An hour later, Rosalie arrived at Seaforth Club. The second she pushed open the private room door, her gaze landed on Nina perched beside Brandon.

Nina wore sunglasses and a hat, bundled up like she was trying to hide from the world. She dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.

Brandon kept his distance from Nina, but Rosalie could still see the worry in his eyes.

He didn't even notice the bandages wrapped around Rosalie's head. He might not have realized she was there if she hadn't spoken up.

"Why'd you call me here?" Rosalie muttered.

Brandon finally turned to look at her, his eyes locking on hers as his forehead creased in a frown. "Did you call the reporters this morning?"

Rosalie went still. Her gaze flicked instinctively toward Nina, who had already removed her sunglasses. The bruise around her left eye was now visible.

When Rosalie remained silent, Brandon's disappointment deepened. "I had someone track the call made to those reporters. It came from your number. They confirmed a woman tipped them off about a huge story. That's why they swarmed Searle Manor. Do you even realize how far you've crossed the line? One of them barged in for a photo, and his camera slammed right into her eye."

Nina cut in, "Drop it, Brandon. Maybe we were wrong about Rosalie. Why would she work with the media to slander me?"

Brandon's gaze turned frosty as he stared Rosalie down. "Was it you or not?"

Rosalie had only told them the truth. What was so bad about that? Her lips curled into a bitter smile. She had spent the entire night alone in the hospital, nursing the head wound Brandon had given her. Had he even bothered to check on her?

Now here she was, right before him, and he didn't give a damn. But the moment Nina shed a few tears, he was suddenly grilling Rosalie like a criminal. Another sharp crack splintered through Rosalie's heart.

"If you weren't at Searle Manor, how would you know all this so well?" she shot back.

Brandon's expression went cold.

Rosalie didn't let up. "If you're calling it slander, then you must think Nina's innocent. Or do you actually believe she'd find another man shortly after your father died?"

His gaze turned dark. "Don't be ridiculous. She'd never do something that stupid."

Nina jumped in quickly, saying, "Rosalie, don't get the wrong idea. These reporters will spin anything for a headline. Brandon's only looking out for the Searle family name. He's already spent a small fortune keeping those reporters quiet. Nothing damaging will get published."

Rosalie bit her lip, keeping quiet.

Nina had already won the bet, but that didn't stop her from throwing Brandon's favoritism in Rosalie's face in the last ten days before Rosalie left.

The only thing Rosalie was grateful for was having signed the divorce agreement. At least she wouldn't have to suffer this humiliation every single day from now on.

"Alright, let's drop today's matter," Nina said before changing the subject. "Rosalie, what happened to your head?"

Rosalie didn't respond.

Brandon glanced at her. "She must've bumped into something."

"The wound's bleeding, though. I'll get someone to bring fresh bandages."

With that, Nina strode out of the private room.

When only Rosalie and Brandon were left, he sighed and said, "Whether you called the media or not, I want you to stop going after Nina and doubting her. She's already in a tough spot without her husband to support her."

Rosalie's fists clenched tightly. And what about her own husband? Who was he supporting?

"Regardless, she's still my stepmom. I'll appreciate it if you treat her well," Brandon added, gently taking her hand. "Be kind to her, and I'll be even kinder to you."

Rosalie couldn't stop the bitterness that twisted inside her as the words tumbled out. "Have you ever thought of me as your wife, Brandon?"

"Of course."

"Then why would you let your wife suffer like this?"

Before Brandon could answer, a frantic shout cut through the air from outside the private room. "Everyone, out! There's a fire!"

Brandon tensed up, immediately dropping Rosalie's hand before darting outside.

Seaforth Club was in complete chaos. An electrical fire raged out of control, filling the halls with thick smoke as Brandon frantically searched for Nina.

Meanwhile, Rosalie had just stepped out of the private room when the panicked crowd shoved her back inside. The door slammed shut behind her, locking her in. Desperate, she banged on the door. "Help! Let me out! Is anyone there?"

But everyone was too busy scrambling to escape the burning club. Her shouts were lost in the chaos.

Smoke slithered in through the door gap, sending Rosalie into a fit of violent coughs. She yanked off her coat, pressed it tightly over her nose and mouth, and bolted for the window.

Just as flames surged into the room, she clenched her teeth, rammed her shoulder into the glass, and leaped.

Seaforth Club loomed three stories above the ground. The landing sent a jolt of pain through her body, leaving her unable to drag herself forward. Her legs burned, and it felt as if they had been smashed to pieces.

Just then, she caught sight of the fleeing crowd. There was Nina, freshly rescued, hovering over Brandon's unconscious form on a gurney.

A knot of dread coiled in Rosalie's chest. Biting back the pain, she forced herself up just in time for the paramedics to grab her and bundle her into an ambulance.

When they finally reached the hospital, Rosalie ignored her own injuries and hurried straight to Brandon. He was being wheeled into the emergency room, his legs covered in bloody burns.

"Brandon!" Rosalie stumbled after the gurney, her eyes wild with fear.

But the first thing he said when he weakly opened his eyes was, "Nina... Where is she? Is she safe?"

Rosalie went still.

His voice was faint as he continued, "Let me see her. I need to know she's safe..."

The doctors rushed to wheel him into the emergency room, but he kept calling for Nina, insisting on seeing her before they treated him.

Rosalie's voice was desperate. "Brandon, please! You need help now. Your burns are bad. You can't wait!"

But Brandon didn't care about his injuries. There was only one thing on his mind. "Nina… I need to see Nina…"

Rosalie staggered back a few steps at his desperate calls, her eyes glistening with tears.

He had already thrown away his life once, leaving her behind in the flames to save Nina. And now, here he was, risking himself all over again just to ensure Nina's safety. Didn't he realize that the pain he was causing Rosalie now hurt more than dying ever would?

At that moment, Nina finally hurried over, grabbing Brandon's hand from beside the gurney. "Don't worry about me, Brandon! I'm fine! You need help now. I'll be right here when you're done!"

With just those words from Nina, Brandon finally relented and let them wheel him into the emergency room.

The doctor approached, holding the surgical consent form. "Who here is family to the patient?"

Rosalie instinctively rose to her feet, but Nina snatched the paper from the doctor. "I'm his legal mother. That means I'm the one who signs."

With that, she shot Rosalie a smug look.

And she was right. Rosalie and Brandon had married in secret. She didn't even have the right to call herself his family.

Meanwhile, Nina could stand proudly by Brandon's side without question. As his stepmother, she wielded that title like a weapon, stealing every role that should have been Rosalie's.

No one knew Rosalie was Brandon's wife. Sometimes, not even Brandon remembered.

She sat slumped on the bench with her eyes fixed on the floor, her heart heavy with pain.

Just then, Nina walked up. "You've seen it for yourself. No one can ever take my place in Brandon's heart. He'd die for me without a second thought. Marrying you was just a way to hide our relationship. I'm only showing you this because I want what's best for you so that you can finally move on. Don't waste another second waiting around for him."

Rosalie shut her eyes. Holding back tears, she asked bitterly, "Do you really enjoy watching him live and die for you?"

"I just need him to keep proving he loves me—the same way I love him with everything in me."

"If you love him that much, why did you leave him and marry his father in the first place?"

Nina laughed. "Because Declan was richer than Brandon back then. I'd do anything for money, and now that Brandon has come into his family's fortune, of course, I'm sticking with him.

"Do you even know how obsessed he was in those six years we were together? He has never wanted another woman the way he wants me. That's why none of your little seductions ever worked. He's been waiting for me. So, who exactly do you think you are to him?

"At the auction last time, the emerald bracelet I wanted cost a fortune, but he didn't hesitate before buying it. When has he ever done anything like that for you?"

Her words cut into Rosalie's heart like a dull knife, slow and painful.

"Are you just trying to prove you can win at everything?" Rosalie shot back.

Nina grinned. "Winning Brandon back from you is victory enough for me. Let's wait until he's out of surgery. We'll see whose name he calls first."

Rosalie clung to a thin, desperate hope.

Maybe Brandon still had some decency left in him. Maybe he'd spare her a single thought. At the very least, he might wonder whether she had survived the fire.

She had loved him for 6 years. Even a pet cat or dog would've earned some affection by then.

An hour later, when they wheeled Brandon out of the emergency room, he was still groggy from the anesthesia. Even so, the first name he mumbled was, "Nina..."

Nina threw Rosalie a triumphant look. "Well? Guess this round's mine too."

Rosalie watched as Nina walked over to Brandon's side, and just like that, her last bit of hope vanished.

Over the next few days, Rosalie and Brandon remained in the hospital to recover. Day after day, Rosalie watched Nina hover around Brandon, never once stepping away. She didn't give Rosalie even a chance to get close to him.

…

On the evening Rosalie was discharged, Brandon stopped by her ward. He brought her a healthy meal and handed her an exquisite gift box.

"Your birthday is in three days. There's a key inside. I left your gift in the walk-in closet. Just use the key to open the wardrobe, and you'll find the gift."

Three days later would also be the day Rosalie was set to leave.

She took the key, murmuring, "Thank you."

As she grabbed her bag to finish the discharge paperwork, an immigration form slipped out and fluttered to the floor.

Brandon picked it up, his brows furrowing. "What's this? You're moving abroad?"

Rosalie snatched it back, lying smoothly, "A friend left it with me. I was just going to give it back."

Brandon eased up a little.

After a moment, his gaze lingered on Rosalie's haggard face before he said in a low and serious voice, "I'm getting discharged on your birthday. When that day comes, I'll celebrate with you, Rosalie. Just wait for me at home."

Rosalie's heart lurched. Before she could say a word, Nina's voice echoed down the hallway. "Brandon, I made you chicken noodle soup…"

The moment he heard her, Brandon walked out of Rosalie's ward without a second thought. Rosalie could hear the low murmur of their warm, familiar exchange.

She scoffed to herself. She finished packing her clothes and got ready to leave the hospital. But the moment she stepped out of the ward, someone grabbed her and dragged her into the restroom down the hall.

Rosalie looked up in panic to find Nina standing before her, her lips curled in a sneer. "Brandon just left your ward. Don't tell me you're trying to weasel out of our bet. You lost, so why are you still clinging to him?"

Rosalie met her gaze, eyes blazing. "I'm not. I promised I'd leave him, and I won't back out now."

Nina's expression hardened. "Then stay away from him. Quit showing up everywhere he goes."

Rosalie couldn't be bothered to argue with Nina. She tried to get back up but accidentally knocked her foot against Nina's leg.

Nina flew into a rage.

"Shove her head into the toilet!" she barked at the people holding Rosalie down.

They forced Rosalie's head down into the filthy water. Nina kept flushing over and over. Rosalie gritted her teeth, barely managing to keep from swallowing any of it. They would pull her up just long enough to grab a breath before shoving her under again.

Rosalie kept count in her head—19 times. Nina had made them force her under that disgusting water 19 times. It felt like Nina was taunting Rosalie, throwing those 19 failures with Brandon right back in her face.

Suddenly, the restroom door flew open. Brandon took in the scene with a scowl.

"What's going on here?" he demanded.

Nina quickly helped the soaking-wet Rosalie to her feet and made a show of wiping off the filthy toilet water dripping from her.

With a smile, she turned to Brandon and said, "Rosalie dropped her earring in the toilet and decided to crawl in after it. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. Right?"

The others, already bribed by Nina, nodded eagerly before seizing the chance to slip away.

Still gasping for air, Rosalie shoved Nina away and snapped, "That's a lie! You shoved my head under the water 19 times!"

Nina ducked behind Brandon, putting on her best innocent look. "Brandon, I didn't do it. You've got to believe me."

Rosalie turned to Brandon, her eyes begging him to be fair.

But he said expressionlessly, "Just get a new earring. That toilet water's gross. Stop fishing around in it."

Nina flashed Rosalie a triumphant smile, looping her arm through Brandon's as they walked out of the restroom together.

Rosalie stood frozen, disbelief rooting her in place. Just like that, Brandon had chosen to believe Nina. He acted like he didn't see the filthy water dripping from Rosalie's clothes.

They had dunked her head in that toilet 19 times. But none of it mattered, not next to Nina's lies.

Rosalie gave a bitter laugh. What a pathetic joke she was. She shut her eyes, her fists clenched in rage as tears of humiliation spilled down her cheeks.