Chapter 8

Without warning, Samantha was slapped in the face a few times. She was completely dazed.

Her face burned with pain, and there was a ringing in her ears. She saw stars.

No one had ever dared to touch her in her entire life.

She was furious, and she grabbed the other party's arm and began scratching her.

The two of them were locked together in a fight.

The Cotts' driver hurriedly came out from the corner where he had been hiding and pulled them apart.

Samantha finally saw that the person who had hit her was Bryce's sister, Nina Gabelman. She was shocked.

Holly was also very surprised to see Nina.

She was afraid that Nina would be hurt, so she hurriedly stood in front of her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Nina's wrist was bleeding from where Samantha had scratched her. Holly's heart hurt. She took out a bandaid from her bag and carefully put it on.

She asked gently, "Does it hurt?"

Nina took a sharp intake of breath from the pain and said, "It's fine, Holly. She didn't scratch your face, did she?"

Holly shook her head. "No."

Nina glared at Samantha and said, "You don't need to be polite to that kind of person. Just slap her. Why are you trying to reason with her? Reasoning is for humans, and she's not worthy of that!"

Samantha was furious to hear this.

She suppressed her anger and squeezed out two drops of tears. She said aggrievedly, "Nina, we grew up together, and I've always treated you like a sister. How could you…"

Nina rolled her eyes. "Forget it. I don't have a sister like you. Bryce treated you so well, just like the rest of us, but the moment something happened to him, you ran off faster than a rabbit.

"Now that Bryce's legs are better and it's all back to normal, you've come back to get between them. You even tried to bully my sister-in-law. Don't you have any shame?"

Samantha's face turned white, then red. "I had my issues…"

"Issues, my ass! Bryce might believe you, but I don't!"

Nina had just finished speaking when Holly's phone rang.

She glanced at the caller. It was Bryce.

Holly hesitated before picking up.

He asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm at the restaurant south of the antiques street."

"I'm passing by, and I'll be there in three minutes." He hung up.

Holly felt suffocated when she thought of how Bryce and Samantha had been entangled together last night.

She looked at the white roses he had given Samantha, lying on the table. She felt as if she couldn't breathe.

After a few minutes, Bryce walked into the restaurant with a subordinate.

He was tall, upright, and very fair. He was extremely good-looking and exuded charisma as he walked in. He attracted attention wherever he went.

The patrons at the restaurant had already been attracted by the fight between Samantha and Nina.

The moment Bryce appeared, everyone's eyes focused on him instead.

Once she saw him, Samantha's eyes lit up. She ran over to him and said in a choked voice, "Bryce!"

Bryce's brows furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

Samantha's eyes were red, and she said piteously, "I came to see Holly and explain to her about what happened last night. But I didn't even manage to say much before she yelled at me, and Nina hit me."

She pointed to her red, swollen cheek and pouted. "It hurts."

Bryce looked sideways at Holly. "Is what she says true?"

Holly laughed.

She couldn't believe that the woman Bryce couldn't forget was someone like this. Not only was she heartless, but she was also an outright liar who spun stories.

So it was true that those who were loved were utterly reckless.

Holly was about to open her mouth when Nina spoke first. "Bryce, think about it. Holly is so good-tempered. If Samantha hadn't provoked her, why would she yell at her?

"When your health was in poor condition, and you were so bad-tempered, did she ever yell at you even once? Why would I hit Samantha? It's because she wanted to scratch Holly's face. I wish I'd hit her harder."

Bryce looked at Samantha. "Why did you provoke Holly? Why did you want to scratch her face?"

Samantha paled, and tears rolled down her cheeks at once. She said pitifully, "I didn't. Holly and Nina have misunderstood me. Bryce, you have to believe me."

She reached out to pull his hand, and she fell toward him.

Nina went up to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly to the side. She snapped, "Don't you have any bones? Or is there something wrong with you? My brother is a married man. Why are you trying to fall into his arms? You're shameless!"

Samantha clutched at her chest, and her tears fell down her cheeks like strings of broken beads.

Bryce frowned and said to Nina, "Don't talk so much. Samantha has severe depression. Don't trigger her."

Nina scoffed. "Don't use depression as an excuse for acting like a bitch. I've met a lot of people with depression, and they respect themselves. They're kind and lovely, unlike her. Why can't she act like a proper person instead of stirring up shit all the time!"

Samantha burst into loud sobs. She covered her mouth and stumbled out.

Her driver hurriedly ran after her with the check and Samantha's bag.

Bryce turned and instructed his bodyguard, "Follow them and keep an eye on things. Don't let her commit suicide again."

"Alright, Mr. Gabelman." The bodyguard went out.

Nina scoffed again. "If she really did want to die, she'd find an empty spot and just die. Who does she think she's trying to scare with all that sobbing and sniveling?"

Bryce's gaze turned cold, and he said sharply, "Nina, you've crossed the line!"

Holly pulled Nina behind her and said, "Blame me if you're looking for someone to blame. Nina did it to defend me."

Bryce's gaze turned gentle as he looked at Holly. He took out a tube of imported ointment from his bag. "I asked someone to send this from abroad. It's a special ointment for removing scars.

"Put it on according to the instructions so the wound on your neck won't leave a scar."

Holly stared at the tube of ointment, feeling conflicted.

She knew he didn't love her, but sometimes, it felt like he did care about her.

Then she laughed at herself. If he really did care, how could something like last night have happened?

Last night's events were too painful.

It hurt her so much that she didn't even have the courage to ask about it.

Nina reached out and took the ointment. She stuffed it into Holly's hand and glared at Bryce as she said, "Bryce, if you hurt my sister-in-law, then you're no longer my brother!"

Bryce said impassively, "Don't meddle in the affairs of adults."

"I'm just one year younger than Holly. I'm not a child!"

Bryce ignored her and took Holly's hand. He said gently, "Have you eaten? I'll take you to eat if you haven't."

Holly felt as if she had been jolted with electricity. She pulled her hand out from his. "I'm full."

Bryce looked at her, his gaze unusually gentle. "Would you believe me if I said that what happened last night was a misunderstanding?"

Holly held her head high. Her usually gentle voice sounded sharp. "It was my fault for coming at that moment and interrupting you."

Bryce smiled but seemed slightly resigned. "Forget it. I'll take you back."

Holly picked up her bag and walked out.

Bryce strode out on his long legs, and Tobin followed at a distance.

They left the restaurant and passed by a florist. Holly pushed the door open and went in.

She looked around and pointed at a bouquet of white roses. She said, "Give me one."

The shop assistant asked, "How many roses do you want in your bouquet?"

When she thought about how Bryce had given Samantha 20 roses, Holly said defiantly, "I want 200."

The shop assistant hesitated for a moment. Then, she smiled and said, "Please wait for a moment."

After a long wait, the flowers were finally wrapped up. Holly realized why the shop assistant had hesitated.

200 roses were almost three feet wide when wrapped in a bouquet.

It was massive and heavy.

It was tough for her to carry them, but it made her feel she had vented her anger. She could buy flowers if she wanted them. Why should she wait for someone to give them to her? It wasn't as if she couldn't afford them.

Bryce took out his card to pay, but Holly gave them her card instead. "I have money."

She spoke confidently.

She had bought the flowers with the money she earned from work.

Bryce smiled lightly. He knew that she was just venting her anger.

After they had paid, Holly carried her bouquet of white roses out.

The bouquet was too big, and it made her seem even more slender in comparison. She looked like a long reed—slim but with character.

Bryce held out his hand to take them.

Holly dodged and avoided his hand.

Bryce's hand stiffened in midair, and he slowly retracted it after a while.

The two of them walked forward side by side.

Bryce looked at the huge clump of roses in her arms and asked, "Do you like white roses, too?"

"No."

"You bought so many even though you don't like them?"

"Yes!"

Bryce's eyes crinkled into a smile. "I didn't think that you would like flowers. I thought you only liked paintings."

"I am a woman, too!"

Bryce was used to seeing her being good-tempered, and it was the first time he had seen her being so annoyed. It felt new to him. "What kind of flowers do you like? I'll buy them for you next time."

Holly pressed her lips together and said nothing.

She had grown up with her grandparents. Plus, they used to live at the foot of a mountain.

She liked the asters and dandelions that grew in the mountains, as well as the irises, four o'clock flowers, and sunflowers that grew beneath her window.

She liked these hardy, resilient flowers, but she didn't feel anything for imported, fragile flowers like the roses in her arms.

She had bought this amount just to vent her anger.

When they were about to reach Treasure Grove, Holly suddenly stopped and said, "Stop here."

Bryce raised his eyebrows. "Are you afraid that your colleagues will see me?"

"We're going to get divorced sooner or later, aren't we?" Her voice trembled slightly, just like her heart.

Their current situation felt painful to her. They were on the brink of divorce, and it felt like her heart was being cut with a blunt knife.

Bryce was silent for a moment. He stopped and watched her walk away into the distance. The look in his eyes was as deep and quiet as the sea.

Holly reached the entrance to Treasure Grove and met the young owner of the shop, Hayden.

He smiled. "Did your boyfriend give you this huge bouquet?"

"No, I bought it myself."

Hayden's smile widened. "It must be heavy. I'll help you carry it."

Holly handed him the flowers. She smiled and said, "Thank you."

Hayden said half-jokingly, "You're the best worker in our shop. Carrying flowers for you is nothing in comparison."

"You're joking, Mr. Seales."

They both laughed and joked together as they walked into the shop.

Bryce stood upright without moving as he watched them from afar. Slowly, a coldness rose in his eyes.

He couldn't express what he was feeling.

It was as if he was watching a cabbage that he spent three years growing being butted by a pig that had suddenly barged in.

Instinctively, he wanted to chase the pig off.

It was then that he realized he wasn't as merciful as he thought he was.

He licked his lips and then instructed Tobin, "Send someone to investigate that man."

"Yes, Mr. Gabelman."

The two of them got in the car and headed back to the office.

Half an hour later, Tobin received a phone call. He reported to Bryce, "Mr. Gabelman, that man's name is Hayden. He works as a doctor, and Treasure Grove belongs to his grandfather.

"He and Mrs. Gabelman have been in contact since three years ago."

Bryce looked up sharply. "Check what Hayden's nickname is. See if it's Abel."