Malva's words dripped with feigned sincerity, her voice full of pity as she wiped away a few tears. "Mitchel, I didn't expect you to have lived all this time in the web of lies she so carefully spun. Livia never loved you. She only wanted to possess you because of your status as the heir to the West Family and she would stop at nothing to get you. Mitchel, don't be so heartbroken. I know you have feelings for her, but has Livia ever… “
The words hung in the air like a heavy weight, pressing against Mitchel's chest. "Don't you want to know why she immediately mentioned breaking off the engagement after getting out of the pool?"
The mention of breaking off the engagement was like a punch to his heart. It shattered the fragile remnants of his calm.
Mitchel immediately shoved aside the crowd, forcefully tearing at Livia's bandages and carried her into the bathroom.
He ordered the maid to bring ice cubes and poured them over her, desperate to grasp at any semblance of control in the midst of this chaos.
Livia lay motionless, her eyes tightly shut as the icy chill seeped into her skin, wrapping her in an unbearable, piercing cold.
Her mind flashed back to a month ago. She remembered Malva pleading with her to come on a trip to the uninhabited island. Once they arrived, Malva deliberately let the boat drift away. In a panic, Livia swam after it, desperate to bring it back. But when she finally returned to shore, Malva was gone.
Livia’s heart raced with panic as she searched the entire island, but no trace of Malva could be found. In desperation, she was forced to return alone and report the situation to the authorities.
However, when she got back, she found Malva unconscious in Mitchel’s arms.
Livia rushed over to check on her, but Mitchel forcefully pushed her away. His eyes were filled with disgust, a look that she would never forget.
For the past month, Mitchel had kept his distance from her, punishing her by refusing to speak a single word to her. But then, on this New Year's Eve, he sent someone with a message, asking her to meet him at the swimming pool.
As Livia carefully dressed up in the tight-fitting dress Mitchel had sent her, she never imagined that the next moment she would witness him and Malva embracing by the pool.