Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Lucas bent to pick up the phone, his knuckles white around the device.
“How do you have photos of me from when I was younger?”
Aria quickly snatched the phone back, her voice tight: “You’re mistaken.”
“Impossible.” Lucas’s eyes were razor–sharp. “That’s my high school uniform, even down to the tie clip.”
The face in the photo was slightly blurred, but the features were unmistakably his from teenage years.
But teenage Lucas had never known Aria!
A ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
Lucas released her wrist, studying her with a strange expression. “You like me that much? You actually photoshopped yourself into my old pictures?”
Aria opened her mouth but couldn’t find words.
How could she tell him the man in the photo wasn’t him at all, but Adrian, who was gone forever?
Seeing her silence, Lucas’s eyes grew colder. “I’ve told you–no matter what you do, I’ll never love you.”
“My heart belongs to Madison. Stop these pathetic games.”
He turned and left, but something uncomfortable twisted in his chest, making his heartbeat erratic.
Three days later, Madison’s birthday party went off without a hitch.
Aria had orchestrated every detail to Madison’s exact specifications–a lavish affair that catered to her every whim.
At the party, Lucas was attentive to Madison’s every need, personally cutting her cake and pouring her champagne, his eyes soft enough to drown in.
Guests whispered among themselves:
“Aria would literally die for Mr. Sinclair, but he only has eyes for Madison.”
“If I’d been chasing someone this long without response, I’d have given up ages ago. What’s the point?”
Aria stood in the corner, listening quietly, her expression unchanged.
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Then Lucas approached her, offering rare praise: “The party’s perfect. What do you want as a reward?”
Before Aria could answer, a piercing scream cut through the music-
“It’s so itchy! I can’t breathe!” Madison clawed at her neck, her face chalk white. “Lucas… I… I can’t…”
She staggered backward, knocking over the champagne tower.
Glass exploded everywhere, shards slicing her arms and legs as blood immediately began flowing.
Lucas’s face went deadly pale as he scooped Madison up and raced for the hospital.
Aria followed close behind.
At the hospital, the doctor’s expression was grim: “Miss Cross has a bleeding disorder. The cuts won’t stop bleeding–she needs a transfusion.”
Lucas started to volunteer, but Aria was already rolling up her sleeve. “Take mine.”
Lucas stared at her, something complex flickering in his eyes.
During the transfusion, Aria’s face grew increasingly pale, her vision swimming until she finally passed out.
When she woke up, she was bound to poolside chairs, heavy stones tied to her feet.
Lucas stood before her, his eyes arctic. “Aria, maybe my previous punishments were too light. You’re still ignoring
everything I say.”
I checked. Madison ate cake with almonds in it–that’s what triggered her allergic reaction.”
I specifically told you she’s allergic to almonds, and you deliberately added them?”
Aria’s pupils contracted. “It wasn’t me…”
‘Still lying!” Lucas cut her off savagely. “The staff saw you do it!”
He gestured to his men. “Throw her in!”
The bodyguards shoved her into the pool.
Ice–cold water closed over her head as the stones dragged her down. Aria struggled desperately, but the weights pulled her toward the bottom.
Suffocation clawed at her lungs, which felt ready to explode.
“It wasn’t me… it really wasn’t me…” she tried to say, but only bubbles escaped her lips.
Lucas stood poolside, coldly watching her sink before signaling the guards to pull her up.
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Chapter 5
“Cough, cough-!” Aria broke the surface, gasping violently, her face blue–white. “Lucas… I swear I didn’t add
almonds…”
“Still making excuses!” Lucas grabbed her chin, his grip nearly crushing bone. “The maid witnessed it personally!”
Aria’s pupils shrank as understanding dawned–a witness?
She turned toward the hospital building with effort.
Madison stood at the window, and when their eyes met, her lips curved in an almost invisible smile.
It was Madison…” Aria’s voice was hoarse. “She did it on purpose…”
Shut up!” Lucas plunged her back underwater. “Madison almost died, and you’re still trying to frame her?!”
This time, she stayed under longer.
Aria’s struggles gradually weakened as her vision filled with fragmentary memories—
en–year–old Adrian helping her clean ink off her face in the library;
ighteen–year–old Adrian secretly holding her hand at graduation;
wenty–year–old Adrian kneeling in the snow, warming her frozen hands with his breath…
Pull her up!” Lucas’s voice dragged her back to reality.
Aria was hauled from the water like a broken doll, too weak even to cough.
Learned your lesson?” Lucas looked down at her. “Now go apologize to Madison.”
He grabbed her wrist, roughly dragging her toward the hospital room.
Aria’s legs left bloody streaks on the tiles, but she had no strength to resist.
n the hospital room, Madison lay weakly against her pillows. Seeing them enter, her eyes immediately filled with ears. “Aria… I know you like Lucas, but love shouldn’t be like this…”
Aria looked up to meet Madison’s triumphant gaze.
She suddenly felt exhausted–too tired even to defend herself.
‘I’m sorry.”
Those three words drained her last reserves of strength.
Madison smiled victoriously but put on a show of magnanimity. “Lucas, let it go. Aria couldn’t have done it deliberately…”
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“No.” Lucas’s voice was ice. “She hurt you, so she needs to take care of you personally until you’re completely
healed.”
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