Chapter 5

When Paige arrived at the hospital, the police were already there. They pulled her aside to take her statement once they learned she was Emmanuel's family. However, the more she heard, the more it didn't add up. What did they mean Emmanuel had been the only one in the car? What did they mean he had driven aimlessly for four hours in the middle of the night instead of coming home? And what did they mean he hadn't even touched the brakes when the car lost control? The blood drained from Paige's face. At that moment, the light above the operating room flicked off. She looked desperately at the doctor who emerged from the room, only to see him shake his head. Her world caved in. The doctor pulled down his mask and explained, "The deceased's knee had an old injury. He shouldn't have stood or sat for long stretches. Otherwise, blood congestion could cause temporary paralysis and stiffness. The deceased didn't hit the brakes. That was most likely the cause of death." The police officer's brows knit together as he shot Paige a reproachful look. "You were his family. Don't tell me you didn't know about his knee condition?" Seeing that Paige remained silent, the doctor understood immediately. "How irresponsible. If he had crashed into someone else—" Before he could finish, Paige was already rushing out the door. Trembling, she called Carson, desperate to get an explanation of what had actually happened. At that moment, Quinn's threats, Reagan's contempt—none of it mattered anymore. She only wanted the truth. She had been obedient, compliant, and had done everything they demanded. So, why did the Lancaster family still have to destroy Emmanuel after all that? A moment later, the call connected. Carson's groggy voice came through the line, and Paige froze. "Mr. Carson, you were sleeping? My dad has passed away." … Carson arrived at the hospital soon after, his expression grim. "Make yourself clear, when did I ever tell Emmanuel to come pick me up?" Paige quickly recounted her exchange with Emmanuel earlier that evening before her emotions broke loose. "If it wasn't for your orders, why would he have gone out at midnight? He only ever followed your instructions, didn't he?" Her words faltered. The truth was, others in the Lancaster family could have commanded him as well. Catching the shift in her expression, Carson pulled out his phone and instructed someone to investigate what had really happened that night. A nurse hurried over and pressed a phone into Paige's hand. "This belonged to the deceased. Someone's been calling nonstop." Paige snatched it up. The moment she answered, her face drained to a ghastly white. Britney's arrogant voice crackled through the line. "If you don't hurry over, I'll have to call your precious daughter. What a poor thing. The wound on her head hasn't even healed, and now she has to go through all this chaos." Paige's chest tightened with pain. She shouted into the receiver, "Britney Meyer! You're the one who forced my dad to go out!" There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line. Britney, clearly not expecting Paige to answer, snapped in irritation, "I waited at the door for several minutes, and your dad never showed? Paige, you'd better get over here immediately, or—" "My dad… is dead." Paige's voice trembled. "He died in a car accident! Are you satisfied now?" A burst of curses crackled through the phone. Paige distinctly heard Britney snarl, "Damn it. What bad luck do I have? I barely returned, and my parents will probably ship me off again. Reagan…" Carson's expression darkened, his expression downright terrifying. He had clearly heard every word. "You are supposed to be Reagan's fiancee. What the hell was he doing with Britney in the middle of the night?" Paige dropped her gaze, her voice breaking. "When Reagan regained his vision, he wanted nothing more to do with our engagement. Mrs. Lancaster decided I wasn't worthy of him either. My dad and I tried to leave, but Mrs. Lancaster wouldn't allow it. "If we had gotten away sooner, he never would've had that accident… I still don't understand why Mrs. Lancaster won't let me off the hook." Carson let out a cold laugh. Others might not see it, but he knew his so-called "good wife" all too well. "Of course, it's all about her reputation, for the world to think she's magnanimous, virtuous, kind," he explained. Everyone knows you devoted three years of your life to care for Reagan. "If you had walked away from the Lancaster family the moment his eyesight returned, people would call her calculating—someone who uses others and discards them once they've served their purpose. "I should never have listened to her back then. I never should have brought her into the Lancaster family just to spare Reagan from being mocked as a bastard." Paige suddenly understood. No wonder Quinn had flown into a rage when Emmanuel tried to resign. She had been hiding her schemes from Carson all along. … After locking the hospital room door and pulling the curtains tight, Paige turned her back to Carson and slipped off her clothes. Carson's pupils narrowed sharply as his gaze fell on Paige's back, densely covered with scars, each one stark and jarring to the eye. After dressing up, she turned to face him. "You understand it now, don't you? Why Reagan only listen to me during those three years? It was because I was obedient, compliant, and beneath him. "When he lost his eyesight, his mind twisted. He couldn't bear anyone else witnessing his madness, so he took it out on me. His mood would improve once he vented his rage. Then, he'd take his medicine." Carson's chest heaved unevenly. "You could have refused. You could have come to me—" However, before he could finish, Paige dropped to her knees with a heavy thud. "No, Mr. Carson. I don't want to dwell on the past. My only wish now is for you to let my dad and me leave. And please… don't let Reagan or Mrs. Lancaster know about this."