Amy's POV

Everything went black.

Panic ensued among everyone else pretty quickly. There was only one person in the entire hoard of 20 people around to have common sense — to call for an ambulance!

And the next moment I woke up, I was under dim lights of a hospital.

I hated hospitals.

"Amy! Amy!" A shrill voice whipped my head towards her. It was her.

I couldn't believe I was meeting her again on Christmas.

"Amy, oh my gosh, you're alright!" She hugged me ever so gently. Being as considerate as she could be.

Her tears rolled down to dampen my shoulder. She parted, sniffling and looking ugly yet adorable.

Wait. What?

"I know you didn't do that on purpose. I need to be discharged." I stated the moment I could feel my lips moving. Her brows crossed.

"A-Amy. You've been in an accident. I- I'm so sorry. But you've got size stitches across your head. At the time of impact—"

"Yeah yeah yeah. I still wanna be discharged." I said, trying the pluck the IV out of my veins as if they wouldn't hurt. I just felt so, so uncomfortable.

Everything was making me uncomfortable and nauseous, too. I hated it.

"A-Amy! You're hurting yourself!" Aria tried to pry me away, but I was stronger and she was emotional. Afraid she will hurt me, again.

She dashed towards the door yelling, "Nurse! Someone please!"

Before the nurses could rush in, my brothers did. My eyes widened.

"Get me out of this thing!!" I screamed.

"Amy, stop!!" Dane and Alex pinned my hands down while Nick held my legs down.

"Stop this nonsense! Please!" Yelled Dane. His eyes were red. So was Winter's and Crystal's. I...calmed down looking at them.

Winter shook her head while Crystal covered her mouth staring at something.

The nurses rushed in and asked to let go of my.

The side of my bed was stained with the IV I tried to pull out. Red poured out and they stopped the bleed while trying to control my erratic heartbeat.

"I...advise you not to put emotional strain on the patient. She's showing signs of... the obvious." The doctor who walked in later to examine me said.

Why was she afraid to tell me what's going on with me, in front of me? Doctors are just as bad.

Three hours passed.

I stirred awake on the uncomfortable bed and realized I was brought into a different room. They knocked me out good.

I heard whispers after a while. My train of thought stopped, hearing them talk.

"You shouldn't go anywhere near her. You're the reason why she's behaving like that. I'm...I'm scared for her. Just please. Leave." It was a feminine voice.

"I came all the way to see her. I need to. Please...she'll be fine if she just—" the male voice spoke but was cut off.

"She'll be fine!? Are you delusional!? Her brothers are lurking around here right now and you claim she'll be fine seeing you!?" The rasp asian voice made me sigh.

It was Aria and...Cynric.

I laid motionless because I clearly didn't have the strength to move.

But Cynric and Aria kept fighting over me. Aria was defending him as they she knew something. I wanted to know why.

My eyes opened slowly on hearing the door sliding open. Dark, mysterious and chemical ridden smell was reversed when he entered.

The smell of his cologne hit my nose from the distance. He switched the warm lights on.

I turned to see.

It was Cynric, holding a small bouquet of flowers.

He came forward, a faltering smile on his lips as though he wasn't sure what to feel — sadness or happiness.

"Aria already gave me a Christmas present. What did you bring?" I asked.

"Nothing." He said, while placing the bouquet beside my arm.

"Throw it before my brothers see. I don't have to explain anything to them." I said, turning away from him.

"Amy...I'm sorry." He said.

"For what?"

"For the way I reacted. I should've known you're not looking for a committed relationship with me. My parents aren't the best. They're, admittedly, greedy. But I already told you my reasoning. I never wanted to join their business. This...scholarship. It's my ticket to get away from them and possibly...disappear."

I turned back.

He looked at the confusion in my eyes.

A small scoff escaped his lips.

"I'm not going to let go of you. Because I planned on inviting you with me." He said.

"Do you even hear yourself?" At that moment, I got angry. Frustrated.

"You want me to leave everything behind and disappear, with you? Leave my brothers? My assets?" I asked brashly.

"I'm the only one who can show you true love, Amy. I see the way your own brothers treat you. They only see you like a...glory hole."

My heart broke at that.

I thought I was the only one feeling that way. But now, it seemed evident when someone else was pointing it out, too.

My adopted brothers' glory hole.

It was so demeaning...

I wanted to cry. Scream. Get away from it all.

Was this all I had to bare just for a billion dollars to be written in my name?

Are all those assets worth my peace? My identity?

I was so, so angry.

A shaky breath left my chest.

"Things won't change unless I change them myself." I said, wiping my tears harshly.

"Do you love me?" I asked, the question making his eyes go wide.

"More than anything in this world." He said, walking closer.

I stared at the ceiling, mind spinning the gears as I started plotting my ultimate move.

I was done being looked down upon by my brothers.

Done being their rag doll.

I want true love.

I want...to love.

"New Year, New Me." I said, rather to myself.

Cynric only nodded softly and caressed my hair.

Dane's hostility towards me before the accident really set me off.

And I knew that it would become a pattern if I didn't do anything about it.