Chapter 4: A Grown Man Hitting a Woman is Unforgivable

"You wretched girl, we truly underestimated you! How dare you jump out of a window? It is a wonder the fall did not kill you!" Katrina's voice cut through the hospital room, sharp and biting. "Do not think that escaping to a hospital means we have no way to deal with you. In South Covand, you will never escape our grasp."

Katrina stepped closer to the hospital bed, her eyes narrowing with disdain as she looked at Ariella's pale, gaunt face. "And look at you—a ruined, worthless thing. Why are you even hooked up to an IV? People with cheap lives like yours do not die easily. A scourge always lives long. Get up this instant and come home!"

Kingston stood by the door, watching the scene unfold. Inside the room, an older couple exuded an air of arrogant aggression. They were Robert and Katrina Ellerker, people who clearly viewed their own flesh and blood as a mere commodity.

Ariella recoiled into the corner of her bed, her frame appearing even more skeletal against the white sheets. Her thin, trembling fingers gripped the blanket with white-knuckled intensity. She shook her head frantically. "No. I would rather die than marry the Carswell heir. Dad, please, talk to Mom. Tell her I cannot do this."

Robert finally spoke, his voice low and calculating. His murky eyes betrayed a deep, hidden agenda. "What is wrong with a cripple? If the Carswell heir has lost his feet, he cannot go out and chase other women. He will surely be a loyal husband. As for his scars—once the lights are out, every man is the same. You are going there to live in luxury. What could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"If things are truly that wonderful, why do you not let Esther marry him?" Ariella countered, her voice cracking. "Do you even believe the lies you are telling? I am not a fool. I can see that the Carswell family is a fire pit! I will not marry him, not if it kills me!"

"You ungrateful girl!" Katrina screamed, her face contorting with rage. "How dare you try to scheme against your sister? Do you think you and Esther are equals? You're nothing compared to her. I see there is no reasoning with you. We will do this by force!"

Katrina lunged toward the bed. Outside the door, Kingston leaned against the wall and rubbed his nose. It was ironic. This entire family was tearing itself apart in a life-and-death struggle over a marriage to him. Based on Ariella's desperate cries, she clearly had no desire to be the wife of the man she thought he was. It seemed their encounter had been a genuine accident born of her desperation.

Just as Katrina reached out to grab her, Ariella spotted Kingston standing in the doorway. In a sudden burst of adrenaline, she ripped the IV needle from the back of her hand, ignoring the droplets of blood that welled up. She didn't even stop for her slippers. She bolted from the bed and threw herself into the man's arms.

"You shameless little harlot!" Katrina shouted, pointing a finger at Ariella's face. "What are you doing? In a public place like this, hugging and clinging to a stranger! Have you no decency?"

"He is not a stranger," Ariella panted, clinging to Kingston's chest. "He is my husband. I am already married!"

The words hit Robert and Katrina like a physical blow. Their faces paled, then flushed with disbelief.

"What nonsense are you talking?" Katrina stammered. "How could you possibly—"

Ariella reached into her pocket and produced a fresh marriage certificate. "We registered our marriage just two hours ago," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "You cannot force me to marry the Carswell heir anymore."

Robert's eyes narrowed into slits, a prominent vein throbbing in his temple. This stupid girl had no idea she had just dismantled his entire political and financial strategy. A dark thought crossed his mind: if he had known she would be this uncontrollable, he should have strangled her the moment she was born.

Unable to contain his fury, Robert stepped forward. He closed the distance between them and raised his hand high, ready to deliver a backhanded strike.

Ariella flinched, instinctively bringing her hands up to cover her ears. He could hit her anywhere else, but not there. One of her ears was already useless. If the other suffered a blow, she would live the rest of her life in total silence.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact, but the pain never came.

Slowly opening her eyes, Ariella saw a strong, powerful forearm blocking Robert's path. Kingston held the older man's wrist in a grip of iron.

"A grown man hitting a woman? Aren't you ashamed?" Kingston said. His voice was deep and resonant, vibrating against Ariella's ear until she could hear every syllable clearly.

The room fell into a stunned silence. The sheer aura of authority radiating from Kingston paralyzed them. Robert felt his blood run cold. There was something terrifyingly familiar about the man standing before him. He glanced down at the marriage certificate Ariella held. The surname on the document was Carswell.