Katherine's POV:

Brad cursed vehemently, “You filthy bitch! Trying to run away?!”

He charged towards me with quick strides.

I was terrified, shouting as I ran, “Cameron! Help me! Brad is going to hit me!”

There were only about ten meters between Cameron and me.

I saw him pause for a moment, but the next second, he walked away with Marilyn in his arms, not looking back at all.

What?

How could he do that?

I stood frozen in disbelief.

I was supposed to be his girlfriend!

He just left me like that.

Bang!

A bottle came crashing down from above, hitting me hard on the head.

Warm liquid dripped down my forehead.

I raised my hand and felt the wet stickiness—when I saw the bright red blood, it was as though the pain finally registered.

“Why aren’t you running?!” Brad scoffed, giving me a kick that sent me stumbling, “The bastard Cameron doesn’t want you anymore! He ran off with that trash!”

I staggered and collapsed onto the ground, humiliated and powerless.

Brad laughed uproariously at the sight, spitting at me.

“Looks like you should be thanking me for helping you see what kind of man he really is!”

I raised my head, dazed amidst the insults.

Cameron's figure grew more distant, and everything before me turned into darkness.

---

“Are you awake?”

A deep, resonant voice cut through the haze.

In my confusion, I thought it was Cameron. I lifted my head too quickly, and met Douglas's calm and steady gaze.

He didn’t rush me. He simply studied me with his dark eyes for a moment, as if giving me time to orient myself back to reality. Something must’ve shown on my face because his lips curled into a knowing smirk.

“You’re hoping to see someone else?”

He rose to his feet, folding the jacket from the chair and slipping it under his arm, a faint trace of hurt flashing across his expression before he quickly masked it.

“Since you’re awake now, I’ll take my leave.”

The coldness in his tone startled me.

“Mr. Douglas, wait!”

I reached out, fingers catching the hem of his coat. “Please don’t go,” I whispered “I… I want you to stay. With me.”

Douglas raised an eyebrow, surprised by my request.

I didn’t want to be alone, honestly, there was no one else I rather be with. He always seemed to know when I needed to be saved.

I was grateful for it.

After a moment, he set his jacket aside and took the chair again. This time, he pulled it closer.

“I’m listening,” he said.

That simple statement loosened something tight in my chest.

I had already accepted it. Cameron’s heart had never been mine, and wouldn’t make the same foolish mistake again.

Cameron was in the past; this man in front of me was the one I needed to focus on moving forward.

Calming myself, I explained to him, “I’m sorry I mistakenly thought you were him earlier. I guess I’m still caught up on why he treated me like this in the first place.”

“Now what?” he asked, his expression flat.

I bit my lip, “I’m not hung up on the past. I’ve let go. I just had a hard time accepting it for a moment.”

“I see.” There was no judgment in his voice. Just patience as I continued.

“I loved him for five years,” I continued. “And when my life was in danger, he walked away without a second thought.” My voice trembled with emotion. “Not a care at all.”

Even if someone had a dog for five years, that bond couldn’t possibly be so easy to break.

Douglas watched me in silence. After a moment, he let out a soft scoff and leaned back, crossing his legs in a way that showcased his strong, muscular build.

“What you once loved wasn’t real,” he said lightly. “Now that you see clearly, it’s not too late to free yourself from that pain. What I want isn’t simply for you to leave him and be with me—I want you to leave him and become the person you’re meant to be first.”

Though his tone was casual and his expression placid, I couldn’t shake the sense of disdain in his words.

I wondered if he was condemning me or Cameron.

Honestly, either way, it made sense.

After all, it was an undeniable fact that I’d been fooling myself for five years before admitting the truth.

I forced myself to smile, looking at Douglas. I noticed bruising on his hand before he moved them out of sight.

I cleared my throat. “Thank you for bringing me to the hospital, but how did you even know about this?”

“The staff used your phone to call me,” Douglas replied.

“Oh,” I said, not sure how to respond to someone looking out for me for once. “I appreciate your help.”

“No need to be so polite,” he answered casually like it was no big deal. “You’re my fiancé.”

His fiancé, who got her head smashed in because of another man, had to rely on his help to get to the hospital.

It was all so ridiculous and embarrassing!

It was noble of him not to hold it against me!

Still, I smiled, trying to cover up the warm flutter inside my chest that moved to my cheeks.

I cleared my throat. “I’m fine now. I should be able to go home tomorrow, Mr. Douglas. You don’t have to stay here with me.”

He studied me for a second too long. “You were abandoned by your boyfriend and left here alone by your fiancé in one night. I’m worried you might secretly cry.”

“...I’m not that fragile,” I replied awkwardly.

Douglas raised an eyebrow skeptically, his deep-set eyes seeming to penetrate me.

“Fine. If you want to stay, then stay,” I conceded, trying to follow his lead.

He didn’t push the topic further and asked, “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”

Before I could answer, my stomach spoke up for me.

After a chaotic night, I was exhausted and definitely hungry.

“What do you feel like eating?” Douglas asked, a hint of amusement softening his expression. Then he added, “You’re injured, so you probably can’t eat much.”

Before I could answer, he was already on the phone, instructing his assistant to get food.

It was from one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants, and even a bowl of plain congee wasn’t cheap.

More importantly, they were likely closed at this hour.

He must have pulled some strings to get this for me.

In our circle, owing favors was the hardest thing to repay.

Once he hung up, I told him, “Honestly, I’d be fine with something simple. You don’t need to owe anyone a favor.”

“If a man isn’t willing to owe a favor for his fiancé, then he isn’t worthy of a woman’s trust,” he replied, his dark eyes fixed on me with such intensity that I could barely meet his gaze.

I turned my head away, whispering an “okay,” realizing how compelling Douglas truly was.

The congee arrived quickly.

Douglas rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong arms.

He placed it on the table and asked, “Do you want me to feed you?”

“N-no,” I quickly declined. “I can do it myself.”

Douglas waved it off nonchalantly. “It was a rhetorical question.”

He picked up the spoon before I could grab it and held it out to me.

I was completely in shock.

No one has ever fed me before.

He saw my hesitation and suddenly added, “You should start getting used to me catering to you. After all, we’ll be spending our lives together.”

That request wasn’t unreasonable. Still, I couldn’t help the blush that colored my cheeks.

I quickly assured him, managing a small smile. “Fine. I see no problem in letting my considerate fiancé feed me.”

Douglas smiled and said gently, “Good.”

He usually seemed so serious, but I hadn’t expected his smile to strip away so much of that coldness, making him seem rather approachable.

Douglas stayed by my side throughout the night in the hospital.

The next day, he was the one who handled my discharge and took me home.

“I hope nothing else goes wrong in the next few days,” he said. “I want our wedding to go off without a hitch.”

I reassured him, “I won’t back out.”

Douglas chuckled softly, glancing at my forehead. “I meant not to get hurt again.”

I awkwardly nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

After Douglas left, I began to pack my things at home.

Just as he said, I had to get used to his closeness.

In a few days, we’ll be married, and I’ll be moving in with him.

It was time to start gathering my stuff, at least the skincare products I was accustomed to using.

Before long, my best friend Lucia called.

She didn’t waste time hounding me. “I called you last night, and it was Mr. Douglas who picked up. Did you two sleep together?”

She was never subtle with these things.