The Marriage That Never Existed novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Blood pooled on the operating table.Adrian recalled what he had overheard from the interns moments ago, and a wave of inexplicable dread rose within him.

Who could the person on that table be?

A name flashed through his mind, but he immediately dismissed it.

It had to be a coincidence.

He quickly called his assistant.

“Find out where Mrs. Holt was taken.”

To Adrian, I wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near the hospital.

Although he had promised Lila that he would have me used as a model, he had never actually given

such an order.

He had only said it to calm her down.

After all, I was still his woman, and with Adrian’s pride, he would never allow any other man to

touch me.

Yet the interns‘ words kept echoing in his head.

Adrian’s brows drew together, a restless unease rising inside him. His voice must have stirred Lila

awake. She rose from the bed and walked over to him.

Her gaze lingered on the blood, a brief glint of satisfaction flickering within.But a second later, she covered her mouth, feigning fright, and threw herself into Adrian’s arms.

“Oh my God, what happened? Why is there so much blood?”

Adrian’s lips tightened. He patted her back lightly.

“It’s all right. Don’t be afraid.”

“I’ll have someone clean this up.”

Before long, his phone rang again.

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Adrian stepped aside to take the call.

“Mr. Holt,” the assistant reported, “our people didn’t pick up Mrs. Holt, but someone saw her entering the hospital.”

“What was she doing at the hospital?”

As he spoke, a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes at the thought of my broken wrist. “Find out where she is right now.”

After hanging up, Adrian stood still for a few seconds. I couldn’t tell what crossed his mind.He assumed I had come to treat my broken wrist and expected to hear word of me being home soon.

But three hours passed, and there was still no trace of me.

Instead, his assistant uncovered something else.

“Mr. Holt, I went to the detention center to inquire about Mrs. Holt, and I accidentally found

this…”

The rest of the words trailed off. Moments later, a file appeared on Adrian’s phone.

He opened it–and froze.

The photos showed me being beaten, dragged by my hair. My body was covered in bruises, each

one a mark of cruelty.

My hands hung limp at my sides, twisted unnaturally, lifeless like those of a broken doll.

Adrian’s fingers tightened around the phone, his knuckles whitening.

His gaze remained locked on the screen, his voice low and cutting.

“What is this? Who did this to her?”

The assistant hesitated before forcing out the words.

“I asked around inside. They said… the order came from you.”

“That’s impossible!” Adrian’s tone was firm, his face shadowed with fury

“Find out who dared touch her.”

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He didn’t open the photos again, but every image was seared into his mind.

A restless weight pressed against his chest, a feeling he couldn’t name.

His expression hardened. Suddenly, he grabbed his phone again and made another call.

Before long, the interns were brought before him.

“What were you doing here earlier?”

“Whose blood was that?”