Chapter 3

Liam's Adam's apple bobbed, and he gave me a complicated look.

My face showed how sad I was, but I forced a smile into my voice:

"Honestly, I was thinking... if you could see again, I'd do anything."

When we got home, I dragged him inside with teary eyes. While pouring water, I accidentally spilled half the cup on myself.

The thin fabric clung to my body when it got wet, showing off my curves.

Liam's expression changed.

I noticed the subtle shift in his posture.

Biting my lip, I pulled him close by his collar and kissed him first. Liam froze for a second before taking control of the kiss.

The next morning, my body ached even more than the first time.

I pushed through the discomfort and got up.

Liam was already up. He tossed a necklace at me.

"I picked this up at a street vendor a while back. It's not worth much, but it's pretty. For you."

The comments suddenly exploded:

【Unbelievable! How did Liam end up with this Chloe? Doesn't he know Maya got tricked into gambling and is in real danger?!】

【Isn't that the diamond Liam bought at the auction? Why's he giving it to Chloe? It was supposed to be a peace offering for Maya after she flipped out about being locked up!】

【Are you crazy, Chloe?! How dare you go after Maya's guy!】

I ignored the crazy comments, looking at the necklace in my hand with fake surprise.

A diamond from an auction...

That must be worth a fortune, right?

If I sold it, would that set me up for life?

Just then, new comments popped up:

【Relax, everyone! Can't you see Liam's just stringing Chloe along?】

【The King family head found out about his wild behavior this year and flipped, ordering him home immediately.】

【Liam's worried Chloe will cling to him, so he's putting on a whole show. He'll hire guys to fake his kidnapping, then stage his death at sea right in front of her to crush her hopes completely.】

【Chloe's such a lovesick fool! Can't she tell Liam looks at her like she's a stray dog?】

Liam was leaving?

I tightened my grip on the diamond, suddenly feeling cheated.

I'd played my part so well these days, and all I got was a lousy diamond.

Meanwhile, Maya did nothing and would get everything just by coming back.

That wasn’t fair. That afternoon, Liam said he needed to go out alone and told me not to follow.

I knew exactly what he was up to.

And I had my own plans too.

I went to the pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test.

Thinking about the recent changes in my body, my heart was racing.

When I saw the two bright red lines on the test, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

I still had an ace up my sleeve in this game.

Just then, my phone rang.

"Chloe, right? You don't pay up, you pay the price. Liam's with me now. If you don't want him dead, get to this address."

When I got there, I saw Liam's back.

He was tied to the railing of an abandoned cargo ship, hands bound behind his back.

The kidnapper gave me a evil grin:

"I only gave you twenty minutes. You're too late. His time's up."

With that, he cut the rope right in front of me.

Liam, still tied up, fell straight into the ocean.

My eyes went wide. The next second, I ran forward without thinking.

I jumped in.

The water was freezing, and my vision started to blur.

Through the haze, I saw the "Liam" figure untie himself and swim smoothly toward shore.

I scoffed to myself.

Liam's hired double wasn't very convincing.

But I still jumped in without hesitation.

Because I was gambling on a possibility.

Betting my life on it.

I gambled that I would win.