Chapter 6

Raina's POV

Bianca's friends turned pale with fear, hastily explaining.

"Mr. Ashford, it has nothing to do with us! She vomited blood on her own!"

Bianca rushed over, grabbing Lucas before he could step forward.

"Lucas, don't let her fool you! She did it on purpose, using a blood pack to act, trying to ruin my birthday!"

Lucas's advancing foot paused.

He looked at me curled up on the ground.

"Since she loves acting so much, let her act to her heart's content."

He turned to the bodyguards.

"Throw her in the pool in the back yard. When dawn comes, fish her back out."

That night was early winter. The nighttime temperature was already close to freezing.

A bodyguard couldn't help but warn.

"Mr. Ashford, this could kill someone."

"If she dies, she dies."

Lucas responded indifferently.

Two bodyguards roughly dragged me to the back yard and threw me into the freezing pool.

Bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped me. Suffocation and excruciating stomach pain struck simultaneously.

I struggled in the icy water.

While Lucas and Bianca embraced intimately under the lights.

After that night, I was fished out.

But I had only one breath left, burning with fever.

I was thrown back into my room, left to fend for myself.

In the following days, my illness grew more frequent. Vomiting blood became routine, and my consciousness often slipped into confusion.

During one bout of severe pain, my memory returned to five years ago, to that moment when he would still feel sorry for me.

Instinctively, I grabbed my phone and dialed that familiar number.

Just like every time I felt terrible before, crying as I spoke.

"Lucas... I feel awful..."

On the other end, a long silence.

Just when I thought he wouldn't respond, Lucas's voice came through the receiver.

"What's wrong?"

I suddenly realized what a ridiculous thing I'd done.

I hung up in a panic, buried my head in the blanket, and cried silently while gritting my teeth.

Finally, I swallowed a handful of painkillers and fell into a drowsy sleep.

I don't know how long passed before a basin of cold water was dumped over my head, shocking me awake from unconsciousness.

Bianca stood by the bed, looking down at me.

"I found a man for you. So you can see what another man feels like. How's that?"

As she spoke, a greasy-looking man walked in from the hall. He leered at me as he approached the bed.

I scrambled back in panic.

Just as his grimy hand was about to grab me, I shoved him away with all my strength.

And I ran.

I burst out of the room and slammed straight into a solid chest.

It was Lucas.

Bianca threw herself against him, sobbing as she began her story

"Lucas, I can't believe it...she had a strange man in her room. How could she do this to you?"