Chapter 4

"I can't stay here any longer." She turned to leave, but then heard Callum's phone suddenly ring inside the ward. His voice immediately softened. "Cy? What's wrong?" On the other end, Cyrene's tearful voice came through. It was too muffled, so Zaria could not make out the words. But Callum's expression changed instantly. He abruptly threw off the blanket and yanked out the IV needle from the back of his hand. Blood seeped out at once, but he seemed to feel no pain. He grabbed his coat and headed straight for the door. "Callum!" Jovan grabbed him, furious. "What are you doing? You're still injured. The doctor said you can't be discharged yet!" Callum shook him off while saying coldly, "Cy's afraid of thunder. I have to be with her." Jovan's face turned dark with rage. "You're willing to die for her? What about Zaria? She just gave you blood. Have you even thought to ask about her?" Callum paused for a moment but didn't look back. He didn't even take his coat as he pushed the door open and walked out. He did not notice that Zaria was standing right outside. As Zaria watched his figure disappear in a hurry, she stayed silent for a long while and finally let out a soft laugh. She should've been used to this by now. Whenever Cyrene cried, Callum's world fell apart. But no matter how much blood Zaria shed for him, he wouldn't spare her a glance. Two days later, Callum came back. When he opened the door, Zaria was sitting on the couch. She was organizing flight tickets and documents. "Ria." He walked up to her. His tone was uncharacteristically gentle. "I heard you donated blood to me. Why would you be so silly?" Zaria calmly tucked away her documents without even raising her head. "I just want you to be okay." Callum didn't notice her indifference. He sat down beside her and held her hand. "Cyrene interrupted the proposal last time. I've arranged another party to make it up to you." Zaria finally looked up at him. Only then did she notice that he looked pretty pale due to blood loss and his refusal to stay at the hospital. "Forget it. What if Cyrene faints again?" she asked softly. Callum frowned and replied with certainty, "She won't. I didn't invite her." Zaria smiled; Callum didn't catch the sarcasm in it. But she said nothing more. She just nodded. … On the way to the party, Callum drove while Zaria sat in the passenger seat. She watched the scenery blur past outside the window. Suddenly, Callum's phone rang. As soon as he answered, Cyrene's shrill, sobbing voice screamed through the receiver. "Callum, I've been abducted! They said they're going to kill me!" Callum's face instantly turned pale. Slamming on the brakes, he quickly opened a tracking app, and a blinking red dot appeared on the screen. "Hold on!" he shouted. Then, he yanked the wheel hard, and the car made a sharp U-turn, racing toward the outskirts. The violent swerve slammed Zaria into the car door. Her forehead smashed against the window, and blood started trickling down. But Callum didn't even notice. His mind was entirely on Cyrene's safety. The car swerved recklessly through traffic on the highway, finally screeching to a stop on an abandoned bridge. It was pouring. Zaria couldn't even see clearly. She could only vaguely make out a man holding Cyrene at knifepoint at the edge of the bridge. "Callum! You finally came!" the man hollered hysterically. "You ruined my company and drove my wife to jump off a building! Now, I'm going to kill the person you love most!" Callum got out of the car. Rain soaked his suit, but he didn't feel the cold. Step by step, he walked closer. "You've got it wrong. She's not the one I love most," he responded icily. The man froze. The knife slipped slightly away from Cyrene's neck. "What?" Callum's tone remained cold. "Didn't you do any research? You abducted my ex. Years ago, when I was crippled, she abandoned me. I hated her." He let out a cold laugh. "The one I love now is the person who stayed by my side these past few years." As he spoke, he turned and looked at Zaria in the car. His gaze was intense and deep. One could drown in it. Zaria froze. This was the first time Callum had ever looked at her like that. But of all times, why now?