He Gave Her Strawberries, Gave Me Hives (Ford and Sylvia) novel Chapter 44

The next morning, after Chloe had finished washing op

She glanced up and saw jessica’s reflection in the mirror, standing right behind her with a dark, sullen expression.

“Chine, you were outside the door last night, weren’t you? You must have been pretty damn pleased with yourself when you heard Ryan reject

Chloe calmly dried her hands, turned around, and met her gaze.

“I’ve already divorced Ryan. Whether he rejects you or accepts you has nothing to do with me. I honestly could not care less.”

Hearing this, Jessica faltered, a flicker of suspicion crossing her eyes,

“Don’t worry, I only came back to pack my things. I’ll be gone by tomorrow.”

With that, Chloe started to leave.

As they passed each other, Jessica suddenly let out a cold, chilling laugh.

“Stop pretending. The only way Ryan will ever truly be mine is if you’re dead.”

The hair on Chloe’s arms stood on end. She instinctively tried to run, but a sharp, blinding pain exploded at the back of her head, and then everything went black.

Chloe was jolted awake by the thick, acrid smoke choking her.

She opened her eyes to find herself in an abandoned warehouse, her arms and legs tied tightly to a chair, with a fire already blazing beside her.

“Help! Is anyone there? Somebody save me!”

She struggled wildly, desperately trying to break free from the ropes binding her hands.

But no matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t budge them an inch.

Just as she was sinking into despair, the warehouse door was suddenly kicked open, and a figure sprinted towards her through the roaring flames.

“Chloe, I’m here! Don’t be scared, I’m getting you out!”

Ryan soothed her as he frantically worked on the ropes.

Just then, a sharp voice pierced the air from behind them.

“Why did you come to save her? You’re supposed to love me!”

Jessica stepped out from a dark corner.

Her face was a terrifying, ghostly white, her voice was shrill, and her expression was utterly manic, like a demon that had just crawled its way

out of hell.

On her exposed wrist was a gruesome, bloody gash so deep you could see the bone.

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He Gave Her Strawberries, Gave Me Hives. I Gave Them Both A One–Way Ticket To BANKRUPTCY.

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“Ryan, today you can only save one of us.”

“If you save Chloe Sullivan, then you can just stand there and watch me bleed to death.”

As her words hung in the fiery air, only one thought echoed in Chloe’s mind: She’s completely and utterly insane.

Ryan ignored her, his jaw tight with concentration as he focused on untying the knots.

But his trembling fingers betrayed the raging turmoil in his heart.

Jessica didn’t say another word, nor did she try to stop him. She just watched him in silence, her eyes burning with a feverish, obsessive heat.

The crackling of the raging fire and the soft, rhythmic dripping of blood onto the concrete floor intertwined.

The sounds grated on the nerves of everyone present.

Finally, Jessica’s body swayed, and she collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

The color drained from Ryan’s face. “Chloe, don’t be afraid! The ambulance is already on its way. I’ll get her to the paramedics and I’ll be right back for you! I promise, I swear I’ll come back for you!”

With that, he ran over, scooped up Jessica’s limp body, and rushed out.

Chloe didn’t have time to think.

The rope on her right wrist had loosened. She bit down on the knot and yanked her hand free.

Then she quickly untied the rest of the ropes binding her.

But from inhaling so much carbon monoxide, the moment she managed to stand up from the chair, her body gave out and she collapsed to the

floor.

Chloe bit her tongue hard, the sharp pain forcing her to stay conscious as she crawled out of the burning warehouse on her hands and knees.

She couldn’t have cared less about how pathetic she looked.

She knelt on the ground, a wretched sight, gasping desperately for fresh, clean air.

A few minutes later, Ryan rushed back and gripped her by the shoulders.

His voice was frantic. “Chloe, listen to me. Jessica’s lost too much blood. I don’t have enough to give, but you have the same blood type. You have to come to the hospital with me and donate!”

For a moment, in her smoke–filled daze, Chloe thought she must have misheard him.

Jessica had hurt her time and time again, and this time she had literally just tried to murder her.

And Ryan was asking her to donate blood for her?

The request was so absurd.

She gritted her teeth. “No! I won’t do it!”

But Ryan’s next words froze her to the spot.

Just consider it paying me back, okay?”

At his words, Chloe felt like she’d been plunged into an icy abyss.

Chapter 7

Five years ago, she had been in a horrific car accident, hovering on the brink of death. It was Ryan who, against all medical advice, had donated

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