His Stepsister’s Shadow, Her Broken Heart

When Cara came back to her senses again, she realized that she was lying in a hospital bed.

Both of Austin's arms were in casts, and he was all curled up on a chair next to her, catching forty winks.

Cara recalled that it was Austin who had grabbed her hand and forcefully pulled her back from the edge of the cliff. Even when both his arms got dislocated and torn in many ways after that, he still never let go of her.

Cara felt her heart softening for him once again. It was unavoidable. She wanted to reach out to caress the stubble that had grown on Austin's chin, but he opened his eyes just then.

"Austin, I—"

She could see his eyes sparkling when he looked at her. However, the next words that escaped his mouth sent a cold chill down her spine.

"You're awake? Good. Nurse, come in and take her blood."

Before Cara even realized what was going on, a few nurses filed into her room and held her down on the bed. Then, they inserted a huge needle into her arm, forcefully drawing blood from her.

"Winter knocked her head against a rock while going down the hill. She urgently needs blood for her surgery now."

Cara was in so much pain that she couldn't stop herself from shaking.

"Austin Langford, you bastard! Did you ever ask me for my opinion? This is illegal! I saved both you and your stepsister! I'm not your rival or your enemy!"

Nobody cared about her tears or her roaring. Their eyes were all focused on the beeping numbers on the monitor instead.

They weren't draining her of her blood. They were taking her life force away from her.

Cara's eyes slowly turned unfocused. She heard a nurse say, "The patient's blood pressure is dropping rapidly! We can't take any more blood from her. She'll die otherwise!"

However, Austin's voice was firm and decisive, leaving absolutely no room for argument.

"Draw another 1 pint of blood from her. Winter's condition hasn't stabilized yet."

He took a few more steps toward Cara and looked at her deathly pale face and bruised and bitten lips, finally showing a hint of sympathy.

"Are you… Are you okay? Hold on. I'll make it up to you next time," he said.

Cara closed her eyes and replied softly, "Get out."

After having so much of her blood drawn, Cara had to spend the better part of the next six months recovering before she could be back to normal again.

…

During her recovery, her best friend, Jessica Hogan, had called her multiple times. After learning what the Langford siblings did to her, Jessica flew into a huge temper.

"What are those two jerks up to right now?" she demanded.

What were they doing?

Cara looked out of the window at the garden outside the hospital.

Winter was sitting on a swing while Austin watched her protectively from the back as if she were something precious he could never afford to lose.

Cara could count on one hand the number of times Austin came to visit her at the hospital back then. However, she could always hear him joking and laughing in the ward next door every single day.

When Cara didn't reply on the phone, Jessice grew even more agitated.

"If they dare to come to Spark City, I swear I'm going to skin them alive!"

Cara chuckled and calmed Jessica down. "Jess, I've already bought the cruise tickets for three days later."

"Alright! I'll be waiting for you!"

…

Cara and Winter were both discharged on the same day. Austin bought each of them a bouquet of fresh flowers when they were discharged.

"Let's go home."

Cara lowered her eyes and avoided his touch. Then, she threw the bouquet of roses straight into the trash.

"Those roses represent Austin's sincerity toward you! Even if you didn't like them, you shouldn't throw them away in his face!" Winter exclaimed, glaring at Cara.

Cara simply pulled up her sleeves and showed her the rash that was already spreading on her arms.

"I'm severely allergic to pollen. Austin Langford, are you trying to send me back into the emergency unit as soon as I'm discharged?"

Neither Austin nor Winter knew what to say. Austin especially looked remorseful about it.

Cara ignored them both and left the hospital on her own.

…

At midnight, someone knocked on Cara's door. Austin was standing right outside her room.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry for taking your blood to save Winter without asking you about it first. I was just too anxious back then. But now, I'm going to make it up to you."

Austin's apology was a whole six months late, and Cara only found it extremely revolting.

"I don't need it. Leave now."

She was just about to kick Austin out of her room when he suddenly grabbed her wrists tightly and forcefully pushed her back onto the bed.

Cara felt her head hit the soft pillow and suddenly got a little dizzy.

A split second later, a warm body pressed against her. She could feel Austin's hot breath fanning against her neck as he said in a seductive voice, "Cara, let me make it up to you with our baby."

Then, he began kissing her fervently.

This time, she felt Austin having a reaction to her. It was something that had never happened before.

He was getting aroused, but she was only getting nauseated.

She quickly shoved him away and doubled over as she choked and retched on the side of the bed.

When Austin saw this, his face turned extremely cold. After a long moment of silence, he said, "Since you refuse to sleep with me, then we will hold an engagement party in three days."

Cara didn't reply to him, and Austin took it as a silent agreement before walking out of the room.

After he left, Cara could still feel a penetrative, heated gaze on her. She looked up at the door and saw a resentful gaze peering at her through the crack in the door.

It was Winter.