Chapter 3

I drove like a madwoman to get to the Pierce family's hospital. As soon as I parked the car, I spotted a shabby wheelchair dumped outside the entrance, and in it was Grandma. It was the dead of winter, and she wore nothing but a thin hospital gown. I had no idea how long she'd been left out here. Her face was ghostly pale, almost blue, and her eyes were shut tight. I stumbled toward her and desperately tried to warm her icy hands. Tears streamed down my face as I called out to her. "Grandma, look at me. I'm here to take you home. Please open your eyes." I begged the nurse at the entrance. "Please let her back inside. I'm going to transfer her to another hospital. Just help her for the time being." The nurse hesitated and said, "Ms. Morgan, this is Mr. Pierce's hospital. There's nothing we can do." My hands trembled as I pulled out my phone to call Ryan, hoping he'd change his mind. I called several times, but he didn't pick up. Just as my hope was fading, the call finally went through. Relief flooded through me, and I begged him as humbly as I could. "Ryan, I'll apologize to Natalie. I'll do it however you want. Just please let my grandma back into the hospital. She's so old and can't handle any more stress." After saying that, my voice started breaking. But then, my words caught in my throat. The voice on the other end was Natalie's sickeningly sweet tone. "Hi, Jane. Ryan's in the shower right now. He can't come to the phone, so I'll have him call you back later. Oh, and I got your apology. Just don't do it again, okay? You know how protective he is of me." Listening to her gloating, mocking tone, I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. The call ended, taking my last silver of hope with it. Looking at my unconscious grandmother, despair crashed over me so hard I could barely stand. If I'd known that simply blocking Natalie would drive Ryan to this ruthless retaliation, I never would have done it. I raised my hand, wanting to slap myself. But before I could, someone caught my wrist firmly. It was Marcus. Looking rushed and travel-worn, he yanked the car door open and spoke in a low voice. "Get in. The transfer paperwork's done. I'm taking your grandmother to Metro General Hospital." He quickly helped Grandma into the car, where the heater was already running at full blast. I sat in the back, holding her, and murmured, "Grandma's condition requires a specific foreign medication. I don't know if the hospital has…" "I've already had it purchased abroad," Marcus replied calmly from the front seat. "It's being flown in and will arrive tonight." I was stunned. I had never mentioned Grandma's condition to him, after all. How did he know what medication she needed? And why was he here today? Why had he already handled the transfer paperwork? Too many questions crowded my head, and I didn't know where to begin. Biting my lip, I whispered, "Thank you." Marcus' grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, and his stern expression seemed to grow more somber. "Between husband and wife, 'thank you' isn't necessary." A few days later, Grandma's condition finally stabilized. During that time, Ryan never called once, but Natalie kept sending me photos of them together. She tried to get a reaction from me, but I had no interest in her antics. Marcus told me, "For your grandmother's condition, treatment abroad is still the best option. I've made all the arrangements. We can leave the country now, if you're willing." I agreed without hesitation. After all, Grandma was my only concern now, and I had no reason to stay. The only problem was that my passport and ID were still at Ryan's place. I had to go back one last time to get them. The moment I turned my key in the lock, I heard ambiguous sounds from inside. When I stepped through the door, I saw clothes scattered all the way from the entryway to the bedroom. The pair of high heels, still stained with my blood, lay discarded by the bedroom door. In the past, when I had expressed discomfort about Natalie's presence, Ryan would always look at me with disgust. He'd accuse me of having a dirty mind and insist he only saw her as a sister. But no normal brother would ever cross that line. The last thread holding my heart together snapped. Digging my nails into my palm, I told myself not to look and not to listen. I went straight to the study to retrieve my documents. As I was leaving, I ran right into Ryan in the hallway. The marks on him were glaring, his expression still clouded with what they had just done. When he saw me, his face shifted through several emotions before he blurted out, "Why did you come back?" I kept my eyes down and said nothing. He seemed to remember what he'd just done, and for the first time, he offered me an explanation. "I had too much to drink. It was an accident." I caught the faint smell of alcohol on him and remembered his legendary alcohol tolerance. I nodded silently. All I wanted was to leave this suffocating place, but Ryan was blocking the doorway. His eyes fixed on my face, and he emphasized again, "What happened today was an accident." He paused, then added, "It won't affect our wedding. Let's go ahead with it next month." "Ryan!" Natalie's coquettish voice called from the bedroom. He didn't turn around, and his gaze was still locked on me. I didn't want to make a scene, so I nodded and replied, "Fine. Whatever you say." Seeing me as compliant as ever, his expression softened slightly. Then, he noticed the folder in my hand. "What's that you're holding?" My heart lurched, but I tried to stay calm. "My medical report." Ryan was taken aback. "Were the injuries from the car accident that serious?" he asked quietly. I knew he'd misunderstood, but the misunderstanding worked in my favor. "It's nothing serious. I can handle the hospital visit myself." Ryan was about to say something when a loud thud came from the bedroom, followed by Natalie's tearful complaint. "Ryan, why is this floor so slippery?" His expression changed, and his attention shifted from me. "I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow," he said hurriedly before walking away. I turned and left in silence, muttering under my breath, "You won't find me tomorrow, Ryan. Today, I'm leaving this place for good." When I arrived at the airport, Marcus was already there with Grandma. I was wheeling my suitcase toward them when a voice, gritted with fury, stopped me. "Jane! Where do you think you're going?" I turned and saw Ryan, panting heavily as he rushed over. Under his blazing glare, Marcus stepped forward. He placed a protective arm around my waist and said calmly, "You'll have to excuse us. My wife and I have a plane to catch."