The Substitute Bride

Nick was not here to have a casual talk with Leila. Before she could answer him, he grabbed her arm and angrily demanded, "Leila, was it you who did it? What have you done to Cassie?"

"What do you mean? What have I supposedly done to Cassie? Are you insane? Mind your words!" Leila yelled back aggressively as she pulled her arm from Nick's firm grip, without so much as a hint of panic in her eyes.

Her unlikely reaction confused Nick. He thought that Leila was either an extremely merciless and psychopathic woman who could maintain her composure despite what she had done, or an innocent one who really knew nothing about what had happened; otherwise, she couldn't have behaved so confidently.

"Did you go to the rooftop last night?" he challenged. Since Nick didn't have any evidence to prove that Leila was the one who had hurt Cassie, he couldn't take her to the police just yet. Therefore, he decided to question her thoroughly.

"Why should I tell you?" Leila sneered as if teasing Nick. She unconsciously crossed her arms in front of her chest as a sign of discomfort but looked at Nick indifferently.

Nick knitted his eyebrows and continued his interrogation. "You were the last one who saw Cassie unharmed. If anything happened to her, you're definitely involved!" As he spoke, his index finger pointed directly at the tip of Leila's nose. He was so angered now that he almost lost his head.

His fury frightened Leila. Then she remembered with regret, 'Damn it! How can I have forgotten that?

The CCTV probably recorded that Cassie followed me up to the rooftop. Nobody would now believe that I didn't meet her last night.'

Noticing her hesitation, Nick pressured Leila to answer his question, "Tell me now! Was it you who hurt Cassie?"

Leila couldn't help but feel panicked as Nick questioned her relentlessly.

At that very moment, Melissa innocently came down from the second floor. She yawned as she stretched her limbs and noticed that Leila was talking to someone at the door, so she asked, "Leila, who's there?"

"Aunt Melissa, it's Nick," Leila replied in a snap, feeling relieved because of Melissa's presence.

She knew that Melissa hated Sheryl, so Melissa would surely dislike all of her friends as well. Nick was a very close friend of Sheryl's, and Melissa could help her in dealing with him right now.

As Leila expected, Melissa got irritated upon hearing Nick's name. She quickly strode towards them and asked in a hostile manner, "Why are you here?"

"I'm here for

turned to him, she focused on her steps down the stairs. A nervous expression now dominated her face. She was still worried that Nick might figure out her crime.

After she left the rooftop, Leila went to Charles' room in the ICU while Nick rushed to Cassie's ward.

When he arrived, Cassie's operation was already finished, and she had been sent to a ward room to recover.

Fueled by worry, Isla and Sheryl also arrived at the hospital in a rush as soon as they were informed of Cassie's injury.

"Nick, where have been just now? Why weren't you with Cassie? Didn't you know that she needed you?" Isla dashed to Nick to ask as soon as she saw him.

Sadly, Cassie was still in a coma, so Sheryl left to ask the doctor about Cassie's current condition.

"How is Cassie doing now?" Nick yearned to know. Even though Cassie didn't look as seriously injured as Charles who was heavily outfitted with needles and an oxygen tank, Nick's heart bled when he saw Cassie's pale face in an oxygen mask.

Looking at Nick's wretched face, Isla couldn't bear to blame him anymore for not being there during the operation. She had arrived with Sheryl not long ago, so they didn't know how Cassie was doing either. All they knew was that she had survived the operation and was in recovery.

Isla shook her head sadly while Nick decided to go to the doctor for more information. Sheryl suddenly returned from the doctor's office.

Sheryl looked at the two of them, especially at Nick, without saying a word. Isla couldn't wait to know her friend's condition, so she made them snap out of their sorrows, "Come back to reality, both of you! Sheryl, tell us how Cassie is, right now!"