The bottle in Knox’s hand slipped, and the harsh scent of gasoline hit me instantly.
In the chaos, panic took over, and Knox lit the spilled fuel.
Thick smoke erupted, and flames soon swallowed the room.
Having just been discharged from the hospital, my strength faltered, and I collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe.
Then, I heard Giselle’s voice, “Milo!”
The sound of servants shouting followed, “Madam, it’s too dangerous! You can’t go in there! Please wait for the fire extinguishers!”
“Move! Milo is still inside!”
Without hesitation, she rushed into the flames.
What she didn’t expect was that Knox was still in there, too.
“Miss, help!”
Before Knox could finish, Giselle dashed toward him without a second thought.
She didn’t even glance at me, turning away without a second look.
Half an hour later, after soothing Knox, she searched the entire villa, but I was nowhere to be found.
At midnight, I stood at the airport.
After mailing a package, I boarded a flight to the UK, coughing all the while.
Just before takeoff, my phone buzzed. A text from Giselle appeared.
[I don’t have time to play hide and seek. Knox has a check-up tomorrow at 10 a.m. You’re coming too to get your lungs checked!]
I didn’t reply.
Instead, I pulled out the SIM card and powered off my phone for good.
Giselle, from that moment on, we were strangers forever.
The next day, at the hospital.
“Giselle, are you okay? Is the baby alright?”
Looking into Knox’s worried eyes, Giselle wrapped her arms around him, her voice soft and tender as she whispered.
"I'm fine. The doctor said the baby is healthy and completely unaffected by yesterday’s accident."
"That’s such a relief. I saw how serious you looked when we got to the hospital and how silent you were. I thought something was wrong with our baby."
Knox’s casual words froze Giselle for a moment.
Unintentionally, the image of me, standing in that blazing fire with cold indifference, flashed in her mind.
Frowning slightly, she opened her email inbox again, irritation growing as I still hadn’t replied, not even a word.
In the past, no matter how coldly she treated me, I had always answered her every request without hesitation.
But now, I had learned to play hard to get.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she accompanied Knox while he was discharged from the hospital, then headed straight for the company.