Hedy’s POV

“It’s you! You’re the one who tried to kill my mom!”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My hand flew toward Debbii’s face in a slap.

A glint of calculation flickered in her eyes. Before my palm could reach her, Bryson’s hand clamped down hard on my wrist and yanked me back.

His gaze was like ice as it bore into me.

“Enough!” he snapped. “I’ve explained this to you already—none of what happened before was Debbii’s fault! This time, it was also the hospital staff who made the mistake. Why are you blaming her for everything? And now, you’re striking her? Have you completely lost your damn mind, Hedy?!”

With that, he shoved me away.

I stumbled and fell hard onto the floor. Pain shot up my body, my face draining of color.

But he didn’t even glance at me.

“Apologize to Debbii!” he demanded.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself up despite the pain, glaring at him stubbornly.

“You want me to apologize, Bryson? It was she who went after my mom! She’s the one who told the hospital staff to revoke your payment! She even claimed you were her boyfriend! Tell me—who’s the one who should really be apologizing?”

For a moment, he froze.

His brows drew tightly together, his gaze toward Debbii cooling.

In an instant, her face went pale.

But just as quickly, tears welled up in her eyes, clinging to her lashes like a rain-drenched flower. She darted into the kitchen, snatching a knife and pressing it to her own neck.

“Bryson,” she cried, her voice trembling, “I told you I didn’t do it on purpose! Maybe the hospital staff misunderstood. If you insist on believing Hedy instead of me, then I have no choice but to prove my innocence with my death!”

Before anyone could react, she drew the blade across her neck, leaving a deep and bleeding gash.

Bryson’s expression changed instantly. He lunged forward, grabbing the knife with his bare hand.

Blood ran freely down the blade, dripping from his fingers, but he didn’t care. All his focus was on checking Debbii’s wound, his voice frantic.

“Why are you so impulsive? Of course, I believe you! Hold still, Debbii. I’ll call someone to treat your injury right now.”

Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms. As he passed me, his eyes burned with fury.

“Hedy, you’ve gone too far this time!”

“Housekeeper!” his voice roared like thunder. “Lock Hedy in the cold storage! No one lets her out without my permission!”

With that, the housekeeper rushed in with a group of bodyguards who seized me from behind.

I shuddered violently and began to struggle.

“Let me go! I have to get to the hospital to pay for my mom’s treatment! Bryson! Tell them to let me go!”

My voice was nearly a scream.

But he didn’t turn his head even once.

In the end, I was thrown into the cold storage.

The heavy door clanged shut, and the freezing air swallowed me whole.

I trembled, pulling out my phone to try and call someone—anyone—to help pay my mom’s fees at the hospital.

But just as I unlocked it, the door swung open again.

“Take her phone away. Strip her clothes off.”

Bryson’s voice was low and dangerous.

Before I could react, the bodyguards pinned me down. My phone was ripped from my hands, and my clothes were torn away without mercy.

I stared at Bryson in disbelief, my eyes wide.

“Are you insane?! Mom’s still in the hospital waiting for me to pay—I—”

My words broke off as his hand clamped around my jaw, forcing my face up to his.

“Because of what you said, Debbii’s neck was slashed open. The doctor said it was only a fraction away from the artery! I told you, Hedy—she didn’t do it on purpose. But you refused to believe me! Today, until Debbii’s surgery is over, no one is letting you out of this cold storage. As for your mom…” His eyes hardened to steel. “Pray she survives until you’re released.”

Even as I trembled violently in the icy air, his expression remained unmoved.

“Bryson, please,” I begged, tears streaming down my face, my throat burning from the cold. “I’ll apologize to Debbii. Just send someone to the hospital to pay the bills. I’m begging you, Bryson! Mom won’t make it!”

But he only looked at me with those frozen eyes, then turned and stepped out without hesitation.

Before the door closed, I summoned every ounce of strength left in me, glaring at him with hatred.

“Bryson! I swear I will hate you for the rest of my life!”

His body gave a faint tremor, but in the end, the heavy cold-storage door slammed shut firmly.

Hedy’s POV

When I opened my eyes again, everything felt numb.

Bryson’s face lit up with relief the moment he saw me.

“Hedy, you’re finally awake,” he said, his voice brimming with joy.

His eyes softened with pity as he carefully gathered me into his arms, just like he used to—like nothing about Debbii had ever happened.

“Give me back my phone.”

I pushed him away hard, my expression blank, my voice flat.

For a second, his expression stiffened. Then, forcing a placating smile, he said softly, “Hedy, I’ve already paid for your mom’s treatment. She’s fine now.”

I didn’t reply. I simply held out my hand, palm up, demanding.

His face darkened. Still, he placed the phone into my palm.

“Hedy, I know you’re still thinking about what happened yesterday,” he said, voice lowering, “but you were the one who made a mistake. You should apologize to Debbii.”

I let out a cold laugh.

“Apologize to Debbii? I was the one locked in a freezing storage room. My mom was the one who almost died. And you want me to apologize to her?”

He hadn’t expected me to explode like that; his face turned cold.

“I’ve explained this to you so many times—Debbii didn’t do it on purpose. You’re the one who left a scar on her neck, the one who ruined her reputation in the industry. You must hold a press conference to clear things up and apologize to her in person.”

I stared at him in disbelief. Was he insane?

He wanted me to apologize to the person who nearly killed my mom?

Grinding my teeth, I pushed myself up from the bed. I needed to leave, to go to the hospital and see how my mom was doing.

But before I could take a single step, his hand shot out and grabbed me, iron-tight.

“This isn’t a negotiation, Hedy,” he warned, his tone cold. “The press conference is in five days. Start preparing now. Don’t forget—your brother’s still in prison, and your mom’s in a hospital owned by the Lundeberg Corporation.”

His words froze the blood in my veins.

My mom and my brother were still in his hands. I had no power to resist.

I looked at him blankly, my heart like stone.

“Five days, right? Fine,” I said at last. “I’ll do it. But you’re going to pull all your people off my brother’s case and let the process go through normally.”

If he withdrew his men, I could arrange for mine to step in.

That way, five days from now, my brother could leave with me and my mom.

I kept my expression steady as I looked at Bryson.

For a fleeting moment, he felt as though I were far, far away from him. I could tell his heart gave a small, panicked tremor as he reached out a hand toward me.

But before he could say anything, Debbii called him.

By the time he returned from answering her call, Bryson agreed to my terms without hesitation.

He left with a smile, holding the contract I had just signed.

I struggled to my feet and headed straight for the hospital.

When I reached my mom’s room, what awaited me wasn’t her lying in bed but hospital staff clearing out the space.

A sudden wave of dread surged up inside me. I grabbed the nearest staff member's hand, trembling.

“The patient who was here—where is she?” I demanded.

She gave me an impatient glance.

“Dead,” she said flatly. “Family couldn’t pay the fees. She held on for a whole day before passing. Her body’s in the morgue.”

All of a sudden, the world tilted. I dropped to my knees on the cold floor, nearly fainting.

“No… that’s impossible. Bryson said he paid. How could she be dead?”

I shook my head frantically, refusing to believe it.

At the sound of Bryson’s name, the staff member suddenly became interested. She gave me a slow once-over, then sneered.

“Oh, so you’re that little homewrecker everyone’s been talking about? Everyone here knows Sir Bryson is Miss Debbii’s boyfriend. They’ve been childhood sweethearts. You’re the only shameless one trying to use your mom’s illness to cling to him.”

She let out a sharp laugh.

“Your mom’s medical fees? Nobody paid a cent. But yesterday, Miss Debbii took a full million from Sir Bryson and treated the hospital staff to afternoon tea. See? Some people are just born lucky while others aren’t. Guess you’ve finally learned your place, huh?”

Blood roared in my ears when I heard that. My eyes burned red, like they were bleeding.

So Bryson hadn’t refused to pay for my mom’s treatment.

It was Debbii—she’d taken the money and spent it on tea for the hospital staff?!

I couldn’t take it anymore. Shoving the staff member aside, I ran for the morgue.

The moment I pulled back the white sheet, my vision went black, and I collapsed onto the cold floor of the morgue.

Hedy’s POV

After arranging my mom’s funeral, I returned to the villa, pale-faced, clutching that small urn.

I set her urn down carefully, took up my documents, and was just about to leave when the bedroom door slammed open with a violent kick.

“Hedy! Where did you take Debbii?!”

I didn’t even look at him. My voice came out flat, numb.

“I don’t know. I didn’t.”

Bryson clearly didn’t believe me. Without a shred of mercy, he yanked me out of the room.

The moment I saw who was at the villa entrance, my expression finally cracked.

“Trevor!”

My brother was gagged, tied to a chair, surrounded by Bryson’s bodyguards.

For a second, I couldn’t even tell what Bryson was planning to do.

Then, his bloodshot eyes flashed. He gestured sharply to the men behind my brother.

They nodded, then suddenly raised thick batons, as wide as an arm, and brought them down on my brother’s body.

“Ahhh!”

He convulsed, blood already smearing across his clothes.

In an instant, my vision went red.

“Bryson! What are you doing?! I already told you—I didn’t do it! Why won’t you believe me?”

My voice rose to a near-scream.

But Bryson didn’t spare me a glance. He stared at my bound brother, his tone like ice.

“Hedy, from this moment on, I’ll count down from ten. With every number, your brother will take ten strikes. The doctor said his body is already very weak. If you don’t want him to die, then tell me where Debbii is.”

I shook with rage, glaring at my brother’s bloodied form, wishing I could tear the two of them apart right then.

“Bryson, I told you—I didn’t lay a finger on Debbii! I’m begging you. I’ll kneel if I have to! You know I’ve never lied to you! Please, believe me. Don’t hurt my brother!”

As I said this, I moved to kneel.

My brother was already coughing up blood. He was all I had left. I couldn’t lose him either!

But my pleading and my kneeling didn’t stir Bryson in the slightest.

He watched me sink to the floor and still began to count.

“Ten.”

Hearing that familiar countdown, I felt myself unravel.

“No! Stop! Bryson, you can’t do this! You’ll regret it!”

The batons fell again. Ten strikes. My brother’s mouth poured blood without pause.

“Nine.”

Seeing the guards raise their weapons once more, I wrenched free of Bryson’s grip and threw myself over my brother.

The batons crashed onto me instead. Pain ripped through my stomach, and a warm trickle of blood ran down my thighs.

The crimson seeped into my black dress, but all Bryson saw was my ashen face.

At last, his brows drew together.

“Stop!”

He strode forward, reaching to lift me, his eyes flickering with a trace of pain.

“Hedy, I…”

But before his apology could leave his lips, his secretary rushed up, thrusting a phone into his hand.

“Bryson, I’m in so much pain… Hurry up… Save me.”

Bryson’s outstretched hand froze.

He looked at me—nearly unconscious on the floor—as Debbii’s sobbing voice poured from the phone.

“Sir, we’ve found Miss Debbii’s location. The police are still handling the scene. She still needs your presence.”

Hearing that, Bryson finally made his choice.

His voice came out hoarse. “Take Hedy to the hospital. Get the best doctors for her. As for her brother, if anything happens to him, she’ll hate me forever. I’ll take care of Debbii’s situation first, then I’ll come right away.”

After saying that, he turned without hesitation and stepped into his car.

I could no longer hold on. My eyes fluttered shut, and the world went dark.