Chapter 2
Just as Riley was about to speak, Adrian grabbed her arm and yanked her up, his face stone cold.
“Stop the act.” His voice was like ice. “Elena fell from the fifth floor. You just rolled down from the second.”
“Get up. We’re going to the hospital so you can apologize to her.”
He dragged her toward the door without mercy, not caring that her forehead was still bleeding or that her knee wound had split open again. Every step felt like knives.
Riley was shoved into the car and stayed silent the whole ride.
She stared out the window at the blurred scenery rushing past, telling herself to just hang on a little longer.
Just a little longer, and she’d be free.
In the hospital room, Elena was propped up weakly against her pillows, pale as a ghost with bandages wrapped around her wrists.
The second she saw Riley, she flinched back, her eyes instantly filling with tears.
“Adrian…” her voice shook like a frightened deer. “I… I don’t want to see her…”
Adrian immediately went to her side and gently took her hand. “Don’t be scared. I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you.”
Then he turned to Riley with a cold stare. “What are you standing there for? Apologize!”
Riley looked exhausted but strangely calm.
She looked straight at Elena and asked quietly, “Miss Pierce, when you fell from that balcony, did I really push you?”
Elena’s lashes fluttered and tears instantly spilled down her cheeks. “If Miss Wells doesn’t want to apologize, that’s fine. I never wanted to cause trouble anyway.”
She sobbed, her voice breaking with hurt: “I know Adrian’s been spending all his time with me lately, so I get why you’re upset. But you two are just in an arranged marriage—he doesn’t love you. If it wasn’t for me not being good enough for his family, he never would’ve been yours in the first place…”
The more she talked, the harder she cried, and Adrian’s face got darker and darker.
“Ivy Wells!” he snapped. “I brought you here to apologize, not to make her feel worse! Are you going to say sorry or not?!”
Riley closed her eyes.
She knew Elena was setting her up.
But… she was getting out of here soon anyway.
She couldn’t let anything screw up the business deal between their families, or she’d never see that thirty million. Never get her freedom.
“Sorry,” she said quietly. “My bad.”
She turned to leave.
“Hold up.” Adrian’s voice was ice cold. “Since you’re the one who pushed her, you’re gonna stay here and take care of her until she gets out.”
Riley’s fingers twitched, but she finally nodded. “Fine.”
The next few days, Riley was stuck in Elena’s hospital room 24/7.
Adrian basically moved in too, ditching all his work to personally spoon-feed Elena, wipe her hands, tuck her in…
Stuff he’d never done for Riley. Not once.
But Riley didn’t get jealous. She just quietly took care of Elena from the sidelines, totally calm, like it had nothing to do with her.
The nurses were whispering among themselves.
“God, I’ve never seen a wife this chill about her husband’s side chick!”
“You don’t get it—this is what real love looks like,” another nurse sighed. “She’s so head-over-heels for Mr. Kane that she’ll even take care of his girlfriend, just hoping he’ll notice her. It’s honestly heartbreaking.”
Adrian caught this as he walked by.
He stopped dead, his eyes drifting to that slim figure in the hospital room.
Riley had her head down, carefully peeling an apple, her face peaceful and soft.
Something weird twisted in Adrian’s gut.
The day Elena got discharged, Adrian told Riley flat out: “I’m taking Elena on vacation for a few days. Don’t call me unless someone’s dying.”
Riley just nodded. “Got it.”
She watched him leave with Elena’s hand in his, and weirdly enough, she felt lighter.
Finally. She was done dealing with their drama.
Back home, she started packing her stuff, getting ready to bounce.
A few days later, Elena’s Instagram popped up on her feed.
Adrian had flown her to the Maldives, was throwing around insane money at auctions for her, buying whatever jewelry caught her eye…
Riley took one look and kept scrolling.
Whatever.
She’d never cared anyway.
