3

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I crashed heavily onto the hard floor below. 

The pain was unbearable, and I felt the warmth of my own blood trickling from a deep wound on my head. My body trembled with the shock, and my senses dulled under the intense agony. 

Lying amidst the aftermath of the violence, I fought to stay conscious, but the pain made my vision blur, and the world began to fade into a hazy darkness as my strength drained away.

Just as the blackness threatened to consume me, I saw a blur of motion... Greyson. 

Greyson rushing over. 

A spark of hope flickered, only to be snuffed out as he strode past me, his focus solely on Vivian. He cradled her in his arms, his face etched with concern, and without a second glance, he carried her away, leaving me bleeding and broken on the cold floor.

Then everything was darkness.

**

In the hospital.

“Miss, you can’t go in there! The patient is still very weak and needs rest!”

“I know Lara is in there. You can’t stop me!”

I heard a commotion outside my room and struggled to open my eyes. Turning my head, I watched as Marina Carson shoved past the nurse, her face contorted with anger, eyes blazing with an almost murderous intent.

“Lara, you vile woman!” she spat. “Vivian’s been struggling to recover, and you dared to push her down the stairs! Just you wait! Greyson won’t let you get away with this!”

Still weak, I forced myself to sit up, every movement a battle. “I did not push her,” I managed, my voice hoarse. “She pushed me!”

Marina’s eyes narrowed, filled with disbelief. “No one will believe your nonsense! Vivian comes from a rich family. Why would she bother with a girl like you? you are just jealous because my brother loves her!”

With no strength to defend myself further, I searched desperately for any hope, any clue that might prove my innocence. 

Nothing.

When Greyson entered the room, the tension in the air grew thick and suffocating. I looked up at him, a glimmer of hope sparking in my eyes as if he were my last chance, the one person who could see through the chaos and understand the truth.

“Greyson, please,” I pleaded, my voice trembling with desperation, “I did not hurt Vivian. You have to believe me!”

But his gaze stayed cold, distant, and filled with an anger I’d never seen before. 

When he finally spoke, his voice carried a weight that cut through me. “Lara, that’s enough. I do not want to hear any excuses. Wrongdoings deserve punishment.”

My heart sank like a stone. I’d never imagined I’d be in a situation like this... accused of something so vile. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “I swear, Greyson, I did not do anything. Vivian’s fall... it wasn’t my doing. Please, please, you have to believe me.”

But my words fell on deaf ears. Greyson’s resolve was unyielding. 

"Vivian lost a lot of blood in the fall. You need to check if you are a match for her," he stated, his voice filled with an inevitability that sent a chill through my bones.

Donate blood for Vivian? The woman who’s capable of throwing herself down the stairs just to outdo me?

My mind reeled, struggling to comprehend the nightmare I was suddenly trapped in. I never thought my love and my life could be manipulated so heartlessly. Now Vivian's life depended on me, and I felt cornered, betrayed.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Yes!” Marina interjected, her voice sharp and full of accusation. "Vivian could have died! It’s your responsibility to try to save her."

My heart pounded fiercely, adrenaline surging through my veins as Marina’s words hit like a lightning bolt. The audacity, the deceit, it left me speechless, my mind racing to make sense of the betrayal. “I… I did not do anything!” I stammered. “You can’t fucking believe this!”

But Greyson remained silent, his face unreadable, as though he’d turned to stone. My desperate words seemed swallowed by the tension filling the room.

Marina’s eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as she barked her command. "Take this girl to the blood collection room! Vivian can't wait any longer."

The bodyguards tightened their hold, their faces expressionless as they effortlessly overpowered me. 

"Wait... no..." My heart raced, terror clawing at my chest as I thrashed against them, feeling like a trapped animal. I tried to pull free, but their grip only grew firmer, pinning me in place. “You can’t do this! This is madness!” I cried. “Please, Greyson, you know me! You know I’d never hurt anyone.”

But Greyson just stood there, torn, as though the woman pleading before him was a stranger. 

I looked to him, my last hope, the one person I believed would understand. “Greyson!”

Yet he simply stood there, indifferent, as though he approved of Marina’s actions. 

I fought back the suffocating wave of betrayal, struggling against the hands that held me, but no matter how much I yelled, they did not let go.

I felt utterly hopeless, a hollow emptiness consuming me. Any lingering love I still held for Greyson died at that moment. 

This marriage had been nothing but a one-woman show from beginning to end. Clearly, Greyson's heart had never held a place for me. He’d believe any lie Vivian spun but refused to give me even a shred of trust.

I couldn’t rely on him anymore!

"Alright, I’ll donate blood for Vivian!" I said, taking a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions churning inside me. "But first... I need to speak with her."

My voice came out stronger than I expected, and the surprised looks around me confirmed it. They wouldn’t understand, but I had to face Vivian, look her in the eyes, and see just how far she was willing to go.

If the woman Greyson loved was so cunning, then he was no different.