I Gave My Heart to My Sister's Boyfriend

Chapter 7

Liora drifted into a dream.

In it, Jayden was there for her eighteenth birthday celebration. A towering cake crowned with eighteen flickering candles, vibrant pink roses, and the warm blessings of her lover and friends made it the happiest moment of her twenty-five years.

"Lia, what did you wish for?" Jayden asked, his eyes soft.

"If you say it aloud, it won't come true," Liora replied with a shy smile.

"I know—you must have wished to grow old with me."

"You're impossible!" she laughed, blushing. "I never said yes!"

But the scene shifted abruptly. Jayden's face contorted into a vicious snarl, and he smeared the cake across her face.

"Return Evelyn to me!" he screamed. "Now!"

Liora woke with a start, gasping for air in a sterile hospital bed. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, a message from Jayden glaring back at her:

"If you're still breathing, get to the Moonlight Hotel immediately."

As she reached for her coat, the attending doctor gripped her wrist firmly.

"Miss, your tests indicate your artificial heart is on the verge of total failure," the doctor said urgently. "With multiple untreated wounds and a high risk of severe allergic infection, immediate hospitalization is critical to your survival."

Liora gently but firmly freed her arm from his grasp.

"Thank you for your concern, Doctor," Liora said softly, her voice steady despite her pallor. "But for me, death would be a far greater relief than living could ever be."

The doctor could only shake his head, watching her unyielding figure retreat toward the door. What pain and secrets must one bear to embrace death so willingly?

When she arrived at the Moonlight Hotel's grand banquet hall, Jayden was already there, pointing at crates of air-freighted roses and clusters of helium balloons, snapping orders at the staff.

"You have three hours to set up this hall for a proposal," Jayden commanded. "I want to give Isabella the most grand and romantic proposal possible."

Liora responded with her usual polite smile, though her heart ached as if a thousand ants were gnawing at the muscle beneath her ribs. The day she had dreaded had finally arrived. He was going to propose to someone else.

Liora couldn't recall how she managed to prepare the scene; her movements felt mechanical, detached from her body. By the time she regained a shred of composure, the hall was already filling with guests.

"Isn't that Liora?" a guest whispered loudly. "To think she's been demoted to serving staff now."

"Who told her to show no gratitude after being saved? She even shamelessly blamed others for her own misfortune," another guest sneered. "Mr. Spencer is just making her suffer what she deserves."

"Someone with such wretched morals—thank goodness she never became Mrs. Spencer. She's getting exactly what she deserves."

Liora simply focused on arranging the silverware, acting as if the gossip didn't reach her ears. Others' judgments meant nothing to her anymore. All she wanted was for the one she loved to be happy. Even if that happiness had nothing to do with her.

Amidst a wave of cheers, Isabella made her entrance, radiant in a custom designer gown. But Liora's gaze fell inevitably on Jayden, standing impeccably dressed in the shadows. He looked as dashing as the day he had proposed to her. Just as he had once strode with determination toward her, he now walked confidently toward Isabella.

Just like before, he dropped to one knee, took out a dazzling diamond ring, and said, "Marry me."

Amid the crowd's roaring cheers, Jayden and Isabella embraced and kissed deeply.

It felt like waking from a beautiful, cruel dream. Liora couldn't hold back her tears. Her heart felt as if a sharp blade had been thrust inside and mercilessly twisted; the pain was unbearable. She frantically beat her aching chest, but the agony only intensified. In the end, she could no longer hold it back and coughed up a mouthful of bright red blood into her hand.

Rushing to the restroom to fix her appearance, Liora barely had time to lock the stall before a familiar figure appeared behind her. Before she could utter a word, a rough, demanding kiss crushed against her lips.

Jayden, reeking of liquor, kissed her with desperate ferocity. Liora pushed against him uselessly, her strength failing.

Heavens, just let me drown in this moment, she thought wildly.

As if by instinct, just like every time they had kissed before, Liora wrapped her arms around Jayden's neck. But the stabbing pain from her failing artificial heart quickly snapped her back to reality.

She shoved Jayden away with all her remaining force and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Mr. Spencer, you're drunk," Liora said, her voice trembling but cold. "You've mistaken me for someone else. Isabella is downstairs waiting for you."

She turned to leave, but Jayden slammed her against the tiled wall, trapping her.

"If you truly have no attachment left, why haven't you left despite all the torment I've put you through?" Jayden demanded, his eyes searching hers. "It's not just about atonement, is it?"

"Then what do you think I'm here for?" Liora asked, giving him a look reserved for fools.

"Could it be I'm still pining for our glorious past and want to rekindle our old flame?" she mocked bitterly. "If you don't mind, I suppose I could entertain two men at once. After all, you're rich and handsome, hook up with you would line my pockets nicely, wouldn't it?"