Morgan shoved him away hard, her voice tight with suppressed exhaustion and disgust. “I said, I’ve been really tired lately. I don’t want to.”

Rejected again and again, Jake’s expression darkened slightly. However, seeing how pale she looked, he swallowed his irritation in the end.

His tone relaxed. “Alright. Then get some sleep.”

The next morning, when Morgan woke up, she was stunned to find that Jake had not disappeared early like he usually did; he was still there.

“Why are you still here?” she asked.

“If not here, where else would I be?” Jake smiled naturally and leaned over, trying to pull her into his arms again. “I made you, my love, upset yesterday. I took the day off to make it up to you. Okay?”

Morgan instantly understood everything. Dean must have dumped the responsibility of comforting her entirely onto his younger brother because he could not be bothered to pretend anymore.

A sharp pain stabbed her chest. She was about to say it was not necessary, but Jake did not give her the chance. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

“Didn’t you always want to do that ‘one hundred things couples must do together’ thing with me? Today, I’ll do them all with you.”

He did not allow her to refuse. He dragged her out, moving from one place to another, from watching a movie to wandering through an amusement park, and eating desserts, checking off every activity that looked sweet and romantic on the surface.

They dragged it out until nightfall, where he took her to an upscale private club.

“Have a drink and relax a little.” Jake settled her onto the sofa inside a private room. “I’ll get us more drinks. I’ll be right back.”

After he left, only Morgan remained in the room. She leaned back against the sofa, exhausted. All she wanted was for everything to end as soon as possible.

Suddenly, the private room door was slammed open. Several men reeking of alcohol stumbled inside, and when they saw Morgan, their eyes lit up immediately.

“Well damn! There’s a girl in here too, and she’s not bad at all.”

“Come on, have a drink with us. How much for a night?”

“I’m not–” Morgan jumped to her feet in panic, her face turning pale as she tried to explain.

“Don’t play innocent,” one of them sneered. “Everyone who comes here knows what this place is for.”

They did not believe her. Laughing obscenely, they surrounded her, and someone even turned around and locked the door.

Morgan retreated in terror, struggling and calling for help. However, she was only a woman and was powerless against several drunk men. As they tore her clothes off, despair drowned her whole.

Just as she thought it was truly over…

“Bang!”

The door was kicked open from the outside. Jake stormed in, fury written all over his face. When he saw what was happening, his eyes instantly turned bloodshot. Like an enraged panther, he charged in without hesitation. His blows were ruthless, fists and kicks landing one after another as several men went down in moments.

However, he was still outnumbered. In the chaos, someone grabbed an empty bottle and swung it straight at Morgan.

“Watch out!” Jake roared as he lunged forward, shielding her completely beneath his body.

The bottle smashed hard against the back of his head, shattering instantly. Blood poured down at once. He let out a muffled groan, his expression turning even more vicious, before he spun around and sent the attacker flying with a brutal kick.

At last, the club’s security and management arrived, quickly bringing the situation under control. Jake staggered, all his strength gone, and collapsed into Morgan’s arms. Staring at the blood still flowing from his head, Morgan’s mind went blank. Her hands trembled as she called for an ambulance.

That night, she stayed at the hospital. By early morning, the nurse gently urged her to get some rest.

“The patient is stable now. He’ll wake up soon. You should get some sleep.”

Exhausted, Morgan nodded. Halfway down the hall, she realized she had left her jacket in the room and turned back to get it. Just as she reached the door, she heard Jake’s voice from inside. He seemed to be on the phone.

“I’m fine. I’m not dead.”

The person on the other end said something, and Jake snorted.

“Obviously. If I didn’t stage that whole hero-saving-the-damsel act, how else would I get her to sleep with me again?” He clicked his tongue and said, “She’s great in bed. Fair skin, soft waist, and most importantly… she sounds exactly like Hazel in bed. I love it. It’s like I’m sleeping with Hazel.

“Do I like Hazel? Of course I do.” He laughed quietly. “But my brother likes her too. What can I do? Steal her? Forget it. Hazel likes my brother. They’re in love. I’ll just stay on the sidelines. As long as my brother hasn’t dumped her yet, I’ll sleep with this one as many times as I can.”

Outside the door, Morgan’s world was shaken. Her entire body went ice-cold.

As it turned out, the terrifying, life-or-death rescue last night had been a performance he orchestrated himself just to make it easier to sleep with her again—to use her as a substitute for another woman. She had thought that, at the very least, there had been a shred of sincerity in the way he protected her. However, the truth was, it was all just a cruel joke, one worse than Dean’s cold indifference.

Clamping a hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing out loud, Morgan staggered away from the hospital.

That night, Jake returned to the apartment, his arm wrapped in bandages.

“Morg? Why are you back? Shouldn’t you get more rest at the hospital?” His tone was casual, as if what he said earlier that day never happened.

Morgan forced back a wave of agony and nausea, forcing herself to speak quietly. “I stayed with you all night… I was too tired. I came back to get some rest.”

Jake stepped closer, attempting to pull her into an embrace. His voice was tinged with self-pity, as if expecting her gratitude. “Look at how hurt I am for you. Don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?”

As he spoke, his hand wandered, trying to kiss her. However, Morgan pushed him away violently again.

For the first time, Jake’s expression darkened. “Morgan, I’ve coddled you over and over again. Isn’t that enough? Haven’t I made it up to you?”

“Is sleeping with me all you ever think about?” She choked, voice trembled with desperation.

“Of course not!” Jake replied instantly, his performance flawless. “It’s you I like! I like you as a person!”

Morgan looked at him and then laughed a bitter, tearful laugh. She said nothing after that, only meeting his gaze with a chilling, sorrowful stare. Jake felt a strange mix of guilt and anger under her eyes. Finally, with a cold snort, he grabbed his coat and slammed the door shut on his way out.

Knowing he would not return tonight, Morgan finally allowed herself a moment to breathe.

The next day at school, the president of the student union approached her. “Morgan, we’re having a barbecue this weekend. You have to come!”

Morgan hesitated. “I…”

“Don’t refuse!” The president grabbed her arm and lowered her voice. “And… why don’t you bring your boyfriend, Dean? His company is huge. A lot of us, seniors, are about to intern there, and we want to get on good terms with him. We wouldn’t even be able to approach him normally… You’re our only chance.”

Morgan knew that messaging Dean would probably get ignored, but those in the student union had always treated her well, so she steeled herself and sent a message anyway. To her surprise, Dean actually showed up at the weekend barbecue. Only… he was with Hazel, smiling gracefully beside him.

When he saw Morgan, Dean only gave her a brief, indifferent glance. His voice was calm and even. “I happened to be with Hazel when you messaged, so I brought her along.”

Morgan felt a sting in her chest, but she nodded silently.

Throughout the barbecue, Dean’s attention never left Hazel. The first pieces of grilled meat always went to her; he carefully trimmed the fatty parts, made sure her drinks had straws, and when a bit of sauce got on her lips, he casually wiped it away. It was meticulous, attentive care—the kind Morgan had never received.

She could not help but remember the past two years. As Dean was a pampered rich kid, she had always been careful, attending to his every mood, memorizing every preference, and accommodating every habit. She had even assumed he was naturally cold and distant.

Only now did she realize that he was not incapable of care or attention. She had just never been the person who could make him lower his guard willingly. She even saw Hazel subtly placing ingredients she did not like into Dean’s plate. He frowned slightly and then, astonishingly, ate them.

If Morgan recalled correctly, Dean had a serious aversion to eating food touched by others. Once, she accidentally served him something with her own utensils, and he had gone cold immediately, leaving the dish untouched. However, as it seemed, all his rules and habits could be broken with someone he truly liked.

Later, the group started playing a game of dares. The first loser was Hazel, and her punishment was to drink three shots of strong liquor. She hesitated, but Dean reached over and grabbed the glass before she could protest.

His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. “She can’t handle it. I’ll do it for her.”

Then, without flinching, he downed all three shots.

Later, Morgan lost as well. Her punishment was to eat a skewer of meat smothered in insanely spicy sauce. The heat burned her mouth so badly that tears streamed down her face, and she coughed uncontrollably. Instinctively, she looked at Dean, but he was so focused on talking to Hazel that his eyes never even flickered in her direction. Her heart went numb at that cold disregard.

Afterwards, everyone crowded around Dean to ask about internships, leaving only Morgan and Hazel sitting across from each other.

Hazel’s expression was smug. “Morgan, aren’t you Dean’s girlfriend? Yet during the whole party, he stayed by my side, not once looking at you.”

Morgan silently sipped her water.

“Honestly, I don’t know why he ever ended up with you,” Hazel continued, her tone sharp. “But as his girlfriend, you’re failing spectacularly. If it were me, I’d have taken a hint and left long ago. Look at you. Your intimate photos are all out in the open, and your family background… Well, it doesn’t even measure up in our circles. You think being perfect makes you great? What in the world makes you worthy of him?”

Morgan remained silent, as if she had not heard a word.

Seeing no response from Mogan, Hazel was about to say something when a waiter came over to replace the charcoal for the grill. Perhaps due to a slip, the tray tipped, and glowing coals spilled directly toward Hazel and Morgan.

“Ah!” Hazel screamed in terror.

In a flash, Dean lunged forward, pulling Hazel tightly into his chest and using his own back to shield them from the flying embers.

“Dean!” Hazel’s hands were trembling as she felt along his back, her voice breaking with panic. “Are you okay? Does it hurt? We have to get you to the hospital!”

Dean’s brow was furrowed from the pain, and cold sweat formed at his temple. Yet, he forced a reassuring smile. “It’s nothing. It’s just a minor injury. You finally wanted to come out and have fun. I’m not going to ruin that for you.”

“No! We have to go to the hospital!” Hazel insisted.

Morgan watched the scene, a couple bound together by shared hardship, and felt a bitter mix of irony and suffocating frustration. She could not stand being there any longer and stood up to leave.

Dean grabbed her wrist, his grip firm, his tone sharp with accusation. “Where are you going?”

“Home.” Morgan struggled and pulled back, mocking him. “What, are you coming with me?”

Dean fell silent, loosening his grip slightly. After a long pause, he spoke stiffly, “Go ahead.”

With that, Morgan sneered and walked away without looking back.

The rest of the people there tried to smooth things over. “Dean, Morgan’s just jealous. Go comfort her!”

Dean’s gaze lingered on the doorway, his brow tightly knit. In the end, he replied coldly, “Don’t worry about her. She’ll figure it out on her own.”

Alone back at her apartment, Morgan noticed something unusual: neither Dean nor Jake had appeared all night. For once, she had an undisturbed evening, yet sleep eluded her.

Late that night, her phone suddenly rang sharply. It was Dean.

“Morgan, get to Central City Hospital immediately!” His voice was urgent and icy. Before she could answer, he hung up.

Confused and hesitant, Morgan quickly made her way to the hospital. As soon as she arrived at the emergency room, Dean grabbed her arm with such force that it felt like he might crush her bones.

“Hazel was in a car accident! She’s losing a lot of blood! She’s RH-negative, and the blood bank is running low! You have the same blood type. Give her yours now!”

Morgan stared at him in shock. “You called me here to give her blood?”

“Or what? Watch her die? Move!” Dean’s tone brooked no argument as he practically dragged her toward the blood donation room.

“I’m not going! Let go, Dean!” Morgan struggled, fear and anger fighting for dominance.

However, against Dean’s absolute strength, her resistance was meaningless. She was forced into the chair, the needle piercing her vein.

Looking at the blood flowing into the bag, the nurse frowned. “Mr. Lyon, you’ve taken 1000cc. Any more could be dangerous for her.”

Dean’s gaze remained fixed on the operating room, his expression cold and unyielding. “No. Hazel has a blood-clotting disorder. Draw extra for her. Now!”

As the needle continued to drain her blood, dizziness and chills washed over Morgan until her vision went black and she lost consciousness. When she awoke, she was lying in a hospital bed with an IV drip attached to the back of her hand. Dean was sitting beside her.

The first words she heard were not concern but a sharp reprimand. “Morgan, I never thought you’d be so cruel to tamper with Hazel’s car brakes? Do you want her dead?”

Morgan froze, incredulous. “I didn’t! When did I ever touch her car?”

“Hazel said so herself! Only you had an excuse to get close to her car!” Dean did not even bother to consider her denial, his gaze sharp. “The evidence is clear. What’s your excuse?”

In that moment, everything clicked. This was just another trap orchestrated entirely by Hazel, and Dean chose to believe it.

Morgan opened her mouth to explain, but she realized that all her words were powerless. He had long since made up his mind.