Chapter 3

I watched in horror at the scene unfolding before me, frantically calling emergency services.

When Grayson arrived, Valerie was already in surgery.

He stormed towards me, yelling, "If anything serious happens to Valerie, I'll make sure the entire Martin Group pays for it!"

"It wasn't me..." I tried to explain, but was interrupted by him.

"You dislike Valerie so much, why did you even seek her out? Are you only satisfied if you ruin her? You have no shame..."

A barrage of insults overwhelmed me.

These were the most words he had ever spoken to me, and it was the first time he had ever scolded at me.

I never imagined that insults could be so painful.

A week later, news broke that the Martin Group had gone bankrupt overnight.

That day, Grayson came home. I thought he had understood the truth, calmed down, and was ready to live a good life with me. But he brought devastating news instead.

I placed a cup of coffee in front of him, smiling, "Grayson, I made you a cup of coffee, just the way you like it, three-quarters sweet, no milk, and iced."

It had taken me a lot of effort to learn his preferences.

His face was dark and terrifying; with a flick of his hand, the coffee spilled everywhere, and followed by the sound of the cup breaking.

His actions left me standing there, dumbfounded.

"Seems like you're in a good mood, unaware of the Martin Group's bankruptcy." Grayson said.

I thought I misheard him, "What?"

I forced myself to stay calm and stared at him, but his silence confirmed I hadn't misheard.

I hurriedly took out my phone and tried calling my parents.

I dialed repeatedly, but all I got was the cold and automated response, "Sorry, the number you are calling is currently unavailable..."

I quickly dropped the phone and, in a frenzy, turned on the TV. I switched to Jastrait's business news.

It was true, just as Grayson said.

He sneered when he saw my panicked state, "What did I say before? If anything happens to Valerie, I'd ensure the Martin Group faced the consequences. Since you caused Valerie to lose the use of her hand, I took away your support."

I hurried to explain, "It wasn't me. I didn't even touch her that day, and didn't the doctor say she was fine? How did she suddenly lose the use of her hand?"

"If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance. And you have the nerve to say that? The doctor said Valerie's right hand was injured to the bone and can never lift heavy objects again. Besides, I had someone investigate, and they found you deleted the surveillance footage. The driver who hit her admitted it was under your orders."

His eyes narrowed slightly, filled with rage.

So, he bankrupted the Martin Group just because Valerie couldn't use her hand? Just like that. How could this be? It wasn't me.

"Grayson, believe me, it wasn't me. I didn't instruct the driver, nor did I delete the footage. I've been home since returning from the hospital."

I shook my head repeatedly, desperately trying to explain. No matter how I explained, Grayson wouldn't believe me.

At that moment, my phone rang.

Without thinking, I answered it, and my parents' voices came through, "Alexia, we are leaving. You must take care of yourself and live well. This is the last thing we can do for you."

As soon as they finished speaking, the line went dead.

I was stunned by these words. What did they mean? What was going on?

When I finally understood, I didn't hesitate to kneel, clutching Grayson's leg, begging, "Grayson, please, help my parents, help the Martin Group..."

Grayson kicked me away.

Despite the pain, I crawled back to his feet, kneeling and holding onto his leg, "It's all my fault. I won't bother her again. Punish me, but please spare the Martin Group."

Grayson snorted coldly, "So you admit it, huh."

He seemed satisfied only after I admitted it.

Seeing him show a slight sign of relent, I quickly bowed my head in supplication, "Please, help the Martin Group, just this once. The Martin Group is innocent. I'm the one to blame. You can hit me, scold me, anything, just please..."

He ignored the swelling on my forehead. He pulled out a signed form from a mental institution.

"Since you've admitted it, you'll go to the mental institution for some reflection. As for the Martin Group, don't even think about saving it."

After he finished speaking, I fainted immediately.

When I opened my eyes again, I was already in a mental institution.