a wedding." Jason was shocked. "What?" "We only signed the papers back then. We never had a ceremony," Maya said quietly. "I want you to give me one." This was part of her plan. When Victoria returned, she needed a grand wedding so everyone could witness the transfer of the "Mrs. Reid" identity. Jason remained silent for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Fine. I agree." When Maya was delivered to the Hall residence, Wesley was lounging on the couch, smiling as he looked at her. "Mrs. Reid, it's been too long." He traced a finger down her face. Maya forced down her nausea and didn't pull away. The first two days of torment were relatively mild. Wesley only had people draw her blood, vial after vial. The pain of needles piercing her veins had become numb, but watching her blood fill glass tube after glass tube still made her heart tremble uncontrollably. But on the third day, she overheard the guards whispering outside her door in her half-conscious state. "Has Mr. Hall lost his mind? Is he really going to drain all her blood for a specimen?" "Shh, keep it down… Mr. Hall said she's too beautiful. Turning her into a specimen after she dies is the only way to preserve her forever…" Maya's blood ran cold. This was Jason's promise that she'd be "fine"? She was about to lose her life here! Panic shot up her spine. She bit her lip hard until she tasted blood, barely suppressing her trembling. When the guards got careless, she grabbed the crystal ornament from the bedside table and smashed it against the window with all her strength. Glass shards were scattered everywhere. She used the sharp edges to cut through her restraints and leaped from the second floor. Her right ankle made a sharp cracking sound when she landed. The excruciating pain made her vision go black, but she couldn't stop. Dragging her twisted ankle, she stumbled out of the Hall residence and ran all the way back to the Reid residence. When she pushed open the living room door, she saw Jason kneeling on one knee, carefully applying medicine to Sophia's ankle. "Jason…" Sophia's eyes were red-rimmed. "Ms. Coleman hasn't come back after all this time. Aren't you worried at all?" Jason paused, his voice incredibly gentle. "I only worry about you. Why didn't you tell me you twisted your ankle? Are you trying to break my heart?" Maya stood in the doorway, soaking wet. Her ankle was swollen beyond recognition, yet she didn't receive even a glance. She walked past them expressionlessly. "Maya?" Jason finally noticed her and shot to his feet. "Why are you…"