Chapter 4 Chapter 4

The street air hit her face like a slap.

She stood on the sidewalk, watching people pass by, cars moving, the world spinning as if nothing had happened.

And suddenly, everything seemed ridiculous.

A week ago, Edward had taken her to meet his parents, the Collins family had asked about the wedding date. They were ready to make their life together official.

Now? Everything had fallen apart.

Betrayed by her childhood boyfriend.

Humiliated by her own stepsister.

Ridiculed by fate.

She thought Edward would be different, that he would be the only man Claire could ever take away from her.

But she was wrong.

Ridiculously wrong.

Reality hit her with cruelty.

Her cell phone vibrated in her hand.

She answered it without thinking.

“Hello?”

The words on the other end made her skin instantly pale. Her heart raced.

“What? I'm on my way!” she said in desperation.

She hurried downstairs, grabbed the first taxi she saw, and headed to the hospital.

When she arrived, she jumped out of the car and rushed into the building. She ran so fast up the stairs that she almost fell.

She didn't see the car parked a few meters away.

A black Rolls-Royce, discreet but imposing.

The driver watched intently, his gaze fixed on Caroline's desperate silhouette. He thought for a moment before picking up his cell phone.

“President Wolf.”

The deep voice that answered was cold, deep, addictive like the sound of a cello.

“What's the problem?”

“As per your orders, I am following the young lady. It seems that something has happened to a relative of hers. She took a taxi and entered the hospital. She is anxious and visibly shaken. Would you like me to speak to someone inside?”

Normally, the driver would never dare to give his opinion. But this time was different. Because this was the first woman President Wolf had ever ordered to be followed. The woman who had left his room that morning.

The man on the other end of the line was silent for a few seconds. The silence was heavy, charged.

Finally, he replied quietly:

“Go. See what's going on.”

“Yes, President Wolf.”

Caroline arrived at the emergency room breathless, her heart racing. The smell of disinfectant was suffocating. Sara was still being treated in the operating room, and time seemed to stand still.

She waited for over an hour. Alone in the cold hallway, her trembling hands clutching her chest, as if that could prevent her heart from breaking once again.

When the doors to the room finally opened, the doctors came out one by one.

Caroline ran to the first one, grabbing his lab coat sleeve.

“Doctor, please... how is my sister?”

The doctor took off his mask, his gaze calm but exhausted.

“Her vital signs have stabilized. For now, there is no risk of death.”

Caroline let out a sob that seemed to have been stuck inside her for hours. The tears came all at once.

“So... so she's out of danger?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, doctor! Thank you!” she repeated, crying and smiling at the same time. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks as her whole body shook with relief.

When Sara woke up, Caroline was already at her bedside, holding her fragile hand. The girl's face was as white as a sheet.

“Sarinha...” Caroline's voice was a whisper laden with guilt and tenderness. “How are you feeling? Do you want me to call the doctor?”

The girl blinked slowly, with difficulty. “Sister... I'm fine.” Her voice was hoarse, weak, but she still tried to smile. “You don't need to worry about me.”

Caroline pressed her lips together to hold back the tears.

How could she not worry?

Sara was all she had left. Her only family. Her reason for going on.

She remembered when it all started—in her sophomore year of high school, when Sara fainted at the class meeting and the diagnosis came like a sentence: congenital heart disease.

Since then, every day was a risk, every heartbeat could be her last.

“I'm fine, see?” Sara said, forcing a weak, affectionate smile.

“Don't you think I look great?” She patted her sister's hand gently, trying to hide the pain.

Caroline lowered her eyes, her eyelashes wet, her chest aching.

“Sarinha...” she tried to speak, but her voice failed her.

That's when the door suddenly opened.

A group of doctors and nurses entered, led by a man in an immaculate white coat. Caroline recognized him immediately—the vice president of the hospital.

Surprised, she stood up.

“Vice president? What's going on?”

He gave her a polite, almost respectful smile.

“Mrs. Ford, we're here to move Mrs. Sara Ford to another ward.”

Caroline blinked, confused.

“Change her room? To where?”

But no answer came. The doctors' silence said it all.

A chill ran down her spine.

They knew.

The Ford family must have found out about the breakup with Edward Collins.

Before, her father had agreed to pay for Sara's treatment only out of convenience—because Caroline was engaged to Edward, the heir to the Collins family. But now, without the engagement, without the ring, without the prestige...

Everything had changed.

In Mr. Ford's mind, Sara was not a daughter: she was an expensive and useless burden.

And now that Caroline was no longer “valuable” to the family, he had no reason to continue paying for her treatment.

Her heart tightened, her stomach churned.

Ah... that was reality.

Raw. Cold. Unfair.

And once again, she felt the bitter taste of rejection — not only from the man she loved, but from the very blood that ran through her veins.

Caroline Ford felt both angry and sad. Sometimes she really wondered if she and Sara had been switched at the maternity ward — because that was the only thing that could explain why they were treated like intruders in the Ford family, while Claire had always been the perfect daughter, the true heir.

The hospital vice president cleared his throat before speaking, with a respectful smile.

“Mrs. Sara Ford has been through a lot during her time in this ward. By order of the higher-ups, we will arrange for her immediate transfer to the VIP wing. A team of excellent medical professionals will also be assembled to closely monitor her.”

Caroline blinked, confused.

“VIP wing...?”

“Yes.” The vice president waved to the nurses. “Hurry, take care of the patient's transfer.”

She stood still, paralyzed. She hadn't expected that.

Sara, still pale in bed, looked at her with wide eyes.

“Sister, what's going on?”

Caroline shook her head, her face expressionless.

“I... I don't know.”

Soon, the two were taken to the new room.

The difference was striking.

The VIP wing looked like a luxury apartment. A room just for Sara, with a soft bed and white sheets, a cozy living room, kitchen, and private bathroom. The air had a soft scent, unlike the cold, chemical smell of the regular wards. Through the window, you could see a huge, green, peaceful garden.

The vice president turned to the two women, bowing slightly.

“Mrs. Ford, are you satisfied? If there are any details you would like to adjust, we will do so immediately.”

Caroline took a moment to respond.

“...We are very satisfied. Thank you.”

He smiled, relieved. “I'm glad. Get some rest. If you need anything, just ring the bell.

When the group of doctors and nurses left, the room fell silent.

Sara looked around in wonder.

”Sister, why did they bring me here? Was it... my brother-in-law who asked for it?

The question pierced Caroline's heart like a knife.