Chapter 2

Reyn's silver hair bristled with sharp aggression once more. "Selena, I didn't expect you to be this manipulative! You knew I was coming to audit the funds—you staged this entire act just to gain sympathy!"

His voice thundered with fury. "You're just as scheming and greedy as you were five years ago! All you ever care about is money!"

I slowly stood, my gaze settling on Reyn's strong and healthy frame. A faint smile curled my lips as I silently bent down to pick up my medical records.

"Reyn, since you already know how much I love money, why not lend me another two million dollars?"

The mechanical heart surgery couldn't be delayed any longer. I truly needed the money.

Yesterday, after I received the three million dollars, I made a prepayment for the heart replacement surgery, only for Ivy to tell me that three million dollars barely covered the cost of materials. The surgery itself, along with post-operative care, would require at least another two million dollars.

Five million dollars—it was an astronomical sum for someone like me.

Hearing me ask for money again, Reyn strode forward, gripping my wrist with brutal force.

Seeing this, Luna's eyes welled up with unshed tears. She quietly pried Reyn's fingers off my arm, clinging to his muscular forearm, trembling slightly. She pretended to look delicate in front of him, but the look she shot me was laced with mockery and malice.

"Reyn, darling, maybe she's telling the truth? And after all, wasn't Ms. Valtara the one who rejected you back then? That's what led to the generous donor stepping in to give you a heart. Maybe we should help her out?"

Her words sounded compassionate on the surface, but in reality, they were just a sharp reminder to Reyn of how I had once left him for money.

His fury burned even brighter, his silver hair crackling with energy as though he were ready to tear me apart.

"Help her? The Heart of Kindness, even if mechanical, is not something you're worthy of, Selena!"

Then, his voice turned colder than ice. "Guards! Restrain her and take her with us!"

I stared at him in disbelief. I never thought he would go this far.

But I didn't resist. I couldn't.

He was now powerful and untouchable, while I was nothing more than a commoner.

I was forcibly led into the Sanctuary of Healing's finance office, where the director, Edmund Rothwell, and the finance director, Victor Langford, were already waiting for Reyn's audit.

Their expressions shifted to one of shock the moment they saw me being dragged in.

"Your Highness." Mr. Rothwell was the first to step forward and bow respectfully. "On behalf of the Sanctuary of Healing, I welcome you. But may I ask—what has Ms. Valtara done to warrant such harsh treatment? She is merely a helpless woman."

"Helpless? You've clearly been fooled by her pitiful act."

Luna let out a light chuckle as she reached out, her fingers brushing against my cheek in a mock caress.

"To be honest, I was taken in by her delicate, frail appearance when I first met her too," she said sweetly. "But if you knew the real her, you'd keep your distance."

Then, with a playful smile, she dropped the final blow.

"We received a report—Selena has been embezzling this quarter's funding from the Sanctuary of Healing!"

A heavy silence filled the finance office for several seconds before gasps of disbelief erupted.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, Luna's nails raked across my skin, leaving behind a sharp, stinging cut that immediately drew blood.

Reyn immediately handed her a handkerchief. "Wipe your hands quickly. Don't let her filthy blood stain you."

Mr. Rothwell clenched his fists at the blatant humiliation, but bound by the weight of Reyn's royal status, he kept his voice even.

"That's impossible," he said firmly. "Since the day Ms. Valtara joined us, she has been diligent and upright. I refuse to believe she would do such a thing."

"That's right! When the funds ran tight, she even used her own salary to cover the expenses. There's no way she'd steal money!"

Harrison Drake, the one responsible for managing the financial records, spoke up firmly. "I don't believe for a second that Ms. Valtara would embezzle funds."

"Exactly," chimed in the head nurse, Nancy Caldwell, her voice filled with righteous indignation. "A severely traumatized war veteran's treatment fees weren't fully covered, and Ms. Valtara personally donated to help him! Someone as kind as her would never embezzle funds!"

"Have you never heard the saying?" Reyn's voice cut through the tension. "You can know a person's face but not their heart."

His gaze, sharp with mockery, landed on me. "Surely no one knows Ms. Valtara's hidden side better than I do. Isn't that right, Selena?"

A wave of pain pulsed through my heart, sharp and unrelenting. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead, trickling down my face. My complexion paled.

Reyn's smirk deepened. "Look at that. It's the middle of summer, and yet Ms. Valtara is sweating. Could it be guilt?" His voice was icy and filled with suspicion.

Before I could respond, Mr. Rothwell quickly stepped forward, his expression tense as he handed over a thick ledger.

"We welcome a full investigation. Every source and expenditure of funds is recorded here, Your Highness." He glanced at me with concern before turning back to Reyn. "I trust that once you review the records, you'll see Ms. Valtara in a different light."