Chapter 2The Lies That Bound Us

When I woke up, I was in a hospital VIP suite, my leg in a cast and elevated in a sling.

At sixteen, he had broken his leg for me. A decade later, I had broken mine because of his new love.

The irony was not lost on me.

Before I could even process the bitter thought, I saw Sierra sobbing softly in Luke’s arms.

“What am I going to do? It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have startled the horse. Punish me, Luke.”

He wiped her tears, his voice dripping with affection. “You really want me to punish you?”

Sierra blinked and nodded.

Luke chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers. “Then… give me a kiss, and we’ll call it even.”

Her eyes shining with adoration, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Luke cooed at her tenderly. “There, there. It’s okay. Hubby will take care of everything.”

The commentary went wild.

[AAAAAH! HUBBY! Luke called himself hubby again! I ship them so hard!]

[Sierra is too kind. It was Amelia’s own fault for being useless, but Sierra still blames herself. My heart aches for her!]

I watched them, and when I turned my head, my phone slipped from the pillow and hit the floor with a clatter.

The sharp sound startled them.

Luke whipped his head around and finally saw that I was awake.

He rushed to my side, his eyes filled with concern. “Mia, how are you? Does your leg still hurt?” He took my hand. “I’m so sorry. It all happened so fast. I couldn’t protect you in time.”

I closed my eyes, too weary to argue. “Sierra?” I asked softly.

Luke’s expression shifted. He motioned for Sierra to leave, then immediately began to explain. “She didn’t do it on purpose. She was just trying to help calm the horse. But it was still her fault. I’ve punished her severely.”

Yes, I thought with a cold, internal laugh. A very severe punishment indeed.

[LMAO, Luke is so good to her. A kiss is the punishment. I’m crying from the sweetness.]

[He’s so creative. Let’s hope the punishments get even more ‘severe’.]

Luke canceled his work appointments to stay with me at the hospital. He brought “our son,” Noah, to visit every day. He washed me and fed me without a word of complaint.

If I hadn’t seen his other side, I might have been fooled by his devotion all over again.

The day I was discharged, he threw a party for me.

In the banquet hall, he held me from behind and whispered, “Still angry?” His voice was placating. “I swear, it was a misjudgment on my part. What will it take for you to forgive me?”

I smiled at him. “Fine. Fire Sierra Lynch. And never let her see Noah again.”

Luke’s face tightened, but his tone remained soft. “Mia, she’s just a work-study student. She’s all alone here. Do you have to be so cruel?”

I stared at him, about to reply, when the nanny rushed over with Noah in her arms, her face pale with panic.

“Sir, it’s terrible! Ms. Lynch is gone!”

“She was just playing with the young master, then she took a phone call and left. All she left was this note…”

Luke unfolded it. It was Sierra’s handwriting.

I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt Mrs. Thorne…

Just then, Luke’s phone rang.

“Mr. Thorne, help me! Please, let me go, don’t…”

It was Sierra’s voice.

Luke’s gaze shot to me, sharp and piercing. The look in his eyes morphed from anxiety to suspicion, and then to outright fury.

“Amelia, where is Sierra?”

His voice was tight. My heart clenched.

He didn’t trust me. He didn’t even need proof. He had already decided I was the culprit.

Noah, standing nearby, was frightened by the icy tension. He struggled out of the nanny’s arms and ran to Luke, hugging his leg and wailing, his words garbled.

“Bad… bad mommy… want… Sisi…”

“Sisi” was his pet name for Sierra.

The scene was the final straw. Luke’s reason snapped.

He looked at me, his eyes stripped of all warmth, leaving only bone-deep disappointment and disgust.

“Did you hear that? Even Noah knows you did it!” He grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight I thought the bones would shatter. “I warned you not to touch her! Why wouldn’t you listen? How could you resort to such a disgusting tactic?!”

“It wasn’t me.” My face was white with pain. “I’ll say it one last time. I don’t know where she is.”

Luke exploded. “Amelia, I must have been blind to ever think you were generous and kind!”

He shoved me away violently.

CRASH!

My injured leg gave way. I collapsed to the floor, the wound tearing open, blood instantly soaking through the bandage.

The room erupted in gasps, but Luke was oblivious. He scooped up Noah and strode toward the exit, barking into his phone.

“Trace that number! Get everyone out looking for her, now!”

I pulled myself up, leaning on the balcony railing for support. Blood seeped from my leg, but I felt no pain.

Compared to everything else I’d been through, what was this?

I stared at the direction he’d gone, clutching “our son,” and a slow, chilling smile spread across my face.