Chapter 6
When Riley woke up again, she was staring at another one of those horrible white hospital ceilings.
“Thank god you’re awake!” The nurse looked relieved. “With injuries this bad, we really need to contact your family.”
She paused, then couldn’t help adding, “Look at Miss Pierce next door–you both went overboard, but she got off way easier. Mr. Kane hasn’t left her side for a second, treating her like she’s made of glass. But your family… it’s been two days and nobody’s even shown up…”
Riley’s mouth twitched, but she didn’t s
Right then, the door slammed open.
t say anything.
Adrian stood there looking murderous, his eyes cutting into her like knives.
The nurse looked confused about why Mr. Kane was in here, but seeing his face, she quickly got the hell out.
The second the door closed, Adrian swept everything off her bedside table. Glass bottles shattered and pills scattered everywhere.
“You pushed Elena into the ocean?!” His voice was ice–cold.
Riley froze.
She had no clue why Elena was still trying to screw her over, and just felt completely wiped out. “I didn’t do it.”
“Still bullshitting me?” Adrian grabbed her wrist so tight she thought he might actually break it. “Elena told me everything! You used to be so damn understanding–what’s your deal now?”
He laughed, but it was cold as hell, like something just hit him. “Oh wait… was all that sweet, supportive wife act just fake? Just to get me to notice you?”
The pain made Riley go pale, but she just looked at him with these dead calm eyes, not even trying to defend herself.
That stare pushed Adrian right over the edge.
He threw her hand away. “You know what? Since you won’t own up to what you did, you can deal with this shit yourself!”
He stormed toward the door, his voice like a knife. “From now on, nobody’s helping you. No doctors, no nurses, nothing! Enjoy the pain!”
The next few days were absolutely brutal for Riley.
No doctors checking in, no nurses switching out her bandages–she had to drag her messed–up body over to grab supplies herself, hands shaking like crazy while she tried to fix herself up.
She ate shit so many times her knees looked like eggplants, but she just kept biting down and hauling herself back up.
Adrian probably thought some pampered princess like “Ivy Wells” would totally break under this kind of torture.
What he didn’t know was that she wasn’t Ivy–wasn’t some trust fund baby who’d been handed everything on a silver platter.
She was Riley, the kid who got dumped in the middle of nowhere and had to claw her way through life. Her parents ditched her, and when she got sick, she sucked it up and dealt with it solo.
This pain? Please. It was kid stuff compared to everything else she’d survived.
A few days later, Riley had just signed her discharge papers and was throwing her stuff together when someone straight–up kicked her door in.
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3 Years as Your Backup Wife, 1 Text to Crash Your World: ‘Guess Which Twin Left?‘
Chapter 6
Adrian stormed in looking like he wanted to murder someone and grabbed her wrist. “We’re leaving. Now.”
“What for?” Riley pulled back.
“Elena got snatched by Tyler Cross.” Adrian’s jaw was clenched tight. “Psycho specifically wants you in exchange. Three days, then you’re back.”
Riley’s stomach dropped.
Tyler Cross–everyone knew that guy was a complete sicko. Whenever he looked at her, those dead eyes of his made her want to shower for hours.
“Hell no.” She didn’t even hesitate,
Adrian’s face turned to stone. “This isn’t up for debate.”
He stared her down, then switched tactics and tried to sound reasonable. “Look, Tyler’s obsessed with you–he’s not gonna actually hurt you. Just do what he says, and when it’s over, I’ll give you anything you want.”
Riley met his eyes and suddenly smiled. “Alright then. I want a real wedding.”
Adrian looked like she’d just spoken Chinese. “Come again?”
“All we did was sign some papers. Never had an actual wedding.” Riley kept her voice level. “I want you to throw me one.”
This was all part of her plan.
When Ivy got back, she’d need this massive wedding so everyone could see the whole “Mrs. Kane” thing get passed off officially.
Adrian went quiet for ages, then finally nodded. “Alright. You got it.”
When they dumped Riley at the Cross mansion, Tyler was sprawled on his couch with this sick grin, just eyeing her up.
“Well, well. Mrs. Kane. Long time no see.”
He ran his finger down her cheek and Riley had to fight every instinct not to throw up, staying perfectly still.
The first couple days weren’t totally insane–Tyler just had his guys keep drawing her blood, tube after tube.
By now she couldn’t even feel the needles anymore, but watching her blood fill up all those little glass containers still freaked her out.
Then on day three, she was barely conscious when she heard the guards outside talking:
“Dude, is the boss totally off his rocker? He’s really gonna bleed her dry and turn her into some kind of creepy doll?”
“Shut up… he keeps saying she’s too gorgeous to let rot, so if she’s dead he can keep her perfect forever…”
Riley’s blood went ice cold.
This was what Adrian meant by“he’s not gonna actually hurt you“? She was about to get turned into some psycho’s trophy!
Pure terror shot straight up her spine. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, trying to stop the shaking.
When the guards weren’t paying attention, she grabbed this crystal paperweight and smashed the hell out of the window.
CRASH!
Glass exploded everywhere. She used a jagged piece to slice through the ropes, then just launched herself out of that second floor window.
Her ankle made this sick snap when she hit the ground.
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3 Years as Your Backup Wife, 1 Text to Crash Your World: ‘Guess Which Twin Left?”
Chapter 6
The pain nearly made her black out, but she couldn’t stop.
Half dragging her destroyed ankle, she limped away from Tyler’s place and somehow dragged herself all the way back to the Kane house.
When she stumbled through the front door, there was Adrian down on one knee, being all gentle while he wrapped up Elena’s ankle.
“Adrian…” Elena had tears in her eyes. “Riley’s been gone this whole time and you’re seriously not worried at all?”
Adrian barely paused, his voice stupidly soft. “You’re the only one I worry about. How come you didn’t tell me about your ankle? You trying to kill me
here?”
Riley stood in the doorway, soaked head to toe, her ankle swollen to twice its normal size, and neither of them even glanced her way.
She walked right past them without changing her expression.
“Riley?” Adrian finally noticed her and shot to his feet. “You…”
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