Chapter 4

When I woke up again, I was lying in a soft bed with an IV drip hooked to my arm. The spot where the needle entered stung a little.

Just as I tried to shift around, a pair of large hands gently pinned me down. Shawn’s voice, filled with a mix of helplessness and heartache, echoed in my ear.

“Don’t move. It’s not done yet.” As he spoke, he placed a warm towel over my arm. “The family doctor said this helps ease the swelling and pain. Does it feel any better?”

I gave a slow nod. I couldn’t quite put into words what I was feeling right now.

He let out a sigh. “I don’t know who you inherited this stubborn streak from. I’m your brother. Would it really kill you to just give in to me for once?”

I pursed my dry lips. “Shawn, I…”

I was just about to tell him about my upcoming trip to the Meropis for my eye treatment when he cut me off. “El, you know about the strategic marriage between the Sterling family and the Mercers, right?”

I frowned in confusion. I didn’t understand why he was bringing this up now, but it made me feel a sudden sense of unease. In the very next second, my whole body went rigid.

“Originally, Ava was supposed to marry the Sterlings’ second son. But just last night, he got into a fatal car crash, and they couldn’t save him. So, by default, Ava’s fiancé is now the eldest Sterling son.”

I stayed silent as he continued to speak. He sounded conflicted.

“But the eldest Sterling son is already nearing forty, and Ava is still so young, so…”

Suddenly, it all became clear to me, and my heart sank. A sharp, throbbing pain shot through the back of my hand from the IV.

“So, we need you to take Ava’s place in this marriage.”

My blank eyes widened in shock, and I choked, saying, “Don’t you know that the eldest Sterling son is a monster who domestically abused his last three wives? Shawn…”

When he didn’t say a word, I started laughing bitterly. He knew exactly what kind of man he was, yet he was still fully prepared to throw me to the wolves just to protect Ava, even if it meant I would be abused, broken, and literally beaten to death…

“I won’t do it. I’m not marrying him.”

He instantly stood up and growled impatiently, “Ella, can you stop being so selfish? Ava is the only true daughter of the Mercer family. Do you honestly expect us to force her into a marriage like that?”

He took a deep breath, trying his best to soften his tone.

“Look, just relax. The eldest Sterling son has changed his ways and turned over a new leaf. Besides, you’re my sister. With me backing you up, how would he ever dare to lay a hand on you? On top of that, I showed him your picture, and he fell for you at first sight. What’s so bad about that?”

So this was how it was. He had been using this carrot-and-stick approach on me for years, and I was truly sick of it.

I ripped the IV needle straight out of my hand, throwing the warm towel right along with it. I didn’t care about the blood that began to spurt from the open wound.

My voice trembled. “If he’s so great, make Ava marry him! Shawn Mercer, I’m not the one who changed. You are!”

I could never bring myself to treat him as my brother again.

He was so angry that he was breathing heavily. Staring at the towel on the floor, his expression turned ugly.

“You’re marrying him whether you want to or not! You don’t have a choice! Tomorrow, you’re coming with me to the Sterlings!”

My eyes widened in horror.

A look of pure, agonizing disbelief flooded my sightless eyes. “What did you just say?”

He said nothing more. In the end, he left the room, slamming the door after muttering, “Behave yourself.”

The bedroom fell into a suffocating silence. I sat on the bed for a very long time. On that night, my longing for a family faded, and my love for my brother turned cold. As for Shawn, he would never know the real truth behind why I went blind in the first place.

Late at night, when all was quiet, I grabbed my documents and my passport, carefully feeling my way toward the back exit of the Mercer estate. There was a small gate there that had no guards posted.

Leaving the Mercer estate behind, I headed straight for the airport. The moment the plane took off, I no longer had a brother.

Twelve hours later, the plane touched down in Meropis. The instant I turned my phone back on, countless messages began flooding in.