Chapter 3

Chloe kept her head down, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maverick, please don't be angry. I was worried the maids might not get it right. You're so particular about your food—you like your steak medium-rare and your coffee with exactly one splash of milk and no sugar. I know your preferences better than anyone." Something unreadable flickered across Maverick's eyes, vanishing before it could be identified. He pressed his lips together, forcing a cold edge into his voice. "Chloe, stop with the wishful thinking. I'm never going to fall for you." If this had been the old Nicole, those ruthless words would have convinced her that he utterly loathed Chloe. But now, Nicole saw the truth in that split-second flash of emotion—it was heartache. His heart went out to Chloe for waking up at dawn to cook for him and burning her hand in the process. If he weren't so focused on maintaining his charade for Nicole, he probably would have rushed over, gently taken her reddened hands in his, and pressed them to his lips to soothe the pain. He must be exhausted, not just from pretending to love her, but also from strain for suppressing his feelings for Chloe. Just then, Maverick spotted Nicole standing in the doorway. His expression shifted instantly, smoothing into a gentle smile. "Nicky, you're awake? Come, have some breakfast." As if trying to prove a point, he took the breakfast Chloe had prepared. "I'll eat this for Nicky's sake, but don't let it happen again." Only then did Chloe look up, casting a timid glance at Nicole before giving Maverick a grateful and submissive smile. Throughout breakfast, Maverick was the picture of a devoted partner. He spread jam on Nicole's toast and blew on her milk until it was the perfect temperature, his every gesture dripping with affection. Chloe sat across from them, picking at the meal the maid had prepared. Her eyes were rimmed with red, but she didn't say a word. After breakfast, Maverick was set to take Nicole to a high-profile auction as they had planned. But as they headed for the door, his eyes inadvertently landed on Chloe, who stood in the corner, looking forlorn. He paused, then said coldly, "Chloe, you're coming with us. I'm not leaving you here to get into any more trouble." On the way there, Nicole sat in the backseat, staring silently out the window. She could feel Maverick holding her hand and speaking to her softly from time to time, yet his eyes betrayed him. Over and over, his gaze inadvertently drifted through the rearview mirror toward Chloe, who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat. That subtle attentiveness—the details she had once overlooked—now stood out starkly in the cold light of truth. "How could I have been so blind?" she thought, her chest tightening. The way he treated them differently, the blatant favoritism, was all so obvious, yet she had never allowed herself to see it. Her heart ached so sharply she couldn't bear to look anymore. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. However, just as the car reached an intersection, an accident happened. Out of nowhere, a heavy truck barreled through the red light, hurtling toward them. A deafening crash rang out, and the world spun violently. In the final second before her consciousness frayed, Nicole saw it with agonizing clarity. As the danger loomed, Maverick didn't hesitate. He threw himself toward the passenger seat and wrapped Chloe in his arms, shielding her with his own back. Nicole, forgotten in the backseat, was thrown like a ragdoll as the car rolled. Her head slammed against the window with a sickening thud, and the sudden warmth of blood began to blur her vision. So, that was the truth. When it came down to life or death, she was no longer his first choice. The realization cut deeper than the physical pain wracking her body. Darkness swallowed her, and she spiraled into unconsciousness. … When she regained consciousness, she found herself in the hospital. Beside her, a doctor in a white lab coat was speaking in hushed tones to Maverick. "Mr. Pitt, the accident left Ms. Watson with severe internal bleeding. Her condition is critical," the doctor said. "Are you absolutely sure about the liver transplant? Ms. Tucker's liver has ruptured, but she's stable enough to wait. The risk to her is manageable. But Ms. Watson… in her current condition, if we proceed with the transplant, she will likely die on the table." Nicole felt her heart seize, almost stopping. He… he wanted to take her liver to save Chloe? She struggled to shift her gaze toward the blurred, towering figure at the foot of the bed. Maverick stood in silence, the contours of his profile hardening into a cold expression under the harsh fluorescent lights. After a few beats, his low, unmistakable voice broke the silence. It descended like a final judgment, crashing mercilessly into Nicole's heart, which was already on the verge of collapse. "Just make sure Chloe is safe. Whatever it takes." The doctor gasped, hardly able to believe it as he checked again. "Even if it means Ms. Watson doesn't make it off the table?" Maverick didn't hesitate. His voice was like tempered steel as he answered, "Yes." That single word was a jagged shard of ice, snuffing out the last remnants of Nicole's faint hope. She felt as though she'd been struck by lightning, the blood in her veins turning to ice and seeming to flow backward through her body. He was actually willing to sacrifice her life for Chloe. She remembered when they were children. She had scraped her knee, and he had looked at her with eyes brimming with tears, clumsily blowing on the wound and promising she would never be hurt again as long as he was around. She remembered when she was hospitalized with a high fever. He had stayed by her side all night, clutching her hand and whispering, "Don't be scared, Nicky. I'm right here." How could the boy who once cherished her life more than his own become this cold-blooded man, sentencing her to death without so much as a blink? If the Maverick of his youth could see the man he had become, what would he think? Would he find it just as absurd? Would his own heart ache too?