Chapter 14

The black Maybach disappeared completely, leaving Elizabeth's chest feeling hollow.

"Elizabeth, it's okay now. That lunatic is finally gone."

Daniel's gentle voice came from above her head, as affectionate as always.

Elizabeth suddenly snapped back to reality. The hand around her waist made her stomach churn, overwhelming even the original sharp pain.

She didn't know where the strength came from, but she raised her hand and slapped Daniel across the face.

A crisp sound rang out, particularly jarring at the entrance of the noisy emergency hall.

Daniel's expression instantly turned darkened.

But the next second, he recovered that gentle appearance again.

Elizabeth was too weak right now. The slap landed softly on Daniel's face without causing much damage.

Daniel turned his head, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, a wicked smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Not only did he not let go, but he also grabbed Elizabeth's hand instead.

That hand was stained with blood—left there when Matthew had held her earlier, mixed with what she'd coughed up herself.

"Elizabeth, are you still throwing a tantrum?" Daniel lowered his head. In those affectionate eyes lurked a coldness that could devour someone whole.

He brought that bloodstained hand to his lips.

A warm sensation touched the back of her hand. Elizabeth's pupils contracted as her stomach churned violently.

If she had a knife in her hand, she would stab it into this man's throat without hesitation.

"So dirty." Daniel didn't seem disgusted by the blood at all. Instead, he stuck out his tongue and licked it.

That slick, wet sensation made goosebumps break out all over Elizabeth's body.

She couldn't hold it in anymore and turned her head to retch.

A flash of displeasure crossed Daniel's eyes, but he hid it well—it quickly disappeared.

"It's okay, I know you're mad at me for being late."

He moved even closer, his strong cologne hitting her full force.

"You've changed beyond recognition, to the point where you'd throw away everything that matters for that Matthew."

"But Elizabeth, you need to remember."

His voice carried a hint of threat.

"No matter how much you change, you're still my fiancée."

"You're mine, and you will be Mrs. Wilson."

"Without my permission, don't even think about escaping that identity."

Elizabeth clenched her teeth hard, her mouth full of the taste of blood.

She used every ounce of strength to push the hand away that restrained her.

Losing support, she fell backward awkwardly, landing on the ground.

The cold from the floor crept through her thin dress into her body.

A sharp, twisting pain shot through her stomach, making cold sweat pour down her face.

But she still struggled, using both hands and feet to crawl backward, trying to get away from this man.

"Don't touch me..." Elizabeth looked up, her clear eyes now filled with red veins.

"Daniel, you make me sick."

"If you hadn't threatened me with Matthew's life, I'd rather die than let someone like you touch me even once."

Daniel stood up, looking down at the woman on the ground.

"Sick? When that lunatic Matthew was holding you just now, why didn't you feel sick?"

"I came here out of kindness to take you home, and this is how you treat me?"

"Go home? Back to that toxic nightmare they call Wilson Manor?" Elizabeth laughed bitterly, tears mixed with blood streaming down her face.

"Daniel, get lost."

"Get lost."

Elizabeth fumbled around on the ground, trying to find something to throw at him.

Her hand touched a nearby stainless steel medical waste bin.

Without any hesitation, she grabbed the trash can and hurled it at Daniel with all her strength.

A huge metallic crash echoed through the entire emergency hall.

The trash can hit the ground by Daniel's feet, its contents spilling everywhere.

Bloodstained cotton swabs and discarded gauze, along with various medical waste, were rolled out.

Some splattered onto Daniel's spotless white suit pants.

The surrounding doctors, nurses, and patients were all startled by the commotion, and everyone was talking amongst themselves.

Daniel looked at the stains on his pant legs, his expression finally changing.

His face darkened. The perfect image he'd always maintained showed its first crack.

"Elizabeth, have you lost your mind yet?" Daniel said through gritted teeth, his voice sharp.

Elizabeth ignored him. She spotted an IV stand nearby.

She reached out with trembling hands and gripped that cold metal pole tightly. With a muffled groan, she forced her weak body to rise from the ground, bit by bit.

Her legs were shaking, her stomach was spasming, and her vision kept going dark.

But her spine remained perfectly straight.

She swayed, nearly falling again, and could only hold the IV stand tighter.

Blood ran down from the corner of her mouth, dripping onto her white collar—a shocking sight.

She raised her hand, and though her fingers were trembling, she pointed firmly at the hospital entrance.

"Daniel, listen carefully."

"Matthew left. You can't threaten me anymore. Even if you put a sniper rifle to my head, I won't go with you!"

"I, Elizabeth, would rather rot in the streets, would rather die outside."

"I will never look at trash like you again."

"Breathing the same air as scum like you makes me feel dirty."

Daniel's face twitched. No one had ever dared to humiliate him like this in public.

How dare that Elizabeth, who used to obey his every word?

"Good, very good." Daniel laughed in anger, his smile somewhat twisted.

He stopped pretending to be the affectionate gentleman.

He strode forward, his leather shoes crunching through the scattered medical waste, approaching Elizabeth with long strides.

"Since you refuse to cooperate, don't blame me for what happens next. You won't take the carrot, so now you get the stick. Today, even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming, you're going back to Wilson Manor."

With that, he reached out to grab Elizabeth's arm roughly, using shocking force.

His large hand clamped down on Elizabeth's wrist. Sharp pain shot up her arm, but the churning nausea in her stomach was even more unbearable.

Elizabeth stared at that hypocritical face before her, so angry her whole body went cold.

But she'd died once already. If she wasn't afraid of death, why would she be afraid of making a scene with this scumbag?

"Help! Murder!" Elizabeth suddenly screamed, her voice piercing through the noisy emergency hall.

Daniel clearly hadn't expected this move. His hand gripping her froze for a moment.

Before he could react, Elizabeth used all her strength to stomp hard on that expensive leather shoe.

Taking advantage of Daniel loosening his grip in pain, she staggered backward a few steps, bumping into the cold IV stand.

"Help! He's crazy!"

Elizabeth pointed at Daniel, her face covered in blood, her voice breaking with sobs.

"Someone call the police! This man is trying to kidnap me! He wants to take me back and beat me to death."

That shout instantly stirred up the surrounding crowd.

People who had just been watching the drama all stared at Daniel in unison.

Several hospital security guards heard the commotion and rushed over with their batons.

"What's going on! Causing trouble in the hospital?" The security captain shouted, blocking Elizabeth protectively.

Daniel's polite face finally showed some give.

He instinctively straightened his slightly disheveled tie, trying to maintain his image as the refined heir to a fortune.

"This is a family matter. She's my fiancée, throwing a tantrum."

Daniel suppressed his anger, his sinister gaze passing over the security guard to fix on Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, stop making a scene. Come home with me. Don't let outsiders see us like this."

He was putting on that nauseating, affectionate act again. Elizabeth gripped the security guard's uniform sleeve tightly.

"I'm not going back!" Her whole body was shaking—half from pain, half from anger.

"Look at my injuries! He did this to me! If I go back with him, I'll die!"

She pulled up her sleeve, revealing wounds all over her body cut by glass shards—now serving as evidence against Daniel.

The murmuring around them grew louder.

"You'd never guess this well-dressed guy beats his wife."

"Dear God, look at her face. How could anyone do this to another human being?"

"Call the police on this scumbag. Designer suit can't hide what a sick freak he really is."

Some people even pulled out their phones and started recording Daniel.