Only you in my love

The coppery smell of blood filled the air.

In the dark, people became visually impaired but their other senses would heighten. When Valerie caught a whiff of the scent of blood, she trembled even more violently.

She couldn't bring herself to look at Michelle.

She turned on her heel and ran out of the stairwell. She rushed to the nearest toilet and washed her face with cold water, trying to calm herself down.

Her whole body shook, especially her hands. They glistened from the tap water, but Valerie felt as if she could see blood mixing in with the clear liquid, swirling from her palms to the drain.

When Valerie looked at her reflection in the mirror, her face was pale.

She brusquely wiped her hands dry before returning to the dance studio. She picked up her mobile phone and grabbed Randi.

"Valerie? What's wrong?" Randi asked as the other woman practically dragged her out of the room. Based on how Valerie had a tight grip on her wrist, she had a feeling that something bad had happened. "Come with me," Valerie murmured shakily.

She directed Randi back to the emergency stairwell and placed her hands on her shoulders. Voice trembling, she said, "Randi, I've always treated you like my own sister and taken such good care of you. Now, I really need your help." Her hands slid down Randi's arms and clutched her hands like a lifeline.

A chill ran through Randi's body as she gripped Valerie's hands in her own. She replied, "Valerie, your hands are so cold. What can I do for you?"

Squeezing Randi's hands, Valerie swallowed audibly and her eyes began to fill with unshed tears. "You all saw that I accompanied Michelle out of the studio earlier. She led me to the stairwell and we exchanged some words. But then she..."

Her body started to shake as she sobbed. "She threw herself down the stairs, Randi! She tried to frame me. She tried to make it look like I pushed her."

Randi's eyes widened and a loud buzzing noise started to fill her ears.

"What? What are you saying, Valerie?"

"Michelle wanted to frame me. All of you saw me walk her out. Once they find out she's injured, I will be the prime suspect, but I swear I never touched her! You must help me, Randi." Valerie's face was pale and her tear-filled eyes looked frantic with fear. Randi felt as if someone had poured ice into her bloodstream. She could only ask, "Do you mean to say that Michelle deliberately let herself fall down the stairs?"

"Yes, yes! She did." With red-rimmed eyes, Valerie looked at Randi anxiously. "What should I do? She got knocked unconscious after her fall."

"Where is she? Is she dead?" Randi had been afraid to ask but managed to get that question out.

Hearing the word "dead" scared Valerie out of her wits.

"I don't know! I don't know what to do. I can't bring myself to check on her. I don't know what to do. She wanted to frame me, trying to make Leon hate me."

In an instant, Randi got herself together and pulled away from the hysterical woman. She entered the emergency stairwell and eventually caught sight of the unconscious figure lying nearly a floor below. "Call for an ambulance."

Randi felt cold all over. She didn't know if Michelle was still alive, but an ambulance had to be called anyway.

Valerie hesitated for a moment and then sobbed, "Randi, you believe me, don't you? I really didn't push her. She fell down by herself. You have to believe me! You believe me, right?"

"I believe you, Valerie. But I don't have my phone with me so hurry up and call an ambulance. I'll go check on Michelle."

Randi was several years younger than Valerie, but in this situation, she seemed like the older of the two. After giving Valerie instructions, she rushed down to Michelle's side and started feeling her body from top to bottom. Her hands were soon covered with blood.

Michelle's hair was starting to stick to the back of her head.

"Her head's still bleeding. Hurry up, Valerie! Go and call for help! We have to send her down to the lobby somehow. It will be too late if we wait for the paramedics to come up here," Randi exclaimed.

Her trembling fingers hovered over Michelle's nose and mouth before pressing against the side of her neck. Randi sighed in relief and then said, "Thank goodness, she's still breathing. Her pulse is weak but steady. She can be saved..." "H-hello..." Valerie managed to call for an ambulance and her voice wobbled as she dictated the building's address. She was dazed after ending the call.

Tears continued to fall from her eyes.

Not an evil person by nature, Valerie was shaken that she had come close to killing someone. She had only wanted to mess with Michelle's life, not take it from her! Meanwhile, Leon couldn't get in touch with Michelle. Her phone kept ringing, but no one picked up.

His chest started to feel heavy with concern.

He drove to the He family's house in a panic, but Elaine told him that Michelle hadn't come back yet. The woman guessed that her daughter was working overtime again.

So Leon headed to Caroline's studio next, but the door was locked and none of the lights were on.

Michelle was not here either.

He was really worried. 'If she isn't here, where could she have gone off to?

Why isn't she answering her phone?'

Leon tried calling her again and again. He didn't know how many times he dialed her number, but his last call finally got through.

However, it was not Michelle who answered the phone but a hospital nurse.

The nurse gently told him the bad news.

Michelle was currently being operated on.

When Leon arrived at the hospital, the light over the door to the operating room glowed red. The waiting area was empty save for two cold benches.

He didn't know why Michelle had been rushed to the operating room. The nurse only told him that Michelle needed to undergo surgery.

'Surgery? That means her injuries are serious.

How had she come to be so badly hurt?

Where did she go?'

That morning, before she left for work, Michelle had been completely fine. She even acted like a spoiled child and begged him not to kiss her at random intervals.

She had smiled brightly at him before closing the front door behind her.

It had been less than twelve hours since they last saw each other. He couldn't believe that the next time they met would be at a hospital.

'Why would she need surgery?'

Every question Leon came up with stabbed his heart like a blade. His eyes became bloodshot and his heart beat like crazy.

For once, he was at a loss.

He could only wait anxiously outside the operating room, and every second felt like torture. The longer the operation lasted, the more his heart hurt.

Leon couldn't bring himself to inform Elaine about her daughter's condition. He had just been to their place, and the woman had kindly conversed with him. If she knew that Michelle was lying on an operating table, he could imagine how devastated she would feel. In the end, he called Nina.

He didn't want to wait for Michelle by himself because he was afraid.

Three years ago, his sister had undergone surgery, but after she recovered from the surgery, she had completely forgotten about her beloved.

She became weak. Now, she had to take medicine once a week and have physical examinations every month.

And his sister's medicine had its side-effects. The virus in her body could not be completely eliminated, and yet other toxins had accumulated in her body.

Now, the person he loved was being operated on and Leon had no idea why. He was scared of what would happen to Michelle once she got out of the operating room.

After around half an hour, Nina appeared with John in tow.

However, the light over the door to the operating room continued to glow red.

"Leon." Nina called out to her brother and was surprised to see him crying.

Tears dripped down from his cheeks to his collar.

Shock, panic and grief seemed to fill the air.000☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐