Zane let out a disdainful snort at her audacity to defend that man's life. Rising from the couch, he strode toward her—wearing a smug smirk on his lips, which oddly looked—ruthless as it was—almost attractive.
Selina instinctively stepped back. Any feelings she'd had for him were now tangled with fear.
She froze while he closed the gap between them. Before she could speak, Zane reached out, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.
His cold, slender fingers traced down to her soft chin, which he gently pinched between thumb and index finger, sending a disdainful chill churning her stomach. But that gentleness turned merciless when his fingers pressed against her skin, causing Selina's face to twist in pain as she winced.
He lifted her face up forcefully to meet his expressionless gaze. "How touching, your devotion to your father," he muttered, his voice dripping with spite. "Seems eager to be with him."
Selina's heart thundered like it might leap out as she grasped the hem of her shirt, steadying herself. He looked detached, showing no sign of empathy, even after taking away someone from her who had given her a reason to live.
"Then go ahead and do it," she challenged, her voice trembling beneath his eerie, glowing amber eyes. "Even if I'm my father's daughter, it doesn't mean I should suffer for it. I'm Selina, not Hudson. I won't be trampled."
Zane said nothing.
Instead of harming her, he bent down and picked up his broken device, turning to leave—until her shattered voice stopped him.
"Where's my father? What did you do with him? Please, don't take him away from me,"
He glanced over his shoulder, indifferent to her pain. "Seems you'd hate me if Hudson doesn't make it. You're free to do so. But you'd better stay quiet about what happened if you don't want another tragedy."
Then, he walked away, leaving her behind with grief settling around her like a heavy cloak.
After a while, sobbing her grieving heart out alone, Selina stumbled out of his suite, barely able to hold herself up as she leaned against the wall for support.
Nothing about this past conflict made sense.
Just then, a young man approached silently and whisper words that left her dumbfounded—and she hurried away.
.....
As Selina pushed the hospital entrance door open, stepping inside, she saw doctors and nurses rushing down the hall in a frenzy, as if responding to an emergency. Overwhelmed by the scene and unsure of whom to approach, she was suddenly bumped by a nurse, stumbling backward.
Seeing the fatigued young lady, the nurse's panic-stricken expression deepened. "I'm so sorry, miss. I'm in a hurry to fetch a doctor."
"Are you hurt anywhere?" the nurse asked quickly.
"H-Hudson Everett, is he admitted here?" Selina's voice came out desperate.
The nurse glanced around, clearly weighing whether to share details with a stranger. "Yes. But who are you to the patient?"
"I am Dau… I am his—" Selina faltered, hesitation tightening her throat at the thought of claiming her father.
Since she had been ostracized from the Everett family at fifteen, forced to live in disguise just to mingle in society freely, Selina had been forbidden to mention her connection with them.
She swallowed hard. "I'm a relative. How is he? Is he still alive?" she asked at last, her voice quivering with unease and desperation for any good news.
"He's alive, but in critical condition. He's lost a significant amount of blood and needs an urgent transfusion. Fortunately, we have a compatible supply available," the nurse explained, glancing down at the consent form in her hands. "We have contacted the guardian but still need their legal authorization for the procedure. I'm about to reach—"
Selina snatched the form from her hands and quickly scribbled a name that came to mind. "Gilbert Everett," she said, forcing steadiness into her tone.
The nurse eyed her, uncertain. She didn't recall ever seeing Selina with the Everetts before, but the young woman's desperation seemed genuine. She had planned to contact the family anyway.
"Please save him. I'll reach out to others." Selina pleaded, handing the form back.
The nurse gave a brisk nod. "We'll do everything we can."
Selina knew she needed to inform the Everetts at once to ease their anxiety. But what could she possibly say?
Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a vibrating motion in her thighs. She opened her purse and pulled out her phone. She unlocked her phone, seeing the twenty-four missed calls from her sister.
Opening her inbox, she found it crowded with concerned messages as her thumb scrolled through them almost unconsciously.
[Sis, where have you been? Everyone has been worried about Father's whereabouts since the previous day. Is he with you this time?]
[Say something if you know where he is]
Would Everett even believe her if she told them the truth? And yet, Zane's warning to keep the incident a secret echoed in her mind like a deafening bell, which crumbled every explanation she thought she'd have to give them.
Selina tapped into her sister's thread. Her fingers moved slowly across the screen as she typed out the hospital's name from the consent form, then hit send.
With her hands clasped and eyes shut, she sat dazed in the lobby, silently praying. "Please, God, don't let him slip away from me. I won't be able to bear losing him. I might never recover." Her voice trembled, filled with despair and fragile hope.
She knew her father so well even if they haven't been too close lately that she would forget those days he'd struggled hard to take care of her even if he had to starve for her to feed twice a day after her mother's death. She swore on his character that he was someone who had avoided conflict all his life and wouldn't retaliate no matter what.
As time dragged on and the doctor and nurses remained in the operating room for what felt like an eternity, Selina's mind swirled with anticipation for good news.
Suddenly, her attention snapped to the sharp sound of heels clicking against the tiled floor from the hospital entrance.
Her blood ran cold at the sight of her mother, Leah. And behind her mother is her sister, Clarissa, who is the same age as her.
"Why is this jinxed child here after hurting Hudson?!" Leah's voice thundered across the room as she advanced closer.
Selina frowned, confused by the sharp accusation aimed at her. "What are you saying again, Madam Leah? Why would I hurt him?"
When Leah stumbled in front of Selina, she grasped Selina's arm with her manicured nails, squeezing tightly. "You've finally succeeded in manipulating Hudson into giving you half of his assets? Haven't you? Where did you hide them?!" she demanded, her voice rising.
Selina widened her eyes in utter disbelief at the sudden accusations. Assets? When did her father give something like that to her without knowing? Even if he did, he wouldn't keep it a secret from her or anyone either.
Selina winced at the biting pain shooting through her arm. "I don't know anything about them, Madam Leah." She glanced toward Clarissa, expecting her to stand up for her given their once good relationship.
But her sister only looked at her with a slightly, feigned pitiful expression.
"You're just an ungrateful child full of lies, and you can't deceive me. If I hadn't checked Hudson's legal team, you and your accomplices would have stolen everything!" Leah spat, frustration mixed with fear evident in her voice as she struggled to trace the money.
Most of Hudson's liquid assets were in public equities, tech companies, and properties—legitimate holdings with high liquidity, transferred through multiple accounts. The final destination was concealed; anonymity was built into the system with no leaks. It was expertly orchestrated.
Leah and Clarissa couldn't be at peace given Hudson and Selina's secret meeting, which made her keep her eyes on Hudson's assets frequently. But who knew within a day, it would vanish, shaking the family?
Staring at the document in her hands, it was now drawn to Selina that the assets were stolen. And who could it be?
Could it be…?
"I don't know how the assets disappeared. And if I'm guilty, I won't be here." Selina said, hoping they'd believe her.
Clarissa crossed her arms under her bust, glaring at Selina. "Because you want to play the victim card, knowing you can't escape us no matter where you run. Return the money if you don't want to regret it. Tell us where you kept it." She finally spoke up, her voice dripping with bitterness.
"Are you serious, Clarissa? He's my father. Our father. I would never harm him for such a selfish reason. He'd willingly give me anything if I asked," Selina shot back, her head spinning in bewilderment.
That truth burned deeper than Leah could accept, and in her fury, she slapped Selina across the cheek as a warning.
Slap!
The impact echoed through the room, drawing onlookers from the hallway.