Chapter 5
The slap knocked Gloria onto the marble floor. Her lip split, check burning red.
The room spun, voices blurring into white noise. Her trembling fingers touched her face, and the pain sent tears streaming down her cheeks. In all these years, Elijah had never hit her. Before she could process what happened, he’d already stormed out.
Gloria scrambled up and ran after him. She’d seen this before–she knew exactly how Jenna’s accident could play
out.
Thunder cracked overhead as rain pounded the streets. Through the downpour, she spotted them: Elijah crushing Jenna against his chest.
“It was supposed to be my night,” Jenna sobbed, pushing at his chest. “And she pulls this psycho move? I can’t show my face in there again. If she’s still this obsessed with you, I’m done competing. Go back to your little stalker-”
Elijah gripped her tighter. “That’s never happening. I could never want her. You know I’ve been yours since day one. Pushing me away like this? You might as well put a bullet in my heart.”
He leaned in for the kiss, but headlights suddenly cut through the rain.
Gloria’s scream died in her throat as everything went red.
The ER exploded into chaos. Medical staff swarmed Elijah with equipment, but he fought them off.
“Save her first,” he rasped, voice weak but determined.
“Mr. Phillips, you’ve got internal bleeding-”
“Save her. That’s an order.”
They rushed Jenna into surgery, but minutes later a doctor burst out: “Patient’s crashing! Need type A blood, stat!”
Elijah ripped out his IV, stumbling off the gurney. “Take mine. All of it.”
“Sir, you’re already critical-”
“Just do it!”
They drained him until he looked like a ghost. Only when they confirmed Jenna was stable did he finally pass out, letting them wheel him into surgery.
Gloria couldn’t take another second. She fled the hospital, reality hitting harder than the slap. He didn’t just love Jenna–she was his everything. If she’d understood that in her past life, maybe she wouldn’t have ended up destroyed.
She’d rewritten the story this time, played it smart, but Jenna still ended up in the ER. All because of those letters
Declaim My Own I ifo
43.1%
Chapter 5
and sketches she’d destroyed. Only one person could have saved them for tonight’s show–Jenna herself. But why? She already had Elijah completely devoted to her.
Gloria spent three days in a daze. Then Elijah checked out of the hospital. His first move? Having security throw her into the industrial freezer.
The cold hit like knives. Gloria let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob, suddenly remembering why she hadn’t felt this kind of chill in years.
That frozen lake accident in her childhood had wrecked her body’s temperature control. That’s why the mansion stayed heated year–round. But now Elijah was using her weakness as punishment–for supposedly still wanting him, for indirectly putting his precious Jenna in intensive care.
Gloria hugged herself, desperately seeking warmth, but only managed weak whimpers.
Outside, the housekeeper begged through the door: “Miss Ramirez, just apologize to him. Your body can’t take this kind of cold…”
Gloria’s eyes stung with fresh tears. In her past life, she’d deserved punishment. But this time? She was innocent Besides, Elijah was so obsessed with Jenna, he wouldn’t even let her explain.
The brutal cold attacked from every angle. Frost crystallized on her lashes. Her heartbeat slowed, thoughts growing
fuzzy.
Finally, her eyes drifted shut as everything faded to black.
