Three days later, I was ready to leave the hospital, head back to the Rossi family.
Vivian blocked my path.
"What the hell are you doing?" I stood my ground. "Move it, bitch. Get out of my way."

She tilted her chin up, radiating smug triumph.
"I know your secret."
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
She didn't answer. Ethan walked in behind her, his face shadowed with anger.
"Draw her blood. Now."
"What?" I stared at him like he'd lost his mind.

Ethan grabbed my arm roughly.
"I can see you because of your blood, isn't that right?"
My body went rigid. How did he know? Vivian? But how did she know?
"Now, we do a transfusion. Just 800 milliliters. It'll stabilize Viv's... effect. Scarlett, don't be difficult."

I actually laughed. First my skin, now my blood?
"Ethan Rivers, what the hell am I to you?"
He couldn't stand the thought of his world being only black and white. If he could get my blood willingly...
Then Vivian's colors might stay forever.
And maybe... maybe he could use this method to see others too?
So he needed both me and Vivian.
"Willing or not, it's happening. 800 ml won't kill you."
I stared at him, the absurdity choking me. "A week ago, I nearly died! Ethan Rivers, are you trying to kill me?"
He looked momentarily confused, then irritated. "It won't kill you, Scarlett! I don't want my world limited to your colors! Why are you so selfish? Why won't you help me? You love me!"
A bitter laugh escaped. If I were selfish, I'd never have stayed with the Rivers family!
But who told him about this twisted method?
Rossi blood only works inside us. If it didn't, our family would have been hunted down centuries ago.
Seeing my refusal, Ethan lost patience.
Just like with the skin graft, men held me down. They strapped me to a chair and started drawing blood.
As my blood flowed out, my face grew paler.
Ethan stood nearby, fists clenched tightly as if suppressing something.
Finally, dizzy, I swayed to my feet. The look I gave him was pure, undiluted hate.
Then, darkness swallowed me. I pitched forward.
Ethan lunged instinctively, but someone else caught me first.
I looked up into a face twisted with fury. "Alexander Sinclair..."
Ethan's eyes widened. Anger flared, mixed with something raw and shaky. "Who the hell are you?!" He glared at my pale form. "Scarlett! Come here!"
Alexander Sinclair held me with one arm, his other fist connecting hard with Ethan's jaw. "Don't you dare touch her again!"
He scooped me up and strode out.
"Scarlett Rossi! You get back here! You—"
Ethan's furious roar cut off abruptly. His eyes widened in pure terror.
Because his world didn't just lose color.
It went completely, utterly black.