After being shoved down the stairs countless times, Aubrey's heart turned to ash, despair swallowing her whole. As she blacked out, one final thought crystallized: Jaxon was a complete lunatic. He'd never cared for her—not one bit. She'd been a fool, mistaking his fixation on Lauren for affection toward her. She'd been so stupid.
Days blurred into weeks in the hospital, her body slowly mending. Jaxon's bodyguard never left her side, not to care for her but to watch her suffer with cold indifference. Once she was strong enough, they pinned her down for blood draws—over and over, until she passed out, only to start again after a brief rest. It felt like an eternity before the bodyguard finally left.
Aubrey sat on the hospital bed, dazed, her body frail and skeletal, her face sallow and blo
