Chapter 3

Lila POV

The gala continued. On stage was the hypocritical scene of Bella tearfully delivering her acceptance speech.

I couldn't stay any longer.

Expressionless, I turned and walked alone toward the backstage lounge amid the clamor.

Annie followed worriedly.

"Lila, are you okay?"

I shook my head and pushed open the door to my private lounge.

I needed a quiet place to digest the humiliation I'd just endured.

However, the moment I stepped through the door, a huge force struck from the side!

"Lila! You murderer! Give me back my daughter's face!"

A middle-aged woman lunged at me like a madwoman, holding a heavy thermos high, using all her strength to smash it toward my head!

It happened so suddenly, I had no time to dodge.

BANG.

A dull thud.

The thermos struck solidly against my temple.

Intense pain exploded instantly. My vision went black, and warm liquid flowed down my forehead, blurring my sight.

Blood.

Annie let out a scream and rushed forward to restrain the woman. "What are you doing! Are you insane! Security! Security!"

The woman kept struggling, cursing viciously. "My daughter is only nineteen!"

"Because of the fake beauty cream you sold, her face is ruined!"

"Her whole life is destroyed! I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you witch!"

I leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the floor.

The wound on my forehead burned painfully. Blood stained half my face, dripping down my chin onto my black gown, blooming into dark flowers.

My head was ringing.

The victim's family... how did they find this place?

The gala's security was the best. Without a guest pass, not even a fly could get in.

In the chaos, the lounge door was suddenly pushed open.

Gabriel and Bella rushed in.

"What's going on!" Gabriel shouted.

When he saw me covered in blood, his pupils contracted.

And Bella beside him screamed exaggeratedly, immediately covering her eyes and hiding in Gabriel's arms.

"Ah! Blood! So scary! Gabriel, I'm so scared!"

Gabriel's first reaction wasn't to rush over and check my injuries.

Instead, he immediately turned and held the frightened Bella tightly, covering her eyes with his hand, soothing her gently.

"Don't look. It's dirty."

Dirty.

I sat on the cold floor, hearing that word, my heart feeling like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, the pain suffocating.

My blood was dirty to him.

Only after several security guards rushed in and dragged the crazed woman away did Gabriel finally spare me some attention.

He walked over, looking down at me from above, his brow furrowed, his eyes showing no sympathy, only blame and impatience.

"Lila, didn't I tell you to handle public opinion properly?"

"How could you let someone come here and cause trouble!"

"Do you know how much negative impact this will have on the company?"

"Bella is scared to death because of you!"

I looked up. Blood was blocking my vision, yet I could clearly see the cold lines on Gabriel's face.

I wanted to laugh, but it pulled at my wound, making me gasp in pain.

Right. How could I forget?

He never cared whether I was in pain or injured.

He only cared whether his company and his beloved Bella would be affected.

Annie helped me up, her voice trembling. "Mr. Sterling! Lila is bleeding heavily! We need to get her to a hospital!"

Gabriel glanced at the wound on my forehead. It did look frightening.

He irritably pulled out his phone. "I'll call my private doctor."

"No! The wound is too deep! She needs to go to the hospital for stitches! Otherwise it'll scar!" Annie was almost crying.

"What hospital!" Gabriel's temper flared immediately.

"There are reporters everywhere outside!"

"You want her to be photographed looking like this and make tomorrow's headlines?"

"The fake product issue isn't even resolved yet, and now we'll have another scandal about 'top host attacked backstage, blood everywhere'?"

He looked at me, still bleeding, his tone flat.

"Bear with it. The doctor will patch you up when he gets here."

"Tomorrow night's apology livestream must go on as planned."

"No problems allowed."

This was an order.

A woman with a bleeding forehead, one wrong move from being scarred for life, was being forced to livestream an apology. To take the fall for someone else.

My heart completely died in that moment.

I closed my eyes, no longer looking at him.

Fine.

This was fine.

The more cold-blooded he was, the less I would hesitate when striking back.

The private doctor arrived quickly and cleaned my wound in the lounge.

"The wound is very deep, needs at least five stitches."

"And the location is tricky, right on the brow bone. Very easy to scar." The doctor said seriously.

"I recommend going to the hospital immediately for the most precise suturing."

"No." Gabriel refused flatly.

He glanced at the shocking wound on my face, a flash of complexity in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by ruthlessness.

"Stitch her up. Use the best thread. Just don't let it scar."

He paused, then added in a voice only he and the doctor could hear.

"Even if it does scar, that's fine."

"A disfigured host would garner more public sympathy, wouldn't it?"

That sentence was like an ice-cold knife, stabbing precisely into my ears.

I opened my eyes suddenly.

So he had already calculated the use of even this scar.

How vicious!

The doctor didn't dare disobey and could only perform the suturing under crude conditions.

No anesthetic.

The sound of needle and thread piercing flesh was clearly audible.

I clenched my teeth and didn't make a sound, letting cold sweat slide down from my temple.

This pain was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

After treating the wound, Gabriel dispersed everyone under the pretext of "needing rest," including Annie.

Only the three of us remained in the lounge.

Bella nestled in Gabriel's arms, timidly looking at the bandage on my forehead, saying softly, "Gabriel, Lila is hurt so badly. Tomorrow's livestream... can she still do it?"

Gabriel patted her back comfortingly. "Don't worry, she can."

"She's always been so understanding."

Then he took Bella and walked to the door of the lounge.

The door wasn't closed completely. A crack remained.

Gabriel's voice came through clearly.

He thought I was resting and couldn't hear.

"Baby, were you scared today?"

"Mm...that woman was so mean. I was afraid she'd hurt you." Bella's voice trembled with tears.

"Silly girl, how would I let you get hurt?"

"It's all Lila's fault. Can't even handle something so simple."

"Don't worry. After she goes live with her retirement tomorrow, no one will be in your way anymore."

"Really? Gabriel, you won't lie to me, will you?"

"When have I ever lied to you? Hmm?"

Then came the sound of intimate kissing that made one blush.

I lay on the sofa, unable to move my body, but my hand quietly reached into my pocket.

I pressed the record button on my backup phone.

This conversation was clearly recorded.

Gabriel. Bella.

This was the sharpest knife you handed to me yourselves.