When Cara came back to her senses again, she realized that she was lying in a hospital bed.

Both of Austin's arms were in casts, and he was all curled up on a chair next to her, catching forty winks.

Cara recalled that it was Austin who had grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled her back from the edge of the cliff. Even when both his arms got dislocated and torn in many ways after that, he still never let go of her.

Cara felt her heart softening for him once again. It was unavoidable. She wanted to reach out to caress the stubble that had grown on Austin's chin, but he opened his eyes just then.

"Austin, I—"

She could see his eyes sparkling when he looked at her. However, the next words that escaped his mouth sent a cold chill down her spine.

"You're awake? Good. Nurse, come in and take her blood."

Before Cara even realized what was going on, a few nurses filed into her room and held her down on the bed. Then, they inserted a huge needle into her arm, forcefully drawing blood from her.

"Winter knocked her head against a rock while going down the hill. She urgently needs blood for her surgery now."

Cara was in so much pain that she couldn't stop herself from shaking.

"Austin Langford, you bastard! Did you ever ask me for my opinion? This is illegal! I saved both you and your stepsister! I'm not your rival or your enemy!"

Nobody cared about her tears or her roaring. Their eyes were all focused on the beeping numbers on the monitor instead.

They weren't draining her of her blood. They were taking her life force away from her.

Cara's eyes slowly turned unfocused. She heard a nurse say, "The patient's blood pressure is dropping rapidly! We can't take any more blood from her. She'll die otherwise!"

However, Austin's voice was firm and decisive, leaving absolutely no room for argument.

"Draw another 1 pint of blood from her. Winter's condition hasn't stabilized yet."

He took a few more steps toward Cara and looked at her deathly pale face and bruised and bitten lips, finally showing a hint of sympathy.

"Are you… Are you okay? Hold on. I'll make it up to you next time," he said.

Cara closed her eyes and replied softly, "Get out."

After having so much of her blood drawn, Cara had to spend the better part of the next six months recovering before she could be back to normal again.

…

During her recovery, her best friend, Jessica Hogan, had called her multiple times. After learning what the Langford siblings did to her, Jessica flew into a huge temper.

"What are those two jerks up to right now?" she demanded.

What were they doing?

Cara looked out of the window at the garden outside the hospital.

Winter was sitting on a swing while Austin watched her protectively from the back as if she were something precious he could never afford to lose.

Cara could count on one hand the number of times Austin came to visit her at the hospital back then. However, she could always hear him joking and laughing in the ward next door every single day.

When Cara didn't reply on the phone, Jessice grew even more agitated.

"If they dare to come to Spark City, I swear I'm going to skin them alive!"

Cara chuckled and calmed Jessica down. "Jess, I've already bought the cruise tickets for three days later."

"Alright! I'll be waiting for you!"

…

Cara and Winter were both discharged on the same day. Austin bought each of them a bouquet of fresh flowers when they were discharged.

"Let's go home."

Cara lowered her eyes and avoided his touch. Then, she threw the bouquet of roses straight into the trash.

"Those roses represent Austin's sincerity toward you! Even if you didn't like them, you shouldn't throw them away in his face!" Winter exclaimed, glaring at Cara.

Cara simply pulled up her sleeves and showed her the rash that was already spreading on her arms.

"I'm severely allergic to pollen. Austin Langford, are you trying to send me back into the emergency unit as soon as I'm discharged?"

Neither Austin nor Winter knew what to say. Austin especially looked remorseful about it.

Cara ignored them both and left the hospital on her own.

…

At midnight, someone knocked on Cara's door. Austin was standing right outside her room.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry for taking your blood to save Winter without asking you about it first. I was just too anxious back then. But now, I'm going to make it up to you."

Austin's apology was a whole six months late, and Cara only found it extremely revolting.

"I don't need it. Leave now."

She was just about to kick Austin out of her room when he suddenly grabbed her wrists tightly and forcefully pushed her back onto the bed.

Cara felt her head hit the soft pillow and suddenly got a little dizzy.

A split second later, a warm body pressed against her. She could feel Austin's hot breath fanning against her neck as he said in a seductive voice, "Cara, let me make it up to you with our baby."

Then, he began kissing her fervently.

This time, she felt Austin having a reaction to her. It was something that had never happened before.

He was getting aroused, but she was only getting nauseated.

She quickly shoved him away and doubled over as she choked and retched on the side of the bed.

When Austin saw this, his face turned extremely cold. After a long moment of silence, he said, "Since you refuse to sleep with me, then we will hold an engagement party in three days."

Cara didn't reply to him, and Austin took it as a silent agreement before walking out of the room.

After he left, Cara could still feel a penetrative, heated gaze on her. She looked up at the door and saw a resentful gaze peering at her through the crack in the door.

It was Winter.

The day before the engagement party, the immigration department called Cara up, telling her that there was something wrong with her submitted documents.

Cara quickly hurried over to make sure that the issue could be solved as efficiently as possible.

By the time she was done with the paperwork, it was already midnight.

Cara walked alone slowly on the empty streets. Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps behind her.

When she realized that something was wrong, the person behind her had already yanked on her hair and forcefully dragged her into a deserted alley.

Cara kept struggling, but she got a few slaps in return instead.

"Stop struggling!"

Someone stood waiting in the alley. Something glinted momentarily in that person's hand that was hanging by her side. It was a sharp knife.

Cara managed to recognize the person under the faint moonlight. "Winter Langford! What are you trying to do?"

Winter crouched down to be on eye level with Cara.

"I don't know what kind of spell you cast on Austin to make him suddenly insist on giving you a baby and a stupid engagement party. I can't stop what he wants to do, but hey, do you think the engagement will still go on after I slash this pretty face of yours?"

The cold blade was then pressed lightly against Cara's face. It took just a little pressure before beads of blood appeared on her skin.

The blade of the knife slowly pierced into Cara's flesh. When Cara realized that things were about to get completely out of control, she yelled, "Wait! Austin has actually only ever been in love with you!"

The knife fell to the ground with a clang.

Winter grabbed Cara by the collar and stared at her in disbelief. "What did you just say?"

"Your brother loves you!" Cara exclaimed. "We've been together for years, but he's never touched me! We've never slept together! I even witnessed him masturbating to your nightgowns three times in the middle of the night!"

Winter's grip loosened as a complicated look flashed across her face. She seemed shocked, overjoyed, embarrassed, yet regretful.

Cara looked at her and suddenly felt that fate was a funny thing. Austin would never have admitted any of it out loud, but she had spilled his secrets as easily as that.

However, before Cara could even heave a sigh of relief, Winter picked up the knife again and stepped even closer to her, this time brandishing it against her neck.

"Even so, you're the one getting married to him. Austin will only reclaim his freedom after you're dead!"

The murderous look on Winter's face was apparent, and Cara knew that she was determined to kill her.

Cara's back was beaded with cold sweat. She shakily took out the marriage form from her bag and said, "What if I tell you that I've never submitted the marriage registration form?"

She then tore up the form into tiny shreds right in front of the stunned Winter.

"Are you happy now? Also, you can just replace me at the engagement party tomorrow. He's planning on a traditional one anyway, where he won't be able to see your face under the veil. No one can tell if it's you or me."

Winter stared at Cara for a long time, as if in complete disbelief that Cara was actually smart enough to remove herself from the picture beforehand.

She smiled and said, "At least you know what's best for you. Let's go!"

Cara looked at the two disappearing figures and finally fell to the ground, her energy completely depleted.

On the day of the engagement party, Austin, the groom-to-be, left the mansion early in the morning.

Cara just handed the engagement ring straight to Winter. It was a little small on her finger anyway, but it fit Winter's finger perfectly.

Seeing that it was almost time for the cruise to depart, Cara grabbed her suitcases to leave, but she quickly realized that her room door was locked from the outside. Nobody came to answer, even after she banged on it several times.

Just then, the stench of gasoline filled the room and soon covered the tiles on the floor.

Winter's chilling voice could be heard again.

"Sorry, Cara, but I'm still insecure even though you told me everything. Austin will never belong wholly to me as long as you're still alive."

"What are you planning to do?" Cara asked.

Cara had a terrible feeling about this. She could hear Winter's piercing laughter from the other side of the door.

"So, for the sake of my happiness, please die as quickly as you can!"

A match was struck and dropped onto the floor. The blaze was immediate.

The fire quickly spread into the room with the gasoline on the floor and eventually consumed Cara's room entirely.

Thick smoke entered Cara's lungs, and she choked hard.

There was no other way out of the room apart from the window in the corner.

Cara rushed over and opened it up quickly. However, this was a five-story drop to the ground, and she didn't have any tools with her.

…

At the same time, the city was buzzing with news of Austin's engagement.

Austin finally lifted the veil at the engagement banquet, and he was completely shocked. "What are you doing here? Where's Cara?"

This wasn't the person he wanted.

Winter grabbed his hand and said, "Austin, please just let me be your bride."

Austin shook her hand off for the first time as he chided, "We're siblings! This is incest! Winter, what… what are you doing!"

Winter held a bottle of pesticides in her hand. It was highly concentrated and poisonous.

She held the mouth of the bottle to her lips and threatened, "If you don't marry me, then I'll take my own life right in front of you!"

They glared at each other for a long time.

Eventually, Austin caved in to his desire and pulled Winter into his arms.

He was very happy to spend time with Winter like this, even if it was only for a short hour.

"You're not allowed to act recklessly like this again. Is Cara at home?" he asked.

Winter pinched herself in the palm and smiled at him in response. "She's sleeping really well at home."

Just a minute before the banquet was about to start, one of Austin's men rushed into the hall and said urgently, "Mr. Langford! Your mansion is on fire! The neighbors also heard a woman screaming for help inside!"

The man's voice was quite soft, and Austin couldn't hear what he said. However, Winter caught a few keywords from him, such as "fire" and "mansion".

She immediately raised her voice and said, "Austin! How could your subordinate be so inconsiderate? Can't he see that the event is about to start? Why is he suddenly reporting to you now about work?"

Austin felt a sense of unease in his chest, but he thought he was just getting nervous before the engagement banquet.

He frowned impatiently and waved his hand dismissively at his subordinate. "Is it about work? Alright, alright. You may leave now."

"But—"

The music began to play loudly just then, completely drowning out the man's voice. Austin then offered his hand to Winter. She took it, and they made their way into the banquet hall together.

After the engagement banquet was over, Austin planned to ask the authorities to expedite his marriage registration form so that Cara would stop feeling insecure. As for Winter, he swore to treat her well for the rest of her life, just like how he used to do in the past.

However, he never thought that the very woman he was thinking of was now dangling five stories above the ground as she slowly made her way down with a rope she made out of bedsheets.

Cara's fingers were rubbed raw from rope burn, and it was so serious that she thought she could see her bone peeking through the flesh on her palms.

She was also charred and singed all over her body, and her body ached terribly. Still, she didn't dare to slack off and remained tense the entire time, gripping firmly onto the makeshift rope.

The metallic stench of her blood filled her nostrils, and the thick, billowing smoke stung her eyes.

A split second later, there was a loud snap, and Cara's pupils constricted at once.

"No!"