Chapter 5

The man looked at Zaria suspiciously, and Callum took the chance to continue. "If you want to take Cyrene, go ahead. Ria and I have to go look at wedding dresses tomorrow. We don't have time to waste on you." As his words rang out, he even reached his hand out to Zaria while uttering gently, "Let's go, Ria." Zaria felt a chill go through her body. She finally understood. Callum was using her as a shield. He was trying to divert the abductor's attention and spare Cyrene. Sure enough, the man hesitated before suddenly shoving Cyrene aside and charging straight at Zaria. "So, you're the one he loves most!" he shouted with a twisted smile. He yanked Zaria by the hair and dragged her toward the edge of the bridge. Callum's pupils shrank as he lunged forward. But the first person he grabbed was Cyrene. "Cy…" The man dragged Zaria off the bridge, falling straight down. The wind roared in her ears. As the freezing river swallowed her, she heard Callum's cold voice from the bridge. "Save the abductor first. Don't let him escape. Get him thrown in jail, and make sure he never comes back. We can't let him hurt Cy again!" Zaria wanted to laugh. But water rushed into her lungs, and she blacked out. Right before she lost consciousness, she finally understood that in Callum's heart, her life wasn't even worth more than an abductor's. When Zaria woke up in the hospital, she heard the doctor's serious voice nearby. "Ms. Slate is not just injured from the fall. Her body's already worn down due to years of stress, alcohol, and past medical issues. The current injury could have lasting consequences unless she really takes care of herself from now on. Otherwise—" Before the doctor could finish, Callum had already noticed she was awake and hurried to her bedside. "Ria, you're awake. How are you feeling? Are you hurting anywhere?" he asked, sounding unusually tense. Zaria looked at him calmly. If he really cared, he wouldn't have chosen to save the abductor without hesitation. When she stayed silent, Callum reached out to touch her face. But she turned her head away. He paused and said in a low voice, "I was careless this time. I'll make it up to you." Zaria's lips curled up in a faint smile, but she said nothing. "Callum, you owe me too much. You'll never make it up," Zaria thought. Maybe out of guilt, Callum stayed with her at the hospital for two full days. When she was discharged, he immediately took her to an auction, saying it was to "make it up to her". Zaria tried to refuse several times, but couldn't, so she went with him. As soon as they arrived, they ran into Cyrene. But this time, Callum didn't look at Cyrene even once. He stayed by Zaria's side the whole time. He would help her adjust her scarf, pour her water, manage her food, and occasionally ask her if she was cold. Zaria knew he was acting. But for whom? Perhaps for himself, so he could feel less guilty and a bit more at ease. Before the auction started, Callum got a phone call and left for a bit. Zaria stood alone by the champagne table when a man walked over, smiling. "Miss, you're beautiful. Can we get to know each other?" Before Zaria could respond, someone suddenly reached around from behind her. He gripped her waist and pulled her into an embrace. "She's my fiancée." Callum's voice was icy. His eyes were cold as he stared at the man. The man's expression changed. He quickly apologized and left. Callum looked down at her. His brow was furrowed. "Ria, someone hit on you. Why didn't you turn him down?" "We're not married yet, are we?" Zaria rebuked calmly. Callum stroked her face. His voice was full of possessiveness. "We will be sooner or later." "Who else could you possibly want to marry besides me?" He locked eyes with her. "In this life, I'm marrying no one but you." Zaria looked at him and suddenly smiled. How ironic. How could he say that when he didn't even love her?