chapter 3

3.

Liam's frown deepened, his eyes fixed on me, radiating a cold, suppressed disgust.

A moment later, his voice lashed out, sharp and cold.

"Isla, do you even remember how to act like an older sister?"

A crisp smack cracked through the air.

I stepped forward and slapped Chloe hard across the face.

"Liam, open your eyes and look—that was me. I did it."

Liam immediately pulled Chloe into his arms, his hand brushing her cheek with unbearable tenderness.

His eyes blazed as he turned on me. "She's already had it rough enough—coming to live with the Yale family, relying on others. Why do you have to bully her?"

I actually laughed, too furious to even hold it in.

"Me? Bully her? Liam, are you blind or just stupid? She took my toys the moment she moved in, stole my clothes, even snatched my birthday presents. That bracelet she's wearing—it was my mother's. She wanted me to wear it on my wedding day."

A glint of malice flickered in Chloe's eyes. "Then why don't you ask Liam? Would he rather give it to me or to you? If he says you, I'll hand it over right now."

I turned to him. But all I met was the ice in his eyes.

"Who cares about some old trinket? Isla, it's the modern age. Who still bothers with that kind of thing?"

His words only made Chloe's smile deepen, sharp and cruelly self-satisfied.

"Want it all you like, but you still need someone to hand it to you. If you're so capable, why not get your comatose fiancé to bid? Oh right—he can't even make it here, can he?"

Chloe lifted the bracelet lightly between her fingers, letting her words linger in the air.

Then—crack!

The bracelet slipped and shattered on the floor, emerald pieces scattering like glass tears.

"Isla, Liam gave me this bracelet. No matter how much you like it, you can't just snatch it from me. If you'd just asked nicely, maybe I'd have given it to you. But now? You've broken it. That's too much. But hey, it's broken anyway. You're brave enough to marry a man in a coma—what's one little bracelet to you?"

I crouched down, trembling as I tried to gather the shattered pieces.

Suddenly, a heel ground down on my hand, crushing the shards into my skin before kicking them across the floor.

Before I could even utter Chloe's name, Liam cast me a sharp sidelong glance from beside me.

"Isla… following me all the way here—and still dreaming of marrying me?"

He sneered. "Wake up. Let's be clear—since the beginning, the only one I've ever cared about is Chloe."

Chloe's lips curved in triumph as she nestled into his arms.

I watched them walk away, leaning on each other like a perfect picture of love, and a memory from my past life clawed its way back.

The day Chloe jumped, Liam had cried all night at the scene.

When he came home the next morning, his eyes were red, his face hollow, his soul gone.

For years after, he'd treated me like a porcelain doll—spoiling me, cherishing me, making me believe we'd grow old together.

Until the day my father suddenly died—from poison.

That was when I finally realized just how deep his hatred ran.

Chloe had taken her own life, but Liam didn't care about the truth. He took my father's life anyway.

All because the only woman he'd ever wanted to marry… was her.

A cold, mocking smile tugged at my lips as I met his eyes.

"Don't worry, Mr. Graham," I said softly. "The man I really want to marry… is Owen."

Liam froze. "You're really okay with marrying that guy?"

I arched a brow. "Why not? A husband who's rich, good-looking, doesn't need me to take care of him, and gives me freedom? I like..."

Before I could finish, Chloe tugged on his arm. "Let's go, Liam. We still need to pick out wedding dresses."

Liam's gaze bore into me, heavy with unspoken words he seemed desperate to voice.

But in the end, he just tightened his arm around Chloe and walked away.