The final photo shoot of the season brought Sabrina back to the studio. Though poised and professional on the outside, her sharp gaze kept drifting toward Chloe, who was busy organizing the last wardrobe adjustments.
Chloe remained entirely focused on her tasks and didn't notice the scrutiny until Agnes nudged her.
"Hey," Yumi whispered. "That model… Sabrina? She's been staring at you like you stole her man."
Chloe blinked in confusion and looked up, sure enough, Sabrina's eyes were fixed on her with icy precision.
Later, as the shoot wrapped up, Sabrina brushed past Chloe, whispering coldly, "I need to talk to you."
Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared into the emergency stairwell. Something about her tone made Chloe uneasy, but she followed.
The stairwell was quiet, the door clanging shut behind them.
"Is your engagement to Ryan real?" Rina snapped, her heels clicking against the concrete floor.
Chloe stood still. "Yes."
"No contracts? No arrangements? You're saying it's love?" Sabrina asked, voice rising.
"No. It's not a contract or a business deal," Chloe answered calmly.
Rina's eyes flashed with fury. "A woman like you… I still can't believe you're going to be the next Mrs. Sinclair."
"You need to calm down," Chloe said, holding her ground.
"How can I calm down?! I've been by his side for years!" Sabrina's voice echoed in the stairwell. "Then you suddenly show up, ordinary and nothing special and take what should've been mine? It's not fair!"
"I'm not here to argue with you," Chloe said, turning to leave.
But Sabrina's rage exploded. "I'm better than you in every way! I can give him more than you ever could!"
Without warning, Sabrina shoved her.
Chloe gasped as her heel twisted and then everything happened too fast. Her body pitched forward, tumbling down the concrete stairs.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A sharp crack echoed as her forehead struck the edge of a step.
Then silence.
Sabrina stood frozen at the top of the stairs, her hands trembling. Blood began to seep from Chloe's hairline, streaking across the gray floor. With a gasp, Sabrina turned and fled.
*****
Ryan arrived at the studio minutes later, finishing up a phone call when he noticed an uneasy atmosphere. As he entered, he heard Agnes's voice echoing through the room.
"Has anyone seen Chloe?" Agnes called out, glancing around with growing concern.
Ryan immediately approached. "Agnes, what's going on? Where's Chloe?"
Agnes turned to him, hesitating. "She's been missing for a while. I thought she might be with you…"
"What do you mean 'missing'?" Ryan's voice sharpened, eyes narrowing.
"She's not answering her phone," Agnes said. "Yumi checked the restroom, but she wasn't there either."
Ryan's pulse quickened. Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the exit of the studio.
Ryan's instincts flared. Once he stepped out from the studio, he pulled out his phone and called Chloe's number.
A soft ringtone echoed faintly from beyond the emergency stairwell door.
His heart dropped.
Without hesitation, he pushed the door open.
"Chloe!" he shouted, sprinting down the steps.
There she was lying at the bottom of the stairs, motionless, her head bleeding.
Ryan's chest tightened. He rushed to her side, dropping to his knees. "Chloe! Can you hear me?"
Her eyes fluttered open faintly at the sound of his voice. "Ryan…"
"I'm taking you to the hospital. Hang on," he said, lifting her carefully into his arms.
The staff looked on in shock as Ryan, Vice President of the Sinclair Group, carried Chloe out in his arms, urgency and fear etched on his face.
Gasps followed him through the hallway. Whispers buzzed in the background, but Ryan paid no attention. All he could see was Chloe who was pale, half conscious, blood still trickling down the side of her face.
His heart pounded as he reached the car. Gently but quickly, he placed her in the passenger seat. As the car sped through the streets, Ryan held Chloe's hand, pressing it to his chest. "Stay with me, Chloe. Just hold on a little longer."
******
When they finally arrived at the hospital, staff rushed out to meet them. Ryan didn't wait for a stretcher, he carried her in himself.
"Head injury. She fell down the stairs and she needs immediate attention," he said, his voice low but commanding.
Nurses ushered them through as a doctor appeared. "Sir, we'll take her from here."
Reluctantly, Ryan let go of her hand.
"I'll be right outside," he said softly, more to Chloe than anyone else.
As the emergency room doors closed behind her. Ryan waited outside, pacing. Fury burned in his chest. This wasn't an accident, he was certain of it. He made a call immediately to retrieve security footage from the building.
Shawn arrived moments later. "What happened?!"
"I don't know yet, but I knew she didn't fall on her own," Ryan said tightly.
The doctor soon emerged. "We've stitched the forehead wound and done a CT scan. She's stable. No internal bleeding. We'll monitor her overnight."
Ryan exhaled with visible relief. "Can I see her?"
"Of course."
Inside, Chloe lay resting, her head wrapped in gauze.
"Ryan… Big brother…" she gave them a small, tired smile.
Ryan took her hand. "Chloe, tell me what happened. Who did this?"
"It was an accident. I slipped," she said softly.
Ryan's jaw clenched. "You're lying to protect someone."
"I don't want to cause trouble. I'm okay now," Chloe said, trying to smile.
"You were bleeding. You lost consciousness for a while! You needed stitches and it could leave a scar!" Ryan said, voice cracking with emotion.
Chloe looked down, her voice small. "It's on my face… If it bothers you, I understand. I wouldn't blame you."
Ryan gently cupped her cheeks, lifting her gaze to meet his. "Chloe, I take back what I said. I was panicking. I hate that you got hurt—and that I wasn't there to protect you. But don't ever think a scar would make me see you differently."
Chloe blinked, her throat tightening.
"I love you, Chloe. Nothing is going to change that," he said, his voice steady and sure.
"I love you too," she whispered back.
*****
Ryan refused to leave Chloe's side that entire day.
He sat beside her bed, holding her hand in silence, occasionally brushing back her hair to check on her bandaged forehead. Every beep of the monitor and every tiny movement from her had him glancing over in concern.
Chloe stirred slightly and opened her eyes, catching Ryan still watching her.
"You're still here?" she asked softly.
"Where else would I be?" Ryan replied, squeezing her hand gently.
"I'm fine now. You should go home, take a shower, sleep in a real bed. You haven't rested all day," she said, her voice filled with concern.
Ryan frowned. "I'm not leaving you alone again. Not after what happened."
"I'll be discharged tomorrow," Chloe said gently. "The doctor said I'm stable. There's really nothing to worry about."
"You hit your head and blacked out," Ryan said, his voice low. "How is that not something to worry about?"
Chloe gave him a small, reassuring smile. "If you stay up any longer, you'll end up needing a hospital bed next to mine."
Ryan still looked reluctant.
Chloe tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her tired eyes. "How about this, if you go home tonight and rest properly, I'll stay at your place for the rest of the week."
Ryan blinked, caught off guard by her offer. "You're bribing me with cohabitation?"
"I'm negotiating," Chloe replied with a grin.
Ryan finally cracked a smile. "You drive a hard bargain."
"Deal?"
"Deal." He stood slowly, reluctantly letting go of her hand. "But only because I plan to cash in on your promise first thing tomorrow."
"Good night, Ryan," Chloe whispered.
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek, lingering just long enough to let her feel how much she meant to him.
"Good night. Don't scare me like that again," he said, his voice low and affectionate.
She watched him leave the room, her heart full of warmth. Even with the pain and the chaos of the day, she couldn't help but smile.