Chapter 4

Rector's fingertip touched Isabella's forehead, and the room fell so silent you could almost hear heartbeats.

Evan stood by the bed, eyes fixed on Isabella's face without blinking.

Ella covered her mouth, not daring to breathe.

Time ticked by, second by second.

Isabella's eyelashes trembled more and more frequently, and a faint color appeared on her pale cheeks.

Her breathing changed from weak to steady, and her chest rose and fell with increasing depth.

Cold sweat kept sliding down Rector's forehead.

Guiding the curse had drained a huge amount of his energy. He could feel the power inside him rapidly depleting, his fingertips starting to go numb.

But he didn't stop.

"Almost there," he said in a low, hoarse voice. "Just give me a few more minutes."

Evan clenched his fists, knuckles white, his heart filled with both hope and anxiety.

Just then, the sound of a car engine suddenly came from downstairs.

Then the front door was pushed open, followed by the butler's hurried voice greeting someone.

"Mr. Joseph Cohen, Mrs. Cohen... Mr. Evan Cohen is not available to receive visitors right now..."

"Not available?" A sharp female voice rang out. "We heard people from the Thorne family came, so we're here to see Isabella. What's so inconvenient about that?"

Along with the voices, they headed straight upstairs.

Evan's face darkened, and he cursed under his breath: "Of all times to show up."

Before he could walk out, the door was pushed open.

Joseph Cohen and Emily Cohen walked in one after the other.

Joseph was in his early forties, slightly overweight, wearing a crisp dark suit, his face wearing a smile that seemed kind but was actually mean-spirited.

Emily followed behind him, her thin face covered in heavy makeup, her eyes scanning everyone in the room like a hawk.

Joseph was Evan's cousin, who had always coveted the Cohen family's business.

Evan only had one daughter, Isabella. If Isabella died or had no heir, Joseph would be the most likely person to take over the family business.

So he was particularly "concerned" about Isabella's "condition."

Evan knew this all too well.

As soon as Joseph entered, he saw Rector standing by the bed with his hand still on Isabella's forehead. His smile deepened: "So this is the second son of the Thorne family? That criminal who just got out of Angola Prison?"

Emily laughed behind her hand: "I heard that place is full of vicious murderers."

Rector ignored them. His hand didn't leave Isabella's forehead.

Evan blocked the two of them, lowering his voice: "Get out. Now's not the time."

"Evan, we're just concerned about Isabella," Joseph said, his gaze falling on Rector, looking him up and down. "You're letting a criminal like this touch your daughter? What if he hurts Isabella?"

"He's not hurting her." Evan's voice was cold.

"Not hurting her?" Emily said shrilly. "Look at him. Who knows what he's doing? What if he's casting a curse? The Thorne family has already fallen from grace. Now that they've finally latched onto you, who knows what they're up to!"

Joseph walked to the bedside, looked down at Isabella, then at Rector, and shook his head: "Evan, I've said it before—Isabella needs the best doctors, not some criminal of unknown origin. Look at what he's wearing. A worn jacket, all dirty, like some homeless person. The Thorne family throwing someone like this at you clearly shows they don't respect you."

Evan's face turned ashen, but before he could speak—

Isabella's finger moved.

A very slight movement, but everyone present saw it.

"Ms. Cohen moved!" Ella cried out.

Everyone's eyes focused on the bed.

Isabella's eyelashes trembled violently a few times, then slowly, she opened her eyes.

They were deep brown eyes, filled with the confusion left by a long coma.

She blinked, her pupils gradually focusing. The first thing she saw was Rector standing by the bed, his finger still on her forehead.

She froze.

Rector withdrew his hand and stepped back. His face was pale, his forehead covered in sweat, but his eyes were calm.

"You're awake," he said.

Isabella didn't answer.

Her gaze moved from Rector, sweeping over everyone in the room—Evan, Ella, Joseph, Emily.

"Dad?" Her voice was soft and hoarse.

"Isabella!" Evan rushed over, gripping Isabella's hand, his eyes red. "You're finally awake... three years... you're finally awake..."

Ella was already crying.

It took Isabella more than ten seconds to fully wake up.

She felt very weak, but that force that had been pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe, was gone.

In its place was a strange sense of lightness.

She looked at Evan: "Dad, what happened? I remember I fell asleep?"

"You were in a coma for three years." Evan said with a choked voice. "Three years ago you suddenly collapsed and never woke up. The doctors said you were cursed. I brought many people to see you, but none of them worked, only..."

He looked at Rector.

Isabella followed his gaze.

"He saved you," Evan said. "Rector. He's going to be your husband soon."

The room instantly fell silent.

Isabella's expression changed from confusion to shock, then from shock to disbelief.

"My... husband?" Her voice rose.

"Yes." Joseph said sarcastically from the side. "The family needs you to marry this criminal, and your father agreed."

Emily added insult to injury: "Actually, it's not bad. At least someone wants you, since everyone else is afraid of dying."

Isabella ignored them. She stared at Rector, looking him up and down several times.

A worn brown jacket, sweat still dripping from his forehead. His looks were acceptable, but his whole appearance was too unkempt.

A criminal.

A criminal just released from prison.

Her face turned ugly.

"I won't marry him." Isabella's voice was clear and firm. "I will not marry him."

"Isabella..." Evan tried to say something.

"I won't!" Isabella propped herself up to sit, and though her body was still shaking, her eyes were full of resistance. "Dad, you want me to marry a criminal? A man I don't know? How could you do this to me?"

Evan's face flushed red, unable to speak.

But Joseph laughed: "Evan, you see, Isabella herself doesn't want to. Makes sense—how could the precious daughter of the Cohen family marry a criminal who's been in prison? How embarrassing would that be?"

Rector had been silent the whole time. He stood there with a calm expression, as if these words had nothing to do with him.

Isabella looked at him, disgust in her eyes: "You saved me, and I'm grateful, but I won't marry you. I don't care what deal the Thorne family made with you. That's your business and has nothing to do with me."

She paused and added: "I'll only marry one person."

Everyone looked at her.

"Mr. Ghost." Isabella's tone carried a girlish stubbornness. "Three years ago, he saved me. That stormy night, if it weren't for him, I would have died. I'll only marry him, that man called Ghost. Other than him, there's no room in my heart for anyone else."

The room was quiet for two seconds, then Joseph and Emily both burst out laughing.

"Ghost?" Joseph laughed so hard he doubled over. "What is that? You've been in a coma for three years—is your brain still not clear?"

Emily covered her mouth: "Probably something she dreamed about."

But Rector's pupils contracted slightly.

Ghost.

That was his codename in the Assad Organization.

Three years ago on that stormy night, he carried out a mission, eliminating everyone in that criminal organization. He also got infected with the vampire curse. The mission's objective was to rescue his brother Kieran.

But Isabella said he saved her that night too?

Rector's memory spun rapidly.

That night, he did see a woman—no, a girl.

That criminal organization had kidnapped several hostages. Before rescuing Kieran, he released all the other hostages first.

Could Isabella have been one of them?

Rector looked carefully at Isabella's face. It seemed vaguely familiar.

But he said nothing.

Isabella continued: "Mr. Ghost charged into the enemy's lair alone and rescued all of us. He said his name was Ghost. He said he would come find me again."

She looked at Rector, her gaze cold: "And you, a criminal, compared to him, there's no comparison at all."

Evan's face looked terrible, but in front of Joseph and his wife, he didn't lose his temper.

Joseph had seen enough of the show and turned to Evan: "Evan, since Isabella doesn't want to, I think this marriage should be called off. What is the Thorne family anyway? Just a fallen family. Why are you afraid of them?"

Emily chimed in: "Exactly. If Isabella is going to marry, it should be to a respectable person. This criminal isn't worthy of the Cohen family."

Evan gritted his teeth.

Honestly, he didn't think much of Rector either.

The Thorne family throwing Rector over was basically using him as a scapegoat.

Everyone knew it.

If Isabella really didn't want to, he didn't want to force her either.

But the problem was...

"The Thorne family has connected with Count William Hunter," Evan said in a low voice.

Joseph's smile froze.