Chapter 6
Rozen’s POV
I had just returned from a three–day hike in the mountains, my muscles aching but my mind refreshed. There was something about being up there–away from the chaos of the city, away from business meetings and suffocating formalities–that gave me peace.
As I settled into my study, I pulled out my camera, eager to look through the photos and videos I had taken. It was a habit of mine–l always printed the best ones for my personal collection.}
Flipping through the images, I admired the scenery: the endless stretch of green, the golden hues of the sun setting behind the cliffs, the mist rising from the valley below. Perfect shots.
But then-
1 froze.§
In the background of one of the photos, half–hidden behind the rocky terrain, was a woman.}
A familiar woman.
At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. It had been years. But my pulse quickened, my grip tightening around the camera.}
Mara.
I stared at the image, my breath catching in my throat. I hadn’t seen her in so long–had almost convinced myself to stop looking for her. Yet, there she was.
My childhood friend:
The girl I once promised to marry.
The very reason I had never settled down, never let anyone else into my heart. I had been waiting for her, even when I knew she was already married.}
Why was she there?
Before I could process my thoughts, I clicked on a video I had taken at the same location.}
The footage played, showing the breathtaking view of the cliffside, the vast horizon beyond it. At first, it was just the landscape–but then, two figures appeared in the frame.}
Mara.
And a blonde woman.
I frowned, watching closely. They seemed to be talking, but the audio was faint. Mara looked tense, while the other woman–I realized- was smiling, almost… taunting.”
And then-
My stomach dropped.
She suddenly flung herself backward.}
Straight off the cliff. The video cut off immediately as I had stopped recording, unaware of what I had captured at the time.
My hands clenched into fists. I wasn’t sure but perhaps the girl would want to pin her. That she was guilty. That she was a murderer.}
But the truth was right in front of me.
I exhaled sharply and grabbed my phone.”
“Find Mara Hugh,” I ordered one of my men, sending him the photos. “I need to know whère she is now.”
I didn’t have time to sit around. If the world thought Mara was guilty, there was no telling what she was going through.
Just then, my butler rushed into the room, looking pale.
“Sir–turn on the television.”
I picked up the remote and switched to the news.}]
My stomach twisted as the anchor spoke.
“Breaking news: Mara Ridge, wife of business mogul Lucien Ridge, has been hospitalized after a tragic event. Mrs. Ridge, currently unconscious, reportedly collapsed after losing their unborn twins. Mara, accused of attempted murder against socialite Vanessa Bennet, remains under scrutiny as investigations continue. Meanwhile, Miss Bennet, though still recovering, has allegedly forgiven her.“>
I barely heard the rest.
Mara.
The woman I had been searching for, the woman 1-
I shot up from my seat.
“Prepare the car,” I barked. “We’re going to the hospital.”
–
Mara drifted between consciousness and the unbearable pull of darkness. The world around her was a blur–flashes of white lights, muffled voices, the sharp sting of pain that came and went in waves.N
Somewhere in the distance, she could hear frantic voices.
Somewhere in the distance, she could hear frantic voices.
“She’s losing too much blood!”
“She won’t make it if we don’t find a donor soon!”
Mara’s eyelids fluttered weakly, her body too drained to react. Every breath she took was a struggle, her chest rising and falling in slow, shallow movements. The pain was unbearable, spreading through her body like fire.
She didn’t understand what was happening.
All she knew was that she felt empty.
Something was missing.
Something was gone.
Then it hit her.
Her babies.
Her breath hitched, and a weak sob escaped her lips. The pain in her heart was far worse than anything her body was going through. A crushing weight settled over her chest, suffocating her.”
She had carried them for months, endured everything for them. And now->
No.
No, she couldn’t think about that.
She tried to move, tried to say something, but her body refused to obey her. It was as if she was floating in a void, slipping further and further away.
Then, a loud commotion erupted outside the operating room.
A deep, commanding voice cut through the chaos.
“Take all my blood if you have to–just save her!”
The voice was familiar, but in her dazed state, she couldn’t place it.
Who was it?
She tried to focus, to hold on to the sound, but the darkness was pulling her under again.”
The last thing she heard before everything went black was the sound of hurried footsteps and a desperate plea.)
“Please, don’t let her die.”
