Chapter 4

When Elliot heard that Serena wanted to head over to the dance theater, he picked up his car keys at once and offered to drive her. Serena declined, but he insisted and wheeled her out the door. "I can't be at ease letting you go alone. From now on, just let me know wherever you want to go. No matter what I'm doing, I'll come fetch you." Serena had no strength to refuse. After all, she was now nothing more than a cripple. She didn't even have the energy to say no. Upon arriving at the dance academy, she went in alone to meet with the director and submit her resignation. The director expressed deep regret, offering many comforting words before signing the papers. A second later, Vanessa walked in, smiling as she handed over a form. "Hello, I'm Vanessa Sinclair. I'm here to report for duty." "Ms. Sinclair! Such a young lady joining our theater as a principal dancer. What outstanding talent!" Serena was about to leave when these words sent a jolt through her. She had been injured for less than a week. Meanwhile, Vanessa—who had just arrived in the city—was already taking her position as the principal dancer at The National Dance Theater. She didn't dare look at her or dwell on the thought. Trembling, she pushed her wheelchair toward the elevator, but Vanessa caught up to her. She called out, "Rena, do you have time for a chat?" However, Serena had no desire to talk to her. She continued rolling forward, but Vanessa reached out and grabbed her wheelchair. "Come on, don't be so resistant! I just have a question for you. I've heard about you for a long time from Eli. He told me that he had a younger sister who was an incredible dancer. "He said that she had won a gold medal at her first Blossom Dance Championship and became a principal dancer at The National Dance Theater immediately after graduation. She had a boundless future ahead! "I came to Ardenburg partly for Eli but also to finally meet the legendary genius dancer. But, alas, fate can be cruel. Now that your legs are crippled, I suppose we'll never be able to share a stage." Though her tone was sympathetic, Serena detected an underlying sense of gloating. Her voice quivered as she asked, "What exactly is your question? If you have nothing to say, I'm leaving." Noting the agony in her voice, Vanessa only smiled even brighter. "What I want to ask is about Eli and me." She elaborated, "Since we were young, he has always protected me. Even at the mere age of five or six, he would fight off the neighborhood boys for me. He escorted me to and from school every day, occasionally preparing surprises just to make me smile. "Later, he moved back to Ardenburg after his mother passed away. We rarely saw each other, but he still wrote me letters every week, called me whenever he could, and texted me about his life here. Whenever I had a competition, he made sure to be there. "It's been seven or eight years, and nothing's ever changed. People around us say he still likes me, but I can't be sure since he's never confessed. As his sister, what do you think?" She looked genuinely troubled, as if this question truly bothered her. Serena felt as if a knife had been driven into her heart. She screwed her eyes shut, her voice strained as she managed, "Probably." Her perfunctory reply elicited a chuckle from Vanessa. "So, you don't know either. Well, that makes sense. After all, you're not his biological sister. Of course he wouldn't be honest with you. Oh, by the way, I have another question... "It was actually Eli who invited me to Ardenburg. A month ago, he recommended me for the position of principal dancer at The National Dance Theater. At the time, he assured me that there would be a vacancy soon. Tell me, how could he have predicted your accident so far in advance?" Serena had believed that Elliot orchestrated the accident purely for revenge—to ruin her dream. But now, it finally came to light that it was partly for Vanessa. In a split second, the fragile thread holding her heart together snapped. She swiftly plummeted into an abyss of despair. Elliot had deceived her entirely. Overwhelmed with fear and anguish, she instinctively tried to wheel herself away. However, Vanessa's grip on the wheelchair remained firm. Serena even deliberately leaned forward. In doing so, the wheelchair toppled and sent both of them tumbling down the stairs. "Vanessa!" As if on cue, Elliot turned up looking for Serena. When he saw the scene, he sprinted over. Before Vanessa could hit the ground, he pulled her into his arms. Left behind, Serena nosedived down the steep, unyielding stone steps. She screamed. Her wounds, still unhealed, tore open again. Her entire body was battered and bruised. Her forehead slammed into the ground, splitting open a ghastly gash. Blood poured out like a fountain. The excruciating pain knocked the air out of her lungs, and her body convulsed violently in a pool of blood. Before she lost consciousness, her final sight was of Elliot and Vanessa. He was holding the unharmed, frightened woman in his arms and gently comforting her.