Chapter 8

At that moment, Laurelle's screen lit up. However, her phone was on mute, so even though it rang thrice, she didn't notice it. Leona was the first to come to her senses. When she saw Laurelle drink the white wine, she paled immediately. What if it had been laced with poison and she died on the scene? Leona hurriedly asked someone to call the ambulance. At that moment, a maid walked out of the kitchen. "I added something to Ms. Bianca's wine glass. She said that she'd been feeling weak recently, so I added some vitamins." She had a similar figure to Laurelle. Only then did everyone realize this had been a huge misunderstanding. But it wasn't over yet. Laurelle grabbed Bianca's wrist and dragged her upstairs. No one had ever seen her behave like this. It was as though she were a lunatic. Bianca was about to struggle when she saw Maverick hurrying over out of the corner of her eye. Her eyes flashed, and she followed Laurelle obediently. "What are you doing? Even if you've gone mad, don't involve Bianca in your insanity. Let her go!" Maverick surged forward and pulled Laurelle away from Bianca. His cold eyes scanned her face. Suddenly, he froze. What was he seeing? Tears? Was Laurelle crying? Why would she be crying? He suddenly felt a bout of unexplainable nervousness seize him. Yet, before long, this feeling was replaced by horror. The three of them had been standing by the staircase. Suddenly, Laurelle fell down the stairs. She was too light; it seemed as though one gust of wind could knock her over. When she fell backwards, Maverick could've caught her. However, Bianca had moaned in pain all of a sudden, and his attention diverted to her. By the time he turned back around to catch Laurelle, it was too late. Laurelle had a bad ankle. She hadn't been able to find her footing when she'd been shoved forcefully. The second Maverick chose to let go of her in favor of protecting Bianca, she felt her heart stop. She was in agony as she rolled down the stairs. She crashed into the metal railing multiple times. Her head felt like it was about to explode. However, she bit her lips with all her might and managed to remain completely silent. This was what she deserved. Her gravest crime was falling in love with Maverick. Now that she'd fallen down the stairs, she'd finally broken out of the spell. Everyone had been spooked. When they saw her lying on the ground, incapable of moving, they scrambled to call the ambulance. Leona was also terrified. She ran over and tried to help Laurelle up, but the latter pushed her away. After a brief rest, the dizziness subsided slightly. Without a single peep, Laurelle stood up, all by herself. She wobbled on her feet in the hall. Her head was spinning. She was usually terrified of pain, but now she remained completely silent. After all, she'd gotten used to this degree of pain during her three years in jail. It was nothing much; it would pass soon. Laurelle glanced at Maverick emotionlessly. Her gaze was cold and distant—not a hint of warmth could be found. The adoration that used to shine in her eyes had disappeared without a trace. It was as though she was looking at a stranger. When their eyes met, Maverick frowned. This was the first time Laurelle had treated him like this. But he dismissed it, thinking Laurelle was only angry because he'd failed to catch her in time. He thought she'd be fine later. In this aspect, she'd always been obedient and had never needed him to soothe or placate her. Due to the chaos, the birthday party could only end early. After the last guest left, Laurelle sniffled. Tears streamed down her face before she could speak. "I'm not going ahead with the engagement." William and Leona only processed what she'd said after a few moments of silence. They thought their ears had deceived them. "What did you say?" Laurelle dug her nails into her palm and revealed her thoughts. "Call off the engagement with Maverick. He can marry whoever he likes. I think he and Bianca make a nice couple. Fulfill their wishes. I'm backing out." Leona frowned and asked, "Laurelle, what are you talking about? Did the fall affect your brain? Do you think you can get out of this marriage just like that?"