Chapter 5

A nurse rushed in, looking terrified. “Miss Valerie was injured during the rescue operation. She’s lost a lot of blood and needs an immediate transfusion!”

Ricci stood up instantly. “What happened?”

“She was caught in another bombing. The blast threw debris into her path, and she’s in critical condition.”

“Fuck.”

He rushed toward the door, passing right beside me, but somehow, he stopped himself and looked back.

“Thalia, get some rest. Valerie’s badly injured, and I need to check on her. I’ll come back when she’s stable, okay?”

“Go.”

He left.

That night, my burns became infected, and my fever climbed to forty degrees. I barely knew where I was anymore.

Then, sometime before dawn, the door opened, and Ricci came back. He grabbed my shoulder and shook me awake.

“Thalia, wake up.”

I slowly opened my eyes.

His expression was serious. “Valerie needs blood. The hospital’s blood supply is almost gone because of the attacks, and you’re the only compatible match they have right now.”

I stared at him.

He continued, “I know you’re weak, but Valerie’s condition is critical! She’s one of BlackSword’s best assassins, and we can’t afford to lose her.”

My fingers tightened around the bedsheet. “Ricci…”

His voice softened. “Thalia, please. Just give her some blood. Half of what you have should be enough. I’ll make sure you get proper treatment afterward.”

I stared at him for a long time, then laughed.

“Half my blood?”

He frowned. “Yes.”

“You know I’m already injured!”

“I know but Valerie needs it.”

“Not happening.”

“But I’m asking you to do this for BlackSword.”

“No.”

“Thalia.”

“No.”

His patience finally snapped. “Fine. Have it your way.”

He stood up, his expression turning cold. “But you’re giving the blood whether you fucking like it or not.”

I stared at him as BlackSword men entered the room. They took me to the blood collection room.

I was too weak to fight properly.

The needle went into my arm, and blood started flowing into the bag.

One bag.

Then another.

My vision slowly blurred, and my body became colder with every minute. I couldn’t even lift my hand anymore. When they finally finished, I could barely keep my eyes open.

Ricci didn’t even look back. He grabbed the blood bag and rushed straight toward Valerie’s ward.

I watched him disappear through the door.

I stared at Ricci’s back as he disappeared down the hallway with Valerie’s blood bag. I knew exactly what half my blood meant after everything I’d already been through. It could put me into shock.

My legs were shaking, and my head felt like it was floating, but I forced myself to move. I needed a doctor. I needed help before I passed out.

Then, as I walked past one of the private wards, I heard Valerie’s voice. “Ricci, aren’t you going to stay with Thalia for a while? I was only pretending to be injured, but she actually had half her blood taken. She looks like she could collapse at any moment.”

I stopped.

Then Ricci answered.

His voice was calm.

Almost gentle.

“Don’t worry about her. That’s her punishment. She chose to act like that herself. She’s a housewife, but she doesn’t know her place and she delayed the rescue operation, so I’m not going to keep rewarding that behavior.”

I stood outside the door, barely able to breathe.

Valerie gave a soft sigh. “Ricci, I’m honestly worried. I don’t understand why your wife suddenly became like this. She used to be so quiet and sweet.”

There was something strange in her voice.

She was enjoying this.

Then Ricci chuckled softly. “Don’t think about it. Just rest, Valerie. I’ll handle her.”

Well.

So Valerie had never been injured.

Not even once.

I felt something hot rush up my throat, and blood filled my mouth. I stumbled backward and covered it with my hand before a doctor spotted me.

“Miss Redmond!”

Everything suddenly became chaos.

“She’s lost too much blood! Get a stretcher and call the blood bank immediately!”

“Someone contact her family!”

I wanted to answer them.

I wanted to tell them who I really was but my vision was already fading.

Ricci wasn’t there.

Of course he wasn’t.

Then everything went black.

...

When I woke up again, my pillow was wet.

I didn’t understand why I was crying. I’d already decided to leave him, and I’d already stopped loving him, so why did my chest still hurt like someone was ripping my heart apart?

Then I remembered something from my childhood.

I was seven when I was kidnapped and locked inside a warehouse for seven days. I was terrified until the door finally opened and a young man walked toward me.

It was Ricci.

He’d been crying before he found me, but the moment he saw me, he quickly wiped his face and tried to smile. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t cry, Thalia. I’m here now, and I’ll take you home.”

I remembered looking at him and smiling.

But you made me cry anyway.

“Don’t cry, Thalia,” I whispered to myself. “That man who saved you is gone. The Ricci you loved is gone too.”

So I stopped waiting for him.

I worked through rehabilitation, regained my strength, packed my things, and contacted my twelve uncles. I didn’t ask them to talk to Ricci. I asked them to use every connection our family had to make sure my divorce went through quickly.

Three weeks later, I walked out of the hospital holding my divorce certificate.

I was finally free.

Then I saw Ricci.

He stood outside the hospital entrance with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. The moment our eyes met, he froze, and the flowers slipped from his fingers and hit the ground, scattering petals across the pavement.

He didn’t say anything.

Neither did I.

Then Valerie appeared behind him with another bouquet. She walked up beside me and leaned closer.

“Thalia, Ricci picked these flowers for you himself. He said he’d divorce you once you recovered.”

I looked at her without emotion.

She smiled. “Do you know why he’s dragged this out for five years? It’s because he still loves the food you make, and he can’t stand the thought of you leaving him.”

Her smile became wider. “I honestly can’t bear watching you leave him either. You should thank me, you know. I’m the reason he still has a reason to keep you around.”

I barely listened.

Something about the flowers felt wrong.

I reached toward them.

Suddenly, Valerie gasped. “Ah!”

She stabbed herself with the knife she’d hidden in her sleeve, then threw the knife toward me and collapsed.

“Ricci!” Her face went pale as she clutched her wound. “I know I’m a BlackSword assassin, but I’ve never hurt your wife, and I’ve never betrayed you. Why would she suddenly stab me?”

My blood ran cold.

Ricci turned sharply. “Valerie!” He rushed toward her.