Chapter 4
807 Words
Nina stood on the rooftop with tears streaming down her face.
"I can't bear to live," she cried. "Jonathan, I'm sorry. I can't be your partner for the competition anymore.
"But please believe me. That video is fake. Someone is trying to frame me. I never did anything wrong. I was injured. Jonathan only brought me to the hospital to treat my wound. That is all!"
Everyone around them tensed up at once. Bryan's face darkened with anger.
"Nina, get down from there," he snapped. "The competition is all that matters right now. I will find whoever set you up."
Nina took another step forward. The crowd gasped in fear.
Her eyes suddenly locked onto Flora.
"Flora, I was wrong," she said weakly. "I made you misunderstand me and Jonathan. I came here to make things right."
Everyone turned to look at Flora in shock.
"Oh my gosh. Are you serious? Did Flora frame Nina?"
Flora felt her blood rush with anger. She quickly raised her phone.
"You liar! I have the original video..."
Before she could finish, Jonathan grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside.
His eyes were red with fury.
"Flora, how can you be this cruel?" he said sharply. "Do you really want to push someone to death? Stop this now.
"Nina is just a young girl. I didn't have the heart to reject her. How could you send that to the media? Do you even know how serious this is?"
Flora stared straight into his eyes.
"Tell me then," she said coldly. "Did you two do it or not? If you dared to do it, why are you afraid of people knowing? I'm just helping you tell the truth."
"Flora, don't push me," Jonathan warned. "Do you really have to hold on to something this small?"
Small. He called it small.
"Hold a press conference right now and clear this up. Say the video is fake," he said through clenched teeth.
Flora suddenly snapped.
"No. I won't do it!"
Jonathan's expression changed instantly. The warmth in his face disappeared. A cold and dangerous look replaced it.
"Don't forget," he said flatly. "Your mother's surgery is tomorrow. I control the donor kidney. If I cancel it, she dies.
"You will attend that press conference whether you want to or not."
He was using her adoptive mother's life to threaten her.
He knew exactly what her mother meant to her.
Flora's legs weakened. She almost fell. It felt like her heart was being torn open again, blood spilling out inside her chest.
She stared at Jonathan for a long time. The man in front of her felt like a stranger now.
In the end, she forced out a broken answer.
"Fine. I'll go."
Jonathan let out a breath of relief. His tone softened again.
"Flora, you have to trust me. I've always loved you," he said gently. "Why else would I announce our wedding before the competition?
"You misunderstood everything. Nina is just my partner."
Flora gave a bitter, empty smile. The words she wanted to say about cancelling the wedding never came out.
Nina was safely pulled down by the team.
Jonathan rushed over and held her tightly.
"Nina, you scared me," he said. "It's fine now. Flora has agreed to the press conference. Everything will be cleared up."
The teammates looked at each other in confusion.
"Was that video really fake?" someone whispered.
No one noticed Flora quietly walking away.
The two juniors from last night also followed her out.
The press conference was set for the next morning. Jonathan and Flora stood there together.
Nina was nowhere in sight.
Flora's fingers shook as she stood on stage. Her mother should already be in surgery by now.
'Mom, please hold on,' she thought to herself. 'When this is over, I will take you away. I am done with all of this.'
Jonathan leaned closer and spoke softly.
"Flora, start."
Her hands trembled as she opened the statement. She read it out like a machine.
"I, Flora Keenan, hereby officially state to the public that I released an untrue video yesterday. It caused serious harm to Ms. Nina Sawyer. I sincerely apologize to her."
The sudden reversal shocked the entire media room.
Jonathan spoke quickly beside her.
"I am deeply sorry for Flora's impulsive actions. I also failed to reassure her."
Reporters fired sharp questions immediately.
"Ms. Keenan, why did you do this? Mr. Lane just announced your wedding. What do you gain from spreading rumors about him and Ms. Sawyer?"
"Is it because Ms. Sawyer replaced you as his skating partner and reached the world stage, and you could not accept it?"
The words got stuck in Flora's throat. Her eyes turned red.
Jonathan leaned close to her ear and spoke in a low voice.
"I can stop the surgery at any time."
- Writer
