No Love Blooms Where You Walk

Chapter 4

Maybe it was the aftermath of a passionate night, but Alexander was in an unusually good mood the next morning. He even came upstairs to get me for breakfast.

He poured me a bowl of porridge, tested the temperature like he used to, and sat across from me with a look of forced gentleness.

"Rachel, I know you're upset," he said, "but you need to understand something, you'll always be Mrs. Steele. That's not going to change."

"Even if Emily and the child live here, you'll still be his stepmother, you get that?"

He added casually, "If it really bothers you, I can have them live somewhere else."

The longer I listened, the more disgusted I felt. I set my spoon down and stood up slowly.

"Alexander Steele," I said coldly, "I don't want someone else's child calling me Mom."

"In fact, I find it revolting."

He slammed his bowl and chopsticks down with a loud clang.

"Rachel Mace, don't be so damn ungrateful!"

He shot up from his seat, his face stormy. "I'm saying this now, Tommy's birthday is in five days. I'm throwing him a big party, and I'm announcing him as the official heir of the Steele family."

"If you so much as try to cause trouble, don't blame me for what happens."

Five days?

Isn't that the same day the airport launches?

Whatever. I wasn't planning on going anyway.

The next day, the airport manager called me in to inspect and finalize the paperwork.

But on my way back, a van slammed into my car.

I got out, thinking we were about to exchange insurance details, but two men jumped out of the van and knocked me out cold.

The last thing I heard before blacking out was one of them laughing.

"This chick's hot. If Miss Davis didn't have plans for her, I'd totally have some fun right now."

I tried to fight back, but my strength gave out.

When I came to, I was lying on the floor of an abandoned warehouse. My body ached all over, my head was pounding, and I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.

Then I heard a voice.

Emily.

She smiled like she'd just won the lottery. "Rachel, you're finally awake. Surprise."

My voice was hoarse. "What do you want? Why did you kidnap me?"

"You've hogged Alex for years," she snapped. "You seriously think you're all that just because the Mace family has money? Please. Alex has always loved me. Always."

She was losing it, completely unhinged. She walked over and slapped me so hard I hit the ground.

And that's when I saw it.

Her leg.

The one she'd pretended was crippled for months?

It was perfectly fine.

"Your leg… it was never broken," I muttered, stunned.

Just then, her phone rang. After she answered, her expression twisted into something sickeningly sweet. Then, without warning, she picked up a brick and smashed it into her own leg.

She let out a scream that sounded like it came from the depths of hell.

Seconds later, Alexander burst through the door, panic written all over his face.

Emily sobbed on the ground, clinging to him. "Alex, don't blame Rachel, please. She just loves you too much… she couldn't take it… so she broke my other leg too."

"No… no!" I gasped, dragging myself up. "She did it herself! Alexander, she's lying!"

But he didn't even look at me.

His eyes were wild with rage. "Rachel Mace," he growled, "you've really crossed the line this time."

"You already broke one of Emily's legs. Now the other one too? You want blood? Fine."

Before I could react, he picked up a heavy brick and slammed it into my leg.

I heard the sickening crack before the pain hit. I screamed, collapsing to the ground, tears blurring my vision.

He didn't say another word.

He didn't even look at me.

He just scooped up Emily and left.

I passed out from the pain.

When I came to, the warehouse was silent. Empty.

My leg was shattered, my clothes drenched in sweat.

I crawled, literally crawled, out to the road.

A kind passerby found me and called an ambulance. That stranger probably saved my life.

Three days later, I checked myself out of the hospital and had my lawyer pick me up.

We went straight to the airport.

On the first official day of its operation, the plane that took off first was the one flying me out of the country.

That same night, at Tommy's birthday party, the Steele mansion was lit up like a palace.

Alexander was beaming, greeting guests, soaking up the praise.

Right as he was about to call Tommy up for the tea ceremony, he suddenly remembered me, his legal wife.

He turned to his assistant. "Go get Mrs. Steele. It's time for Tommy to serve her tea."

"Tell her to be on her best behavior."

The assistant left and returned moments later, pale and flustered, holding a folder.

"Mr. Steele… this is from Mrs. Steele's attorney."

"She wanted me to let you know… she won't be coming back. Ever."

Alexander's expression froze.

"What… what did you just say?"