Chapter 3

When Paige woke again, she was met with Reagan's mocking gaze. "Paige, you really are cunning, aren't you? You even used such a trick to cling to me. Let me make this clear: I won't fall for it! "You took care of me for three years, and the Lancaster family supported your useless dad for three years. That's fair. Don't delude yourself into wanting what's not yours." With that, he walked away, utterly indifferent to her pale face and the tears trembling in her eyes. Reagan had barely left when Quinn arrived. She saw Paige, seemingly unharmed but with a bandage wrapped around her head, and slapped her across the face. "Bitch, I told you to bring Reagan home, yet you made a scene. What's up? You can't survive without Reagan? You must've staged this yourself. How did you even think of it?" Paige, still dazed from the concussion caused by the bottle, felt her mind swim as Quinn's slap landed again. Her gaze fell on the phone Quinn had thrown onto the bed. A video played, showing her collapsing after taking the bottle for Reagan. The caption even read, "She saves her husband for love, which dispels the Lancaster couple breakup rumors." However, the top comments painted another picture. They accused Paige of staging the entire scene just to cling to Reagan. They also added that the man being beaten had already confessed that it was Paige who told him what to do. "Ms. Gabert promised me three million dollars once she marries into a wealthy family," he had claimed. Quinn laughed mockingly, her chin raised high in arrogance. "I gave you a chance, but you blew it. Your incompetence leaves me with no choice. Take your phone and issue a statement. Confess everything." Paige gripped the bedsheet, her knuckles white. After a moment, she lifted her eyes. "So, if I post the statement as instructed, you'll let my dad and me leave earlier?" Quinn sneered. "Paige, what are you thinking? I said three months, and every single second counts." Paige handed over her phone, showing Quinn the edited statement. Quinn studied her calm expression and smiled in satisfaction. "Paige, sometimes I can't help but admire how clever you are. But it's useless. You come from such a lowly background. Only status decides everything in this world." With that, she turned to leave and nearly ran into Emmanuel, who was walking toward her. For once, she smiled at him. "Emmanuel, you've raised a fine daughter." After Quinn left, Emmanuel's eyes were red. "Are you okay?" Paige nodded her head with a smile, about to speak, but a flash of concern crossed her eyes when she saw Emmanuel furrow his brow and pound his knee. Three years ago, when Reagan woke and discovered he was blind, he was furious. He demanded Emmanuel drive him to confront the friend who had raced him. On the way, Reagan suddenly went berserk and tried to grab the steering wheel. To save him, Emmanuel yanked the wheel sharply to the right. Reagan escaped without a scratch, but Emmanuel's leg was pinned for so long that it sustained permanent damage. He now walked with a slight limp, unable to manage long distances, and had to avoid situations where it was cold or damp. Emmanuel had tendered his resignation by then, but Carson Lancaster had refused it. "You're still young," Carson had said. "What else can you do if you resign? Stay, and I'll take care of you and Paige." Emmanuel was moved to tears. True to his word, Carson assigned him only light duties, and only he could instruct Emmanuel with orders. However, that rainy night, when Quinn sent Emmanuel to escort Paige to the bar, it was a deliberate reprimand for the father and daughter. As the matriarch of the Lancaster family, Quinn wielded unquestioned authority over everyone in the household. Paige bit her lip. Could she really survive three more months like this? During those three years, she had never once thought of leaving. She believed she was doomed to rot in the mire Reagan had so carefully trapped her in, so she endured in silence. … However, at the engagement ceremony, Reagan's blatant disdain gave Paige a glimmer of hope. He hated her enough that he would surely be the first to cast her out. Even Quinn had said that she could finally be free in three months. Yet, what Paige hadn't realized was that waiting with hope could be far more agonizing than dying in despair. She couldn't stay passive. She had to find a way to save herself and Emmanuel and leave as soon as possible. However, she never expected that her chance would come so quickly.