Chapter 3

"Valery, I'm talking to you. Do you hear me?" Bryce's suppressed anger flared again as he slammed his hand on the bed. He turned to Valery, his voice sharp and accusatory. "Yesterday, we got engaged, and you spent the entire night sitting on the floor. It was Hanna and I who took you to the hospital. And today, she’s been taking care of you all day. She didn’t sleep at all last night, staying up to deal with your mess. Valery, how many times do I have to tell you? Have some conscience!" Valery let out a cold laugh in her mind as pain gripped her chest. She knew she was wrong. She understood she shouldn’t dwell on the past. But conscience? Did locking her up in a room show any kind of conscience? "Hanna, I’m sorry." In the end, Valery didn’t voice her grievances. She was exhausted. Years of relentless pursuit had drained her of words. If Bryce wanted her to apologize, then she would. "Valery, I’m telling you—" Bryce began again, knowing Valery well enough to expect her to never surrender so easily. But before he could finish, he heard her apology. "What did you just say?" His disbelief was evident. Under his gaze, Valery repeated herself. "I’m sorry, Hanna. Can you forgive me?" Apologizing to Hanna hurt her so much that even breathing became difficult. But none of this mattered now. After all, Hanna was destined to be her sister-in-law. "It’s okay, Valery. Your brother was just too worried about you. That’s why he got upset. Don’t hold it against him," Hanna said, her tone calm and composed. She was good at hiding her emotions. Valery glanced at her briefly before lowering her head again. "It’s good you’ve come to your senses. We’re family now. Don’t let me catch you pulling another stunt like last time." Seeing her compliance made Bryce’s expression soften, though his anger hadn’t fully subsided. He was still upset because, in his eyes, everything Valery did was a ploy for attention. He despised those tactics. Like the day their engagement was confirmed, when she deliberately ate something containing mango to frame Hanna. If not for a servant stepping forward to testify, everyone would’ve believed Hanna had intentionally set her up by giving her something she was allergic to. That incident had severely tarnished Valery’s image in Bryce’s mind. He couldn’t fathom how the younger sister he had grown up with could turn out so malicious. "It won’t happen again, Bryce." Valery didn’t even have the energy to explain herself. She was utterly drained. Just days ago, she had been hospitalized for an allergic reaction, and now a relentless fever had sapped what little strength she had left. "Let’s go, Bryce," Hanna said, sensing that Valery didn’t want to engage further. She wrapped her arm around Bryce’s waist, preparing to leave. "Valery just got over her fever. I’ve already arranged for a caregiver to look after her. You’ve been up all night. Let’s go home and rest," Hanna said. It was always like this. Hanna’s words were flawless, yet they made Valery deeply uncomfortable. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why, but this was one of the reasons she disliked Hanna. "You’re so thoughtful. If only Valery were half as considerate as you," Bryce remarked as the two reached the door. Valery heard every word. She couldn’t describe the depth of her sadness. There was a time when Bryce adored her fiery temper. Back then, whenever he stood up for her, he’d say, "I’m the one who spoiled lValery. If you’ve got an issue, bring it to me." Now, everything had changed. Those same lips now said, "Valery only knows how to throw tantrums." Was it that people seemed perfect when you loved them? Or was her love just too hard to accept? After finishing her IV, Valery still couldn’t shake her emotions. She felt dazed. Over the past two years, Bryce had grown to despise her. Unknowingly, they had become unrecognizable to each other.