***
The emergency room pulsed with red light.
Doctors rushed back and forth, scrambling to stabilize Andrew, wires and monitors beeping in a frantic rhythm.
But he didn’t care.
“Save Nicole first,” he rasped.
“Mr. Rohan, you’re the one—”
“Forget me… Save her.” His voice shook, barely above a whisper.
Left with no choice, they wheeled Nicole into surgery.
Minutes later, a doctor burst out, panic-stricken. “She’s hemorrhaging! Does anyone have Type A blood?”
Andrew shoved past the nurses, ripping off his IV. “I do. Take mine!”
“But sir, your condition—”
“Shut up and do it! Now!”
Bag after bag filled the tray. His face went ghostly white.
Andrew didn’t collapse until the doctors confirmed Nicole was safe. The second the words left their mouths, his body gave out, and they wheeled him into emergency care.
Lena couldn’t watch anymore. She turned and walked away.
He loved Nicole—more than his own life.
If she had realized that in her past life, would things have ended differently? Would she have been spared all that pain?
She had changed so much this time, yet Nicole still ended up in that car accident. And it all traced back to those letters and drawings.
But how? She had destroyed them.
The only person who could have kept them, only to expose them at the worst possible moment… was Nicole.
But why? She already had Andrew.
Lena didn’t understand. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
***
For three days, Lena drifted in a daze.
Then Andrew was discharged.
And the first thing he did? Have his bodyguards throw her into the cold storage room.
The second she hit the frozen floor, the chill sank deep into her bones.
Surrounded by nothing but icy white, she let out a bitter laugh.
She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d felt this kind of cold. Ever since she’d fallen into that frozen lake as a kid, her body had never fully recovered—always weak, always sensitive to the cold. That’s why the mansion was kept warm year-round.
And now, Andrew was using it against her.
A punishment—for not giving up on him. For hurting Nicole.
Lena curled into herself, trying to hold onto whatever warmth she had left. It was useless. Her body shook, muffled whimpers escaping her lips.
Outside, a maid hesitated before whispering, “Ms. Clermont, why don’t you just apologize? If you keep this up… your body won’t be able to take it.”
Lena’s eyes burned red.
In her past life, she had been wrong. She’d deserved it.
But this time? She hadn’t done anything. What was she supposed to apologize for?
And even if she did, Andrew wouldn’t care. His heart was Nicole’s. It always had been.
The freezing air clawed at her from all sides. Frost formed on her lashes.
Her heartbeat slowed. Her thoughts blurred.
Then everything went dark.
