Nevaeh had a long dream.
In her dream, she saw her grandmother carrying fruit, heading to visit her adoptive father.
She stood at the crosswalk, watching the green light turn on, and slowly walked across.
However, just as her grandmother was about to reach the other side of the road, a white van suddenly came barreling out and crashed right into her.
Her grandmother was thrown high into the air before coming down hard.
Blood stained the street.
"NO!" Nevaeh screamed, jolting upright in bed.
"Young lady, you're finally awake," Hussein said with a relieved smile. "You scared us to death. Young Master was so worried about you that he stayed by your side for a whole day and night before just now going to rest."
Cassius was worried about her?
Nevaeh looked down and noticed the IV drip on the back of her hand, realizing she was in the hospital.
"How did I end up here?" Nevaeh asked, her voice hoarse, like it had been scraped with sandpaper.
"It was the Young Master who carried you here."
Cassius carried her?
Nevaeh couldn't imagine that scene.
He hated her so much that even a glance was too much; how could he possibly carry her?
Suddenly, she heard something. She reached for the edge of the bed, pulled back the covers, and removed the IV drip.
Just as she was about to get up, a low, deep voice interrupted her, "Looking for this?"
Nevaeh spotted her bag.
She snatched it up and opened it, her heart finally settling when she saw her grandmother's photo inside.
She held it tightly to her chest.
Curled up in a ball, her dark hair obscuring her face, she looked pale as a ghost, almost blending in with the hospital sheets.
Noticing this, Cassius averted his gaze, his voice inexplicably softening. "Hussein prepared some food for you. You should eat a little."
Hussein wanted to say that it was the young master who instructed him to do this, but seeing Cassius's seemingly indifferent expression, he wisely chose not to disturb them and quietly stepped out.
As the door closed, Nevaeh suddenly lifted her head, her voice cold and distant. "Cassius, I've signed the papers. We're divorced now, and you have no right to stop me."
The word "divorce" rolled off her tongue with such familiarity that it sent a chill through Cassius.
"I tore it up! I don't agree to the divorce, and you won't leave."
"You!" Nevaeh felt an overwhelming urge to jump out of bed and slap him.
He was so domineering, as if he controlled the world around him.
She felt like a kite, appearing free, but the string was firmly in his hands, leaving her at his mercy.
This feeling was unbearable.
"Why?" she thought.
He clearly hated her, yet after she tried to leave, he pulled her back. What was the reason behind it?
Cassius's expression returned to its usual icy demeanor, his eyes calm as ever. "Grandpa has been completely fooled by you. He insists that you're his granddaughter-in-law, and there's no way we're getting a divorce."
Nevaeh couldn't help but smile quietly.
So that was it.
She suddenly wanted to laugh at herself for thinking she held any real significance.
How could Cassius possibly want to stay married to her? It was all for his grandfather, after all.
Otherwise, if she were to die on the street, he probably wouldn't even glance her way.
"I can tell Grandpa it was my decision to leave," Nevaeh said, wanting to end this tangled mess.
Cassius leaned in closer, his expression darkening. "Listen, if you've managed to make Grandpa happy, then you'd better take care of him until he's well again. You can't just walk away after making him sick!"
Was he threatening her?
At this point, she had nothing left to lose and wasn't afraid of anyone's threats.
"I absolutely want a divorce!"
Nevaeh's words successfully provoked Cassius.
His seemingly calm expression suddenly darkened with anger.
In the howling wind, his voice cut through the night like a sharp knife, piercing the endless darkness.
"Want a divorce? Then no one from the Huck family is getting away!"
"Whatever!" Nevaeh replied, completely unfazed.
After all, that bunch of animals had never cared about her grandmother or her well-being.
Their lives and deaths were of no concern to her.
"What about your grandmother?" Cassius's voice was soft yet icy. "Do you really think you can find the one behind her accident and seek justice for her all on your own?"
At the mention of her grandmother, Nevaeh's brow furrowed, her eyes darkening.
She was determined to avenge her grandmother, but she knew all too well that, given her current abilities, it would be quite difficult.
In less than three seconds, she made her decision.
"I can stay to take care of Grandpa Quade, but I have three conditions. If you agree, I won't file for divorce for now," Nevaeh stated.
She and Cassius had already severed their ties, but grandfather had always treated her well.
Since grandpa had collapsed, it was partly her fault.
The pain of losing her grandmother made it hard for her to bear the thought of grandpa falling ill because of her.
Moreover, grandpa's rheumatism had worsened significantly, and she wanted to take the time to help him.
That way, she could leave with peace of mind.
"Are you trying to negotiate with me?" Cassius's voice sharpened as he looked at her, his expression unreadable. "Do you really think you're Mrs. Bennett?"
"You don't have to agree," Nevaeh replied firmly. "We can get a divorce right now."
Cassius's expression darkened instantly, a shadow crossing his face.
He felt like tearing this woman apart for daring to negotiate with him.
How bold she had become!
"Speak!"
Considering that his grandfather liked her, he was somewhat interested in hearing what her terms were.
"First, we can only pretend to be loving in front of Grandpa. At all other times, we keep our distance."
"Second, no matter what, you can't touch me, not even a hand. But since we're legally married, you can't cheat on me during this time."
"Third, you need to help me find the person who harmed my grandmother."
Who's cheating on whom?
Cassius's face turned an ugly shade as he listened to her demands.
A twisted smile crept onto his lips, dripping with sarcasm.
"A woman like you? Even if you were stripped bare and presented to me, I wouldn't bother touching you!"
"That's for the best," she replied coolly.
After finishing the chicken noodle soup that Hussein had brought, Nevaeh felt like she had come back to life.
Cassius sat in his wheelchair, watching Nevaeh devour her meal without a care for her image.
He wrinkled his nose in deep disdain.
The women he had encountered before always ate slowly and gracefully; even the way they chewed was elegant and refined.
But this woman... she ate like a wolf. Although, she did remind him of someone.
As he thought of the woman hidden deep in his heart, Cassius's gaze darkened. How could he compare her to this one?
He quickly averted his eyes and coldly reminded her, "Are you done eating?"
"Yep, now we can go see Grandpa," Nevaeh replied, still feeling famished.
She knew she needed to be full to take better care of Grandpa Quade.
Getting off the bed, Nevaeh reached the door of the hospital room, where Cassius was already waiting.
Seeing him frozen in place, she urged,
"Let's go."
Cassius replied, "Push me."
Nevaeh glanced at the high-end wheelchair beneath Cassius. "You don't need me to push your wheelchair."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Cassius shot her a disapproving glance with his deep-set eyes. "Did you forget the first rule you just mentioned?"
Nevaeh finally realized what was happening.
She had to pretend to be in love with Cassius in front of her grandfather.
With a resigned sigh, she stepped forward and began pushing the wheelchair toward her grandfather's hospital room.