Chapter 6

Lily POV

The villa's housekeeper found me and called an ambulance to take me to the hospital.

When I woke up, Sebastian was sitting by the hospital bed.

His expression was dark as he spoke. "I've had the housekeeper put your parents' ashes in a new urn."

I said nothing, staring quietly at the ceiling above.

Sebastian gazed at my bloodless face, his tone obscure and cold. "Rachel didn't know beforehand that it was your parents' urn. She broke it unintentionally, by accident."

"By accident?" Hearing those words, I finally turned my gaze toward him. "My parents' urn was sitting there perfectly fine. How accidentally careless did she have to be to take it down from the mantle and smash it?"

Sebastian frowned. "Either way, the ashes have been properly stored again. Besides, you nearly caused her to miscarry."

I froze. "I caused her to nearly miscarry?"

"She accidentally broke your parents' urn-that was her fault. But you slapped her, and that should have been enough. Did you really need to push her down the stairs in anger, and deliberately fall down yourself too?"

Hearing this, I thought I must have misheard.

Sebastian said coldly and heavily, "Although Rachel's baby was saved, she suffered quite a shock. Go apologize to her."

"What did you say? You want me to apologize to Rachel?"

"Just go apologize to her, and we can put this matter behind us."

His unquestionable attitude left me in utter disbelief.

In the past, no matter what happened, Sebastian would unconditionally trust and indulge me. Even if I did something wrong, he never made me apologize to anyone, including himself.

But now he wanted me to apologize to Rachel.

None of this was my fault.

Finally, I understood what Rachel meant when she said Sebastian would make me pay for that slap.

I was so angry my emotions surged. "If you want me to apologize to her, dream on!"

Sebastian's expression grew even darker. "The baby in her belly was barely saved. The doctor said she needs to keep her emotions stable, but because you pushed her down the stairs, she's badly shaken and can't calm down. Just go apologize and say a few comforting words. I'll compensate you afterward."

Compensation. Compensation again.

I didn't need any of his compensation. I no longer cared for his compensation.

Rachel had staged all of this herself. Without even guessing, I knew her emotional instability was all an act.

So I said firmly and stubbornly, "I will never humble myself to apologize to her. Give up on that idea!"

Sebastian's face turned stormy. "In that case, I'll have to use more forceful measures."

I looked confused. "What are you going to do?"

Sebastian's face was frosty as he coldly called in two bodyguards and ordered, "Lock Mrs. Laurent in the cold storage. When she's willing to apologize, let her out."

"Yes, sir."

The two bodyguards stepped forward. Under my shocked gaze, they grabbed me without a word, one on each side, and carried me out of the hospital room.

My body and heart went cold. I used all my strength to resist and struggle.

"Get away! Let go of me!"

How could a woman's strength match two burly bodyguards?

Unable to break free, I trembled, my injured eyes red, my lips shaking. "Sebastian Laurent... how can you do this to me?""Lily, I just want to save the child in her belly. As long as you're willing to obediently go apologize to her, you won't have to suffer."

Sebastian's expression remained unchanged, still cold as ice.

My heart turned cold as iron, but I laughed instead.

This was the man who said he would never let me suffer.

This was the man who claimed to love me, who said he loved me more than he loved himself.

I was locked in the hospital's cold storage.

Endless cold wrapped around me from head to toe, inside and out. I was so cold I curled up my hands and feet, shivering uncontrollably.

Somehow, I found myself thinking of the most difficult days before Sebastian's career took off.

Neither Sebastian nor I came from wealthy families.

Back when we were starting the business, we invested all our money into the company. We were so poor we could only live in a cheap rental apartment.

That first winter was bitterly cold, and the house was damp and freezing.

We lay in bed together. My feet were ice cold and wouldn't warm up no matter what. Sebastian would let me put my feet on his belly to keep them warm.

Back then, he always said, "Once the company gets on track, I'll never let you suffer like this again."

For so many years after that, every winter, he'd still habitually let me warm my feet on his belly.

But now, everything was different.

He no longer belonged only to me.

He'd even locked me in cold storage just to force me to apologize to another woman.

Perhaps as far back as three years ago, after meeting Rachel, he was no longer the Sebastian I knew.

When I was nearly losing consciousness from the cold, survival finally broke my stubborn pride.

Using all my strength, I crawled to the cold storage door.

I pounded hard on the firmly closed door. "I agree... I'll apologize to her..."