“Okay, I’ll be right there.”
With that, he turned and walked
away.
Even the robbers were stunned. “Stop! Are you going to call the police? If you take one more step outside, I’ll shoot immediately!”
Bang-
A gunshot rang out.
N
Julian seemed not to have heard it at all, vanishing from sight in an instant.
**Chapter 5**
When Riley woke up again, she was in a hospital.
Outside her door, a young nurse was whispering.
“Did you see that guy in the VIP room? He’s so handsome!”
“And he’s incredibly sweet to his girlfriend. She just twisted her ankle in the dark, and he’s called in all the famous doctors from the whole city!”
“But I think his girlfriend treats him pretty badly, ordering him around like he’s her personal servant, yet he seems happy about it.”
“Sigh, that girl has such good fortune, unlike this one in room 502, who almost died and has no one even visiting her…”
Riley felt an intense pain in her shoulder, making her hiss.
The robber’s aim must have been bad; it didn’t hit a vital organ, so she was lucky to survive.
She got out of bed and struggled to the door.
She happened to see Julian passing by, supporting Chloe.
Chloe pushed him away in disgust. “Don’t touch me. I can walk on my own.”
“No, your ankle is newly twisted. I’m worried.”
With that, he scooped Chloe up into his arms and quickly walked away.
Chloe’s face turned red, and she playfully punched his chest with a small fist in his arms. “What are you doing? I only asked you to pick me up. I haven’t agreed to be your girlfriend yet.”
“You’ll agree eventually, because you’re already my wl-”
Chloe blinked. “Your what?”
Julian chuckled, “Nothing. I meant, you’ll always be mine. You can’t escape.”
Riley retreated back into her hospital room, tears silently streaming down her face.
In the afternoon, Julian finally came to visit.
He stood, looking down at her. “I heard from the doctor. You weren’t hit in a vital spot. You’ll be fine after some rest.”
Riley just hummed in response.
9:2
<
Riley just hummed in response.
“Last night, I had some urgent work. I couldn’t not go.”
“I know,” Riley said coldly. “I want to sleep for a bit. You can go.”
Julian didn’t waste a second, immediately turning and leaving.
Urgent work?
What kind of urgent work could more important than a person’s life?
Julian’s excuse was too flimsy, but Riley was too tired to care.
She opened her phone and checked the calendar. Only three days left until her departure. In her current state, she definitely couldn’t get to the airport on her own. She needed someone to help.
So, she called her best friend, Harper.
Harper readily agreed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you when the time comes.”
That afternoon, her father called her. “Your sister won an award in her aerobics competition this time. Come back for dinner with us.”
Riley said, “Dad, I’m injured. I’m still in the hospital…”
“You’re not dead, are you? What’s a little injury? You have to come back tonight, or I’ll have no daughter!”
That evening, Riley dragged her weakened body back home.
Her mother had prepared a huge table full of dishes. Her father had called friends and relatives, and dozens of people filled the house, making it lively and boisterous.
Chloe, dressed in a pure white dress, looked like a little princess.
She was receiving praises and compliments from everyone.
“Did Chloe win first prize in her aerobics competition?”
Her father laughed heartily. “Even though it was just a participation award, Chloe worked very hard. Unlike her sister, who, despite being a twin, is so unremarkable, She’s truly an embarrassment to me.”
Riley stood by, silent as a wooden statue,
She was the one who had gotten into an Ivy League school, while her sister only got into a community college.
But their family was struggling financially and couldn’t afford for both of them to go to college.
Her parents said that since she was the older sister, she should go directly to work and give the opportunity to study to her younger sister.
Riley agreed. She worked hard, earning money, and almost all her wages went to Chloe as pocket money. Yet, she still couldn’t earn a single word of praise from her parents.
It was as if her being an older sister meant it was her natural duty to always defer to and uplift her sister.
While she was lost in thought, a loud, clear voice rang out from the doorway.
“Mr. Julian Fuentes, CEO of the Fuentes Group, sends his congratulations and gifts to Miss Chloe Miller on her award-!”
**Chapter 6**
Max, the assistant, entered with a team of people, each carrying priceless gifts.
9:21 AM
<
X
A complete set of emerald jewelry from the British Royal Collection;
An entire season’s worth of haute couture gowns, hand–stitched by renowned designers;
A famous calligrapher’s special inscription for Chloe, “Ode to Chloe’s Unique Spirit,” in elegant brushstrokes;
