Chapter 3

The moment Evan Shaw saw me, his previously relaxed expression darkened as his brows knitted together. Striding toward me, his gaze landed on my injuries, and a flicker of emotion crossed his eyes—too subtle to pin down.

"What happened? How did you end up coming out of the mountains alone?"

I explained everything, detailing the events that brought me here. After listening, he let out a long sigh.

"Surviving such a disaster means better days are ahead. Come on, let’s get your wounds treated."

"Okay.”

I thought he’d simply support me as we walked, but instead, he scooped me up into his arms effortlessly and headed toward a car parked at the base of the mountain.

Leaning against his chest, I could hear the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat. A faint blush crept onto my cheeks as I spoke shyly, "Evan, you don’t have to carry me. I can walk just fine..."

He only tightened his grip.

"The ground’s covered in weeds. I don’t want you cutting your feet."

I had no choice but to let him carry me to the car. He gently set me down in the seat and retrieved a small first-aid kit from beneath it. Pulling out a bottle of rubbing alcohol, he carefully dabbed it on my wounds with a cotton pad, his movements tender and deliberate.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not at all.”

Watching his concern for me, I clenched my arm tightly with my right hand, determined not to let the tears pooling in my eyes spill over.

The memory of my previous life hit me like a cold wave.

I remembered the early days of my marriage to Eugene. At a company gathering, the drinks kept coming, one toast after another. Concerned he might overdo it, I softly urged him to slow down.

But instead of listening, he erupted in fury and shoved me into a champagne tower in front of everyone.

The glasses came crashing down, shattering as they hit the floor. I fell into the shards, the sharp edges piercing my skin. Blood mingled with the spilled champagne, soaking me as I lay there.

I cried out in pain as the staff helped me to my feet. Staring at him in disbelief, I couldn’t understand how he could act so cruelly.

His eyes held no warmth, and his voice was as cold as ice.

"Does it hurt? Good. Because when Sharon died, there wasn’t even anything left of her. Her pain was a thousand times worse—no, a million times worse! If it weren’t for you, if you hadn’t taken her parachute, she would still be alive. Opal, this is all your fault!"

I stood there, in front of everyone, enduring his accusations as he crushed me into the dirt.

It was at that moment I realized Eugene’s love for Sharon ran deep. Marrying me had never been about love. It was all for the Cook family fortune.

I let out a bitter laugh, looking at him as if he were the biggest joke I’d ever seen.

"Eugene, do you really think all of this is my fault? The plane was sabotaged by your rivals, and the parachutes were intentionally tampered with. Yet instead of blaming them, you’re blaming me. You’re nothing but a coward!"

With that, I turned and walked away, heading to the hospital alone to tend to my injuries.

From that moment on, my relationship with Eugene hit rock bottom. He never missed a chance to belittle me in public, cutting me down whenever he could.

But now, here I was, with Evan, the friend I’d grown up with, who treated me so gently, as if afraid to hurt me. His touch was light and careful as he dressed my wounds.

Taking a deep breath, I forced my voice to sound steady.

"Thank you, Evan."

He suddenly looked up, his hand resting on my ankle, his expression serious.

"Opal, maybe you and Eugene aren’t meant to be. But the engagement between the Shaw and Cook families can still continue."

I stared at him, shocked.

"Evan, what are you trying to say?"

He pulled back his hand abruptly, slipping my shoe back on and avoiding the topic entirely.

"Nothing. Let’s get you home, all right?"

I hesitated, my chest tight with conflicting emotions. Deep down, I knew I didn’t want to go home.

My parents’ marriage was nothing more than a calculated merger, a strategic partnership that led to my existence. But after I was born, they each went on to find their real soulmates elsewhere.

Though they both agreed to leave the family assets to me, neither of them showed me any real affection.

As for Eugene, in my previous life, after we married, he never once introduced me at any formal occasion. He wouldn’t even touch me. When others asked about me, he would mock me with disdain.

Eventually, after fully taking control of both companies, he cut me off completely—no dividends, no shares, not even a monthly allowance.

So now, as Evan carefully tended to my wounds, I couldn’t resist tugging on his sleeve and whining softly.

"I don’t want to go home. Can I stay with you for a few days?"

When he didn’t immediately respond, I looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, putting on my best pitiful expression.

In my previous life, Evan had left the country not long after this, and we hadn’t had much contact. But when he found out I was getting divorced, he returned without hesitation to help me.

Whether it was in that life or this one, he had always been there for me.

Seeing my pleading expression, Evan suddenly leaned in, his intense gaze locking on mine. His breath warmed my ear as he murmured, "Are you sure? Staying with me comes at a cost."

Startled by the sudden closeness, I instinctively stepped back. But the crisp cedarwood scent clinging to him was so intoxicating that I felt slightly dizzy.

"Yes, it doesn’t matter what the cost is.”

"Really?”

"Yes, really."

I met his gaze with determination, my tone resolute.

At that, a smile broke across his face.

For a moment, the atmosphere felt charged, almost intimate, and I thought we might actually kiss.

But then he suddenly pulled back, gently ruffling my hair.

"Remember what you said."

"Alright.”

In the end, though, I still went home.

The car sped along the road, but as we passed a gas station, I tugged on Evan’s hand, playfully asking for ice cream. That was when I saw Eugene with the rescue team he had organized.

"Opal, it’s really you! Are you okay?"

When Eugene saw me, disbelief flickered in his eyes before being replaced by obvious relief and joy.

However, I gave him only a cold glance, keeping my grip on Evan’s hand firm.

"What could possibly happen to me?"

Eugene stared at me in shock, clearly struggling to comprehend how I had survived a fall from thousands of feet in the air.