From Lovers to Strangers

On their wedding day, right as Elena Emerton and Kyle Fenton were about to exchange rings, a woman rushed Kyle with a knife. Elena moved on instinct, throwing herself in front of Kyle. The blade sank into her chest, and she crumpled into Kyle's arms. As the woman was dragged away, she screamed, "Kyle Fenton, we're not done! How dare you get married?" That was when Elena recognized her. Allison Smyth. Kyle's sworn enemy for the past six years. Before anyone could react, Allison broke free and held the knife to her throat. "Kyle, I'm tired. Let's end this." Kyle's eyes went wide. He dropped Elena and rushed to Allison, catching the blade with his bare hand. Elena hit the floor hard. Blood spread across her white wedding dress. Kyle held Allison tight, terrified she'd hurt herself. When Allison passed out, he scooped her up and rushed right past Elena. Not once did he look back. Chapter 1 Elena Emerton was a gorgeous doctor known for being cool, distant, and levelheaded. She is also the woman every man secretly longed for. Still, one look at the dark, closed-off Kyle Fenton, and she was hooked. Kyle, CEO of Fenton Corp, had lost his entire family six years ago. On the day of his engagement, his fiancée Allison Smyth's drunk father started a fire that killed them all. After that, Kyle and Allison became sworn enemies. Kyle shut everyone out, and nobody dared get close. Everyone figured Elena never stood a chance. Then Kyle proved them wrong. For three years, the cold, untouchable CEO had eyes for her and her alone. Until their wedding day. Right as they were about to exchange rings, a woman rushed Kyle with a knife. Elena moved on instinct, throwing herself in front of him. The blade sank into her chest, and she crumpled into Kyle's arms. As the woman was dragged away, she screamed, "Kyle Fenton, we're not done! How dare you get married?" That was when Elena recognized her. Allison. Kyle's sworn enemy for the past six years. Before anyone could react, Allison broke free and held the knife to her throat. "Kyle, I'm tired. Let's end this." Kyle's eyes went wide. He dropped Elena and rushed to Allison, catching the blade with his bare hand. Elena hit the floor hard. Blood spread across her white wedding dress. Kyle held Allison tight, terrified she'd hurt herself. When Allison passed out, he scooped her up and rushed right past Elena. Not once did he look back. Elena suddenly laughed, blood slipping from the corner of her mouth. 'So that's why Kyle chose me.' The second she saw Allison's face—so much like her own—it all clicked. 'I was just her replacement.' Right before everything went black, she heard the guests panic. "The bride won't stop bleeding! Call an ambulance! Hurry!" ... Three hours of emergency surgery later, Elena finally woke up. Kyle stood beside her bed and handed her a document. "Sign it." A statement asking the prosecutor for leniency and confirming that Elena would not cooperate with the investigation. Elena almost laughed. The knife had missed her heart by less than half a millimeter. She was still in critical condition, and her husband's first words were about protecting the woman who'd nearly killed her. "Kyle," she rasped, "did you choose me because I look like her? Were you only good to me because I was her replacement?" Kyle said nothing. That was answer enough. His silence hurt worse than words. So all those times he'd walked away from deals worth over $10 million to stay up rubbing her stomach when she had cramps, cleared his schedule to take her to Norway to see the northern lights, brought her food during late-night shifts, and waited outside the hospital every morning... None of it had really been for her. It was because she looked like Allison. "Allison and I have too much bad blood between us. We can never be together. "So you'll be my only wife." Kyle paused. "But I won't let her go to prison. Sign it. Don't make this harder for me." The last bit of hope inside Elena died. Her heart shattered. She'd only be his wife because Allison was the one woman he could never have. Not because he loved her. Elena looked at the thick bandages wrapped around his hand—the injury he'd gotten grabbing the blade for Allison. "She tried to kill you. I almost died saving you, and you still want me to sign this?" Kyle looked away. "I never asked you to save me." Elena froze. Her eyes burned, and a rough laugh slipped out. She laughed at three years of stupid hope. At herself for walking straight into the fire. At the love she'd believed in, only to find out it was all a lie. "I should've stayed out of it." Three years ago, a friend had asked her to treat Kyle at the Fenton estate. The first time she saw him, he was injured but still buried in work. He was gorgeous, distant, and completely alone. One look, and she was done for. Everyone thought she'd lost it. Cool, rational Elena was willingly walking into the fire. Then she did something even she couldn't believe. She told Kyle how she felt. She expected him to shut her down. Instead, the famously cold Kyle smiled. "I should be the one asking. Elena Emerton, will you be my girlfriend?" From then on, Kyle showed his softer side only to her. Everyone was shocked she'd actually won his heart. Even Elena had believed she was his one exception. Turns out, that love had never been hers. 'Fine. I don't want Kyle anymore.' Elena looked at him with a coldness he'd never seen before. "I'll sign it. "But you're signing the divorce papers too." Chapter 2 Kyle's brow barely moved. They were having the wedding today, but they'd already made it legal two weeks ago. "Divorce isn't happening. "I'll send Allison back overseas as soon as I can. In a month, I'll give you an even bigger wedding." His tone made it clear the subject was closed. "As for the statement, Elena, I don't want to force you or do this the hard way." Elena closed her eyes. The fresh stitches in her chest felt like they'd split open all over again. 'You don't want to force me? Then what exactly is this?' But Elena knew Kyle. Once he made up his mind, nothing stopped him. Whether she agreed or not, he'd get her signature somehow. After a long silence, she opened her eyes. "I'll sign." Her hand was ice-cold as she took the pen and signed the statement. Kyle tucked it away, then pulled a black card from his bloodstained suit and set it on the nightstand. "There's $10 million on this card. Consider it compensation for what Allison did." Then he turned and walked out. The second the door shut, Elena struggled onto her side and grabbed the card. Then she laughed. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. 'So this is what three years of loving him cost me. My pride. My dignity. Everything.' ... That evening, the door opened. Allison walked in. Elena's face went cold at the sight of the woman who looked so much like her—and had nearly killed her. "Get out." Allison ignored her and sat beside the bed, glancing at the bandage on Elena's chest. "I'm sorry. I lost control. I never meant to hurt you. "You signed that statement and kept me out of trouble. I owe you." She paused, her expression tightening. "But you should leave Kyle. We're toxic together. We can't let go, but all we do is hurt each other. "And next time I lose control, I can't promise you won't get hurt again." Allison's honesty caught Elena off guard. No taunting. No games. She meant it. Elena was starting to see why Kyle had never gotten over her, even after they became enemies. She lowered her eyes with a faint smile. "Then pay me back. Get Kyle to sign the divorce papers. After that, I'm done with both of you." Now Allison looked surprised. She clearly hadn't expected Elena to walk away from Kyle so easily. Then it clicked. Kyle wouldn't agree to a divorce. Elena needed her help. "Okay. Get the papers ready and send them to me." Allison stood, grabbed a pen, and wrote down her number. At the door, she stopped. "Everyone knows my dad got drunk and started the fire that killed Kyle's whole family. "But no one knows Kyle got revenge by driving my dad to his death. He didn't spare my mom or grandparents either. "He sent me overseas because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from hurting me." Her voice stayed quiet, but her hand shook on the doorknob. "So until the divorce is final, don't let him find out. "Otherwise, he won't let you leave." The door shut. Elena sat there stunned, her fingertips ice-cold. ... Over the next few days, Kyle showed up every day, whether Elena wanted him there or not. He brought soup from her favorite restaurant, peeled and cut up fruit for her, and worked beside her while she slept. Elena watched him with cold eyes. The whole thing was almost laughable. If she hadn't lived through the nightmare of their wedding day, she might've believed nothing had ever happened. One day, a nurse handed Elena an envelope. Inside were the divorce papers Allison had sent. Kyle's signature was on the last page. Kyle glanced up from his work. "What's that?" Elena lifted the papers. "My medical records. Wanna see?" He frowned at her cold tone, then looked back down. "No." Elena stared at his signature and smiled bitterly. For three years, even when she'd asked him to sign something in the heat of the moment, he'd always read every word first. She used to think he was just careful. Now she got it. She'd never been the one who could make him break his own rules. As soon as Kyle left, Elena sent the papers to her lawyer. Everything was in order. He just needed a copy of her and Kyle's marriage certificate. Two days later, Elena went home for the certificate. Wedding decorations still covered the mansion, making her eyes sting. She found it and was about to leave when Kyle rushed in with Allison in his arms. "Everyone out. Lock down the mansion. No one comes or goes without my permission!" The staff and bodyguards moved fast. Allison was unconscious, her face flushed. Elena knew right away. 'She was drugged.' And Kyle's plan was obvious. Maybe Elena wasn't completely over him yet, because her chest still ached. She tightened her grip on the certificate and turned to leave with everyone else. Then Kyle called after her. "Elena, stay. "You're a doctor. If anything happens to her, I need you here." Chapter 3 Kyle didn't even slow down as he passed Elena and headed upstairs. Elena almost laughed. "I'm a surgeon, not a toxicologist. You've got the wrong doctor." Kyle stopped on the stairs and glanced at the bodyguards heading out. "Guard the door. Don't let Elena leave." Then he carried Allison into the master bedroom—their wedding photo still hanging among the decorations. Elena stood frozen, completely numb. In the silent mansion, the wedding decorations felt like a cruel joke. Every sound from the bedroom upstairs carried through the house. Muffled. Tangled. Elena covered her ears, but it didn't help. The sounds cut straight through her. Then Kyle's breathless voice came from upstairs, over and over. "Allie..." Elena went still. 'Allie. 'Not Ellie.' For three years, whenever they'd been together and he whispered that name in her ear, he'd never been calling her. No wonder he only called her 'Elena' when they weren't in bed—and when he wasn't dreaming. It felt like an invisible hand was crushing Elena's heart. She thought she'd accepted the truth. She hadn't. Her eyes landed on the wedding portrait in the living room. In it, she looked so happy leaning against Kyle. 'How ironic.' Her eyes burned as she went to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of scissors. She cut herself out of the photo piece by piece until nothing was left. Then she went to the third-floor study and pulled out every album. Norway's glaciers. The Eiffel Tower. Santorini sunsets... Every trip they'd taken. Every picture of them together. Snip. Snip... She tossed every piece of herself into the fireplace and watched the flames turn them to ash. The night crawled by. The sounds upstairs didn't stop. Elena sat curled up in the corner of the study until dawn. Only then did the mansion finally go quiet. Sometime later, the study door opened. Kyle walked in, fresh from the shower with a towel around his waist. Concern flashed across his face when he saw Elena curled up in the corner, pale and red-eyed. "What are you doing here?" Elena gave him a bitter smile. "Admiring your work. I mean... you were at it all night." Kyle's face hardened. "When did you get so cruel?" "Maybe when my husband brought another woman into our bedroom and spent all night with her." Elena's voice stayed quiet. "Oh, right. I forgot. "I'm just her replacement. None of this was ever mine." Kyle stopped in front of her, staring like he had something to say. Then his expression shifted. He stepped forward and scooped Elena off the floor. Caught off guard, Elena cried out as he dropped her heavily onto the broad desk. Before she could react, Kyle leaned over her, pinning both her wrists above her head with one hand while roughly tearing open her clothes with the other. Startled by the sudden assault, Elena struggled, but Kyle held her firmly in place. "Kyle, are you insane?" The next second, Kyle grabbed her and kissed her hard. Right then, Allison appeared in the doorway. She gripped the frame, staring at them. Her voice shook. "Last night... who was it?" Elena got it instantly. Kyle was using her to get to Allison. Before Elena could react, Kyle pulled away. He locked an arm around her waist and lifted her, then shoved her face against his chest. His grip was so tight she couldn't move, speak, or breathe. Kyle scoffed. "You seriously thought it was me? "Allison, you think way too highly of yourself. "You disgust me. "But for old times' sake, I found a few guys to keep you company. Hurry and you might still catch them." Allison trembled, her knuckles turning white around the doorframe. "You're a monster!" "You're just stupid," Kyle shot back. "If getting drugged is that easy, maybe don't go out drinking." When Allison didn't budge, his arm tightened around Elena. "What? You wanna watch me with my wife? Then watch." Elena grew dizzy, trapped against Kyle's chest. Just when she thought she might pass out, he finally let go. She gasped for air, but before she could recover, Kyle kissed her again. Humiliation burned through her. She bit down hard. Blood filled their mouths. Kyle grunted but didn't pull away. Instead, he kissed her harder. Then Elena saw Allison stumble toward the window. Kyle saw her too. He shoved Elena aside and ran for her. The second Allison jumped, Kyle went after her without hesitation. He caught her in midair, wrapped himself around her, and took the impact as they crashed to the ground. Chapter 4 Once Elena calmed down, she stood by the window and looked coldly at the two people on the lawn below. Kyle looked seriously hurt. The servants rushed around him in a panic. Elena took a slow breath. Saving lives was a doctor's job. Kyle was the exception. She glanced at her torn clothes, then headed to the walk-in closet. Elena changed her clothes, took the marriage certificate, and walked out of the mansion. An ambulance siren wailed outside as the servants scrambled around. Elena didn't even look at Kyle. She walked past him, got in her car, and drove off. After mailing the marriage certificate to her lawyer, she headed to the hospital. In Dr. Bennet's office, she handed over her application. "Dr. Bennet, is that transfer overseas still available?" He looked surprised. "Of course. They've been asking me to recommend someone. But I thought you were getting married—" "I can go now." "All right. I'll start the paperwork. It'll take at least a month." "Thank you, Dr. Bennet." Elena headed for the elevator after leaving his office. The doors opened, and a nurse rushed out with a gurney. Kyle was on it. As they passed, he suddenly opened his eyes like he sensed her there. Their gazes met. Elena looked away and hit the down button. Not long after, her department called her back. Her department head looked uneasy. "Dr. Emerton, Mr. Fenton has three broken ribs and a fractured lower leg. He needs surgery right away. The specialist on duty had an emergency, and you're our best surgeon for this. "And since you're his wife..." Elena got it. She was the obvious choice. 'So much for getting away from him.' "Understood. I'll get ready." In the OR, Kyle was already under anesthesia. Elena took a breath, shoved every feeling aside, and focused on the surgery. The next day, she checked on him during rounds, her face blank. Kyle watched her for a moment, then sighed. "We're about to get married. "Once I'm discharged, I'll send Allison overseas." His voice sounded tired. "So stop making such a big deal out of this, okay?" Elena froze. 'A big deal?' She'd nearly died saving him, and he'd abandoned her at their wedding. He'd forced her to drop the charges, treated her like Allison's replacement, brought another woman into their bedroom, then used Elena just to get under Allison's skin. And now she was the one making a big deal out of it? Elena suddenly smiled. She grabbed her stethoscope and pressed it hard against his broken ribs. "Hiss..." Kyle sucked in a breath, his face darkening. "Elena!" She ignored him and calmly wrote down the results. Just then, the door opened. Allison rolled in with an IV pole, staring at Kyle with a complicated look. Since Kyle had taken the impact for her, she'd gotten away with a sprained ankle and a few minor injuries. Kyle's eyes flickered when he saw her, then turned ice-cold. "Don't get the wrong idea. I only saved you because letting you die that easily wouldn't be satisfying enough. "So, how was that night? Those guys good enough for you?" Allison's face went white, and her whole body started shaking. Elena wanted no part of their messed-up love-hate drama, so she turned to leave. Kyle suddenly grabbed her, yanked her into his arms, and kissed her. Again. He was using her to get to Allison. Humiliation and rage hit Elena all at once. Before she could react, Allison's eyes went red. She grabbed the IV pole and hurled it at them. "Kyle, go to hell!" Kyle twisted around, shielding Elena with his body. Bang! The metal pole slammed into his back. Kyle grunted and collapsed onto the bed, cold sweat breaking out across his face as the hit aggravated his injuries. He gritted his teeth, watching Allison wheel herself away. Slap! Elena smacked him across the face. "Kyle, if you two wanna destroy each other, go ahead! Just leave me out of it!" Kyle was about to speak when a loud crash came from the hall. He shoved Elena aside, jumped up, and rushed out. Elena stumbled and slammed her forehead into the corner of an equipment table. Pain exploded through her head, and the room spun. It took a moment before she could steady herself. Then she stumbled to the doorway. Despite his broken ribs and fractured leg, Kyle struggled to carry Allison away until they disappeared from sight. Elena scoffed. Blood ran down her forehead, slowly blurring her vision. ... After getting her head wound treated in the ER, Elena took leave from the hospital. Until she left, she wanted to stay as far away from those two lunatics as possible. She went back to her old apartment, tossed her SIM card, and spent the next two weeks in peace. Then one day, she went downstairs to take out the trash when someone grabbed her arm. Kyle. His face was dark. "Tell me. Where did you take Allison?" Chapter 5 Allison had vanished near the hospital, and Kyle was convinced Elena had taken her. "You hate Allison more than anyone. Who else would it be?" Elena almost laughed. "Did you forget? The person who hates her most isn't me. It's you." Kyle's eyes turned vicious, showing a cruelty she'd never seen before. "Looks like I've been too nice to you." He motioned to the bodyguards behind him. They grabbed Elena and dragged her to the beach. Then they shoved her head into the freezing water. She couldn't breathe. Just before she blacked out, they yanked her back up. Elena coughed hard, choking for air. "Where is she?" Kyle's voice was ice-cold. Her lungs burned. "I'll ask you again. Where's Allison?" Elena could barely breathe, let alone answer. She only glared at him with bloodshot eyes. A second later, they shoved her underwater again. Then again. They dragged her up just long enough to gasp before forcing her back under. Her mind started to blur as the air kept getting ripped away. Just when she thought she was going to die there, Kyle's phone rang. "Mr. Fenton, it looks like Ms. Smyth was kidnapped near the hospital by one of your former business rivals..." Kyle hung up and rushed toward his car. He glanced back at Elena, drenched and coughing hard on the beach. "Take Elena to the hospital. Get her the best doctor." Then he sped off. One of the bodyguards stepped toward her. "Mrs. Fenton, Mr. Fenton told us to take you to the hospital." Elena braced a hand on the ground and forced herself up. "No." She stumbled away from the beach, then called the police. "Hi. I'd like to report a crime..." 'He wants to find Allison that badly? Fine. I'm not making it easy for him.' ... At the police station, Elena soon saw Kyle walk in with the officers. He stared at her, barely holding back his anger. "Elena, I was wrong about you, but did you really have to make such a big deal out of this? "Allison's still missing. I don't have time for this!" "A whole thing?" Elena looked up, her voice raw. "Your time matters, Mr. Fenton. Allison's life matters. What about mine?" Kyle said nothing. His face stayed cold until his lawyer, Vincent, arrived. Kyle handed everything over to him. Before leaving, he looked down at Elena. "Since you like it here so much, stay and cool off." Vincent turned to the officers. "She's Mr. Fenton's wife. They're already legally married, and the wedding's in two weeks. It was just a fight between spouses." In the end, Elena was booked on suspicion of filing a false report and disorderly conduct and held pending bail. Following Kyle's orders, Vincent told the police not to go easy on Elena just because she was Mrs. Fenton. If filing a false report meant punishment, then she'd face it like anyone else. But less than thirty minutes after she was put in a holding cell, Kyle bailed her out. The second Elena walked outside, she spotted him leaning against his car. "Shouldn't you be out saving the woman you love? Why waste your time on me when I'm supposedly just making a scene?" Kyle didn't answer. He walked over, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her into the car. They sped off and eventually stopped at an abandoned factory. Kyle dragged Elena out of the car and shouted inside. "I brought my wife! Let Allison go!" Elena went still. So that was why he'd bailed her out. He was trading her for Allison. She stared at his profile, and the last bit of warmth inside her died. A man stepped out of the shadows, pushing an unconscious Allison in a wheelchair with a knife at her throat. "Kyle, looks like your new girl still can't compete with your old flame." Kyle turned to Elena, guilt flashing across his face. "I'm sorry, Elena. I'll make it up to you. Double." Elena smiled coldly. "You disgust me." Kyle looked away, his face disappearing into the shadows. Then he turned back to the man. "You can take my wife. But if you hurt her, I'll make your whole family pay." "My whole family?" The man burst out laughing. "You've got it backward, Kyle. You're the one who deserves to lose everything! I bought one piece of land you wanted, and you destroyed my business and my family! "Today, you and the woman you love die together!" He slammed the switch in his hand. Boom! The factory exploded. Flames shot into the air. The building shook as concrete and steel crashed down around them. The blast knocked the man off balance. Kyle charged him, kicked him aside, then grabbed a metal pipe and slammed it into his head. The man dropped. At the same time, a huge slab of concrete crashed down on Elena, pinning her underneath. Kyle scooped up Allison and headed for the exit. Then he stopped beside Elena. His eyes moved from the unconscious Allison in his arms to Elena trapped under the concrete. Flames spread fast. Smoke filled the air, and debris kept crashing down around them. Kyle barely hesitated. "Elena, I'll come back for you. Trust me." Then he carried Allison out without looking back. Elena watched him disappear into the smoke and smiled bitterly. 'Trust him? Never again.' Outside, Kyle had just gotten Allison somewhere safe when he turned to go back for Elena. Crash! The factory collapsed right in front of him. Flames roared into the sky, bathing his stunned face in red. Chapter 6 Elena got lucky. The concrete slab had fallen at an angle, leaving a small pocket around her that protected her from the fire and falling debris. Firefighters pulled her from the rubble. ... When Elena woke up in the hospital, her face was blank. Kyle sat beside her bed, eyes bloodshot, stubble shadowing his jaw. "I'm sorry." His voice was rough. Elena didn't react. "For what? Trading me for Allison? Or almost getting me killed again?" Kyle opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Elena scoffed. "Save it. And get out." Kyle didn't move. Silence stretched between them. Finally, he spoke. "She's pregnant. It's mine." Elena's eyes widened slightly. She remembered hearing Kyle and Allison all night two weeks ago—in the bedroom that was supposed to be hers. Her lips twitched, but she couldn't even smile. "Not my problem. I don't need updates on your personal life." Kyle frowned. Elena had never been this cold with him. But after everything lately, he figured she'd been through a lot. Once Allison was gone, things would go back to normal. After all, Elena loved him enough to risk her life for him. He could win her over when the time came. "Just give me a little more time. Once Allison has the baby, I'll send her away. "Don't worry. Nothing's ruining our wedding in two weeks. "I promise." He paused. "As for the baby... he'll call you Mom. He'll be the only child we ever have." Elena stared at him for a long moment, then laughed. "Wow, Kyle. You just took shameless to a whole new level. "And don't worry about me having kids. I'll find another man for that." Kyle's face darkened. "Do you even hear yourself?" "Was I not clear enough?" Elena met his stare. "I don't want your money or your promises. And I'm not raising another woman's kid for you." Kyle stared her down, acting like the decision was his to make. "Once we're married, I'll be a good husband. You'll have everything that comes with being my wife. So settle down and be Mrs. Fenton." Elena closed her eyes. There was no reasoning with him. Just then, a bodyguard rushed in. "Mr. Fenton, bad news! Ms. Smyth found out she's pregnant and ran away from the hospital..." Kyle's expression changed instantly. Elena was forgotten. He turned and rushed out. ... Over the next few days, Kyle searched everywhere for Allison and left Elena alone. The second Elena was well enough, she checked out of the hospital and booked a flight overseas for the following week. After buying her ticket, she stopped by a nearby store for a few essentials. On the way, someone suddenly covered her mouth and nose from behind and dragged her into a van. When Elena woke up, Allison was standing in front of her. Her wrists and ankles were tied, and tape covered her mouth. "Awake?" Allison crouched in front of her, looking almost sorry. "I'm sorry, Dr. Emerton. I don't want to do this either, but if I don't, Kyle won't do what I want. "After all, he really did fall in love with you..." Elena almost laughed. 'He loves me? What has Kyle ever done that even comes close to love?' "You don't believe me?" Allison seemed to read her mind. "I know Kyle. He'd never marry a replacement. "If he chooses to marry someone, it means he loves her. "He just hasn't figured it out yet." She paused, then smiled. "He had some random guy get me pregnant. "Pretty messed up, right?" Her smile slowly twisted. "He likes watching me with other men, doesn't he? "Then I'll make sure he gets a good show." She waved a hand. Several men stepped out of the shadows. Chapter 7 Kyle froze when he saw Elena hanging thirty feet in the air. "Kyle. You made it." Allison pointed up at Elena. "I cut halfway through the rope. She's got maybe twenty minutes before it snaps." Kyle's eyes went red. "What the hell are you doing?" Allison ignored the question and pointed to the old wooden crates piled in the corner. "If you hurry, you might be able to stack those high enough to reach her. "Oh, and we're in the middle of nowhere. Even the fastest ambulance is at least thirty minutes out." Kyle clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked. "You're insane!" "I am insane." Allison laughed, her eyes wilder than ever. She walked toward the men and yanked open her collar. "Don't you think I'm disgusting? Isn't this what you wanted? Me with another man's kid? Other men putting their hands on me? "Then go ahead. Watch." She pulled several pills from her pocket, swallowed them, then motioned for the men to do the same. "If you leave, Elena dies." Kyle's expression changed. He didn't hesitate. He rushed to the pile of crates and started moving them with his bare hands. Minutes ticked by. The drugs started kicking in. Allison began tugging at her clothes, breathy moans slipping out. The men's eyes glazed over as they slowly closed in on her. Kyle suddenly froze, a crate still in his hands. That was when he realized what Allison and the men had taken. 'Allison really has lost her mind!' Just as one man was about to touch Allison, Kyle hurled the crate in his hands at him. "Ah!" The man screamed as it struck him. Kyle lunged forward, kicked the nearest guy away, and pulled Allison into his arms. Barely conscious, she sagged against him, her fingers curling into his collar. "Kyle... you still can't stand to see anything happen to me, can you?" She smiled as tears slipped down her cheeks. Kyle glanced at the men closing in, then up at Elena swaying thirty feet above the floor. His face tightened, torn. Allison was burning up in his arms, already starting to babble. The men kept closing in, breathing hard, their eyes locked on her. Kyle gritted his teeth and shouted up at Elena. "Protect your head! From that height... the fall probably won't kill you!" Then he carried Allison out of the warehouse without looking back. Elena watched them disappear through the door. The last bit of hope inside her shattered. This was the third time. The third time Kyle had chosen Allison and left Elena to live or die. Her eyes burned, but no tears came. The men below quickly recovered. With Allison gone, every one of them turned toward Elena. They crowded beneath her, reaching up and yelling disgusting things. Then some started stripping. Above them, the rope began to fray. Elena went cold. Even if the fall didn't kill her, she knew what was waiting below. For the first time, fear completely swallowed her. There was nothing she could do. She shut her eyes. Snap! The rope broke. Chapter 8 The second Elena started falling, she thought she was dead. Bang! She crashed onto the men below, their bodies breaking her fall. Pure survival instinct kicked in. Ignoring the pain ripping through her, Elena scrambled up before they could react and ran. Shouts and pounding footsteps chased after her. She didn't stop. Her lungs burned. Blood filled her mouth. She had no idea how long she'd been running when headlights finally appeared ahead. Elena stumbled into the road. Then her vision went black. ... When Elena woke up, she was back in the hospital. Kyle sat beside her bed, eyes bloodshot, exhaustion written all over his face. "Elena, I'm sorry. "Allison isn't mentally stable. I've already found a therapist for her. "I hope you can forgive her this time. She didn't mean it." He paused. "Besides, you don't have any proof to press charges." His message was clear. Even if Elena wanted Allison to pay, she couldn't do a thing. Maybe out of guilt, Kyle added, "I already punished her for what she did." Elena's eyes dropped to the bright red hickey on his neck. She suddenly smiled. 'Yeah. Some punishment. Looks like he really went all out.' Elena looked away, her voice calm. "One billion dollars. Then I won't press charges." Kyle went quiet for a moment. "Fine." He pulled out a black card and set it down. "Allison's pregnant, and she's too unstable right now. "For your safety and the baby's, I'm sending her away to recover. "I'll be back for the wedding next week. No matter what happens, I won't miss it." Elena closed her eyes. She had nothing left to say. Kyle watched her for a moment, then finally left. The second the door shut, Elena opened her eyes. There was nothing left in them. For the next few days, she stayed in the hospital and recovered. On the fifth day, her lawyer called. The divorce was final. Elena checked out and went back to Kyle's mansion. Wedding decorations still filled the place. They used to hurt. Now they just felt like a joke. She went into the bedroom and stopped by the cabinet at the foot of the bed. Reaching into a decorative gold vase, she pulled out a small camera. A month ago, the day before their wedding, she'd recorded a love confession for Kyle, planning to give it to him on their wedding night. But right after she finished, Kyle had walked in. Panicking, she'd tossed the camera into the vase. Elena took the camera to Kyle's study and pulled up the footage on his computer. Just as she expected, it had captured more than her confession. It had also recorded Kyle and Allison together. Elena deleted her part and sent herself the rest. Then she made a call. "Play this video at Kyle Fenton's wedding the day after tomorrow." After Allison kidnapped her, Elena had demanded one billion dollars from Kyle. But he still hadn't made up for using her to provoke Allison, trading her away, and nearly getting her killed. 'This video should cover the rest.' Once everything was done, Elena set the wedding ring beside the brand-new divorce decree on the desk. Then she grabbed her packed suitcase and walked out without looking back. At the airport, she deleted everything tied to Kyle and shut off her phone before takeoff. Outside the window, the city shrank below her. Then it disappeared beneath the clouds.