Chapter 2 Another Man Had Already Taken His Place

Nearly forty minutes passed before a limited-edition Rolls-Royce glided to a halt outside the hospital. From the car, a man emerged wearing a black mask and a perfectly fitted suit, his presence commanding instant attention. It was Corinna's older brother.

Without hesitation, Corinna rushed toward him and he caught her mid-step and wrapped his arms around her as if afraid she might disappear again. "You're alive, Cora. You're really standing here. Is this actually happening, or is my mind playing tricks on me?"

Moisture filled Corinna's eyes as she held on to him just as tightly. "It's real, Liam."

Several long seconds passed before Liam Walsh managed to steady his breathing. Redness rimmed his eyes, and emotion scraped through his voice. "If you were alive all this time, why did you stay silent for three years? Do you even know what those years did to me-"

A gentle interruption stopped him. "I'm sorry," Corinna said quietly. "Not here. We'll talk once we're in the car."

Seated inside the vehicle, Corinna, her eyes still swollen and red, recounted everything she had endured during the past three years.

Tension carved itself into Liam's face. His grip tightened around the steering wheel, and anger bled into his gaze until his eyes turned red. "They did all of that to you?" he said, his voice trembling. "I won't let this go. I'll make them answer for it."

A faint warmth settled in Corinna's chest, though she slowly shook her head. "Please let it end here," she replied. "Dorothy saved my life back then, and as for Vincent and me, there's nothing left between us."

After swallowing hard, she continued with quiet resolve, "From this moment on, the Spencer family has no place in my life."

Pain showed plainly in the way Liam studied her, and guilt passed over his features. "This happened because I failed to find you. You went through all of it without me."

A faint smile touched Corinna's lips, and her gaze remained calm and unwavering. "It's finished. No one can survive by staring at the past forever."

Hearing that seemed to ease him. "If you truly believe that, then I can finally breathe."

At the very least, his sister was not someone who would ruin herself for a man unworthy of her heart.

Resolve sharpened Corinna's smile. "Liam, now that I've returned, I'm reclaiming what belongs to us," she said firmly. Her tone darkened. "And we will avenge what happened to Mom and Dad. Every last bit of it will be answered for."

......

By the time Vincent learned about Corinna's accident and rushed to the hospital, she had already left.

Sharp irritation edged his voice as he demanded an answer. "Where is Corinna?"

Barely holding back her anger, Cecelia said, "That ungrateful woman left a divorce agreement and said she wants to end the marriage. She even dared to lay hands on me!" Her fury spilled over. "She's lucky I wasn't seriously hurt. If I had been, I would have made her regret it."

Silence followed as Vincent lowered his eyes to the papers in his hand. Corinna's name was already signed on the final page, neat and unmistakably intentional.

The woman who had once centered her entire world around him now wanted to walk away.

A crushing weight settled over his chest, trapping his breath and leaving him restless with an unfamiliar, suffocating discomfort.

Sensing the shift in his mood, Cecelia rushed to speak before he could react. "Go after her immediately. Bring her back here and force her to apologize to me!"

Control still marked Vincent's expression, though exhaustion lingered beneath the surface. "Mom," he muttered, his tone cold and deliberate. "Corinna is my wife, and I expect you to show her respect."

Shock froze Cecelia in place. Since when did he stand up for that woman?

Paying no attention to her reaction, Vincent reached for his phone and called Corinna. The line went straight to voicemail. He tried again, then once more, yet silence greeted him every time. Only then did it sink in that she had blocked his number.

Tension hardened his jaw as he headed straight for the hospital's security room. As soon as the footage began to play, his face darkened.

The screen showed a luxury car pulling up outside the entrance. Without the slightest pause, Corinna rushed toward the man who had stepped out. Strong arms closed around her as he pulled her close, and the two of them lingered there, speaking in voices too gentle for the cameras to record. Moments later, he guided her into the car, his hand resting at her back with an ease that suggested he belonged there.

From the screen, Vincent followed the car as it disappeared from view, his jaw tightening until pain set in. A cold shadow crossed his face, and the fury in his eyes made the space around him feel dangerous.

What he had seen did not resemble an encounter between strangers. They looked like two people bound by long familiarity, not chance.

Understanding struck him then. That was the reason she wanted the divorce. Another man had already taken his place.

"Corinna," he said quietly, his voice hard as iron. "Just wait." Pressure built as his hand curled into a fist, his knuckles cracking under the strain.