Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sean had decorated Cynthia's hospital room to feel like a cozy home. Daily necessities and snacks covered the tables, proving she had been staying here for quite some time.

No wonder Sean refused to come home. No matter how much I begged, he dismissed my pleas as manipulative drama.

I floated toward the corner, wanting to look away, but a soft pink diffuser on the wall caught my attention.

Sean had taken me to a boutique workshop to blend that exact fragrance when we were dating.

He used to say that taking off his lab coat always left him smelling of antiseptic.

Afraid I would dislike the hospital smell, he created a custom scent just for me.

Now, that very same custom diffuser sat in Cynthia's room to freshen her air.

My chest tightened with sharp, agonizing pain.

What I treasured as a symbol of exclusive devotion was just a cheap household item to Sean. How utterly pathetic.

With Sean's support, Cynthia settled back onto the bed. She touched his arm softly. "I heard something terrible happened in the department today. Are you alright?"

"I am fine, do not worry," Sean said, gently stroking her hair with tender eyes.

"I heard someone found a severed heart... Have they identified the victim yet?"

Protocol strictly forbade Sean from sharing case details with outsiders. He had never breathed a word of confidential matters to me, even though Carter and I were close friends.

Yet the moment Cynthia asked, he laid it all out. "Not yet, but we have strong leads. We will know who she is in a couple of days."

"That is terrifying. What if that maniac targets me next? I have no family left to protect me here..."

Her damsel-in-distress routine worked like magic. Cynthia knew exactly how to pull his strings, wrapping him around her finger with a single glance.

Sean immediately knelt by her bedside, clasping her hands tightly. "As long as I am here, I will never let anyone hurt you."

"Still, you need to go home eventually... If you stay by my side, Chloe will be furious."

The moment my name was mentioned, Sean's warmth vanished, replaced by familiar disdain. "She stays locked inside the house all day. What could possibly happen to her?"

"If it weren't for her, my sister wouldn't have died so horribly... Every time I look at Chloe, I feel like a traitor to Penny."

So my safety truly meant nothing to him.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have brought up your painful past," Cynthia said softly, pulling Sean into a warm hug. The subtle, wicked smirk at the corner of her lips made my blood run cold.

"Thank you, Cynthia."

Sean, if only you opened your eyes.

Behind your back, Cynthia is the ruthless monster who orchestrated everything.