Chapter 3

Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd, he had carried me all the way to his office and gently set me down. Taking out a first aid kit, he grabbed some alcohol wipes and saline solution.

“It’s just some scrapes, nothing serious,” he said softly. “If it hurts, let me know, and I’ll be gentler.”

He knelt on one knee beside the sofa, his gaze focused as he cleaned my wounds. His touch was so delicate as though he was restoring a priceless treasure.

I looked at him, flustered. “Who are you? Why are you helping me?”

Lowering his head, he murmured, “Why don’t you tell me why those people were bullying you first?”

Anger flared in my chest. With a face full of rage, I recounted how the Verdant Group had commissioned a project from my father but kept delaying payment for various reasons.

As a result, my father was left financially strained and buried in debt.

He paused, his hands still, then asked for my father’s name before stepping aside to make a quiet phone call.

Not long after, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie entered the office. With a pale face, he dropped to his knees in front of me, apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry, Miss Posner. This was all due to my failure to manage my subordinates. I’ve just settled all outstanding payments for your father, and we’ll also assist in covering the debts incurred because of this. In addition, I will personally provide compensation for the mental distress caused. Does this arrangement work for you?”

Stunned, I stared at the man kneeling before me, then turned to Sutton, who stood silently nearby. In his eyes, I saw something shocking: a hint of tenderness.

Later, Sutton confessed his feelings for me. Since it all happened so suddenly, and given the huge gap between our social standings, I tried to avoid him.

I didn’t expect him to show up at my father’s construction site one day. He even risked his life to shield me from falling debris.

Sitting by his hospital bed, my heart ached as I looked at him. “I’m not worth all this.”

His gaze was filled with affection as he gently caressed my face, tracing my features with his fingers. “When it comes to you, it’s worth it.”

However, later, at the airport, I saw him embracing Queenie tightly. That woman, who wasn’t even biologically related to me, resembled me so much. It was then I realized that everything I thought was real had been a lie. A vast emptiness spread through me as if a part of me had been ripped away.

A knock on the door broke my thoughts. Sutton’s low voice came from outside. “Can I come in?”

I let out a cold laugh. Since when was he so polite?

Leaning against the wall, I stood up and walked over, yanking the door open to meet Sutton’s hazy gaze. He pushed me against the wall, his arms tightly wrapped around my waist, his breath warm against my neck.

“Why do you always have to throw tantrums?”

The stench of alcohol hit me, making my stomach churn with disgust. I struggled to push him away, but he forcefully pressed his lips against mine.

“Ah!” He winced and pulled back, covering his bloodied lips and glaring at me with a mix of anger and pain. His eyes cleared slightly.

I grabbed a glass of water from the table and splashed it onto his face. “Get out.”

Sutton’s bloodshot eyes fixed on me. “I just attended her birthday party. Do you really need to act like this?”

“Do you even realize that because of Queenie’s birthday, our daughter…”

“Our daughter, always going on about our daughter! Every time I spend time with Queenie, you use her as an excuse to stir up trouble. How many times do I have to tell you? She’s my adopted sister, not some random woman. Why do you always have to act so unreasonably?”

Sutton’s fist slammed into the wall, blood spreading across the surface. His dark, piercing gaze bore into me. “It seems you’re not ready to admit you were wrong. Stay here and reflect on your actions.”