Chapter 1

Dan McLeod froze, looking as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Just as he was about to speak, Judy Morrison let out a scornful laugh.

"Joel Plunkett, you're going overboard with this act of yours. Who do you think you are to stop Dan?"

"Judy, your husband seems genuinely pissed this time," Dan said with a bitter smile.

He took half a step back, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the handle of his suitcase tightly.

Judy rushed over in a few quick strides, seized my wrist, and yanked me to the side.

"Joel, you're just a security guard. Where do you get off pretending to be a customs officer?"

Dan lowered his eyes, his voice tinged with helplessness. "Forget it, Judy. He probably just cares too much about you…"

"Cares too much?" Judy repeated with a cold scoff. "He's just being petty and jealous."

She turned around and glared at me, her chest heaving as she struggled to contain her anger.

"Do you know that Dan just came back from an epidemic-stricken area? He's been overseas, saving lives in the midst of gunfire, while all you do is obsess over discounted sneakers and keep tabs on my every move!

"You're pathetic and selfish! You aren't worth even a single strand of Dan's hair!"

Every word of hers felt like it had been dipped in poison before plunging straight into my heart.

Meanwhile, the strange odor was getting stronger. If the suitcase made it through the exit checkpoint and into the public area, the consequences would be catastrophic.

When Dan realized I wasn't going to back down, his brow gradually furrowed. All of a sudden, he let out a weak groan before leaning feebly against Judy's shoulder.

"Judy… My shoulder really hurts. I think my old injury from the epidemic zone has flared up again…"

Judy immediately released my wrist and wrapped an arm around Dan. Her tone was panicked, and her eyes were filled with concern.

"Dan, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

When she turned to look at me again, her gaze was murderous.

"Joel Plunkett, if anything happens to Dan, I swear I'll make you pay!"

"Mr. McLeod," I said, unmoved by her fury. "Please cooperate and open your suitcase."

"Why should he cooperate with you?" Judy snapped, standing up straight and planting herself in front of Dan as she glared down at me. "You're in plain clothes, you have no ID, and no official paperwork authorizing you to do this. Who the hell do you think you are?"

She wasn't wrong.

Today was my day off, so I wasn't in uniform, and I hadn't brought my work ID with me. The only thing that could prove who I was was locked inside the secure cabinet at the office.

Seeing me fall silent, Judy sneered.

"You always pull this same stunt when you throw a tantrum. You start trouble, and then when things get out of hand, you play the innocent victim."

More and more travelers gathered around us, and their whispers crashed over me like a wave.

"What's that guy's problem? What does someone else's suitcase have to do with him?"

"He's probably just a jealous loser. The wife's ex-boyfriend came back, and he can't handle it."

Dan patted Judy's arm reassuringly.

"Don't be mad. Joel's probably just letting his concern get the better of him. Maybe I should just open the suitcase and show him."

His tone was gentle and his manner generous, which only made me look even more like a troublemaking lunatic by comparison.

Judy's expression softened even further as she looked at him. "No need to indulge him."

Dan smiled and shook his head as he reached for the combination lock on his suitcase. But as he entered the code, I noticed his thumb quickly pressed a raised button on the side of the lid.

He was switching the contents inside!

My eyes widened, and I lunged forward, slamming my hand down on his. "Don't move!"

Judy completely snapped. She shoved me hard, sending me stumbling back into the metal railing behind me. A dull, agonizing pain exploded in my lower back—the exact spot where I had undergone surgery years ago after saving her life.

I doubled over, clutching my spine. Cold sweat instantly soaked through my shirt.

But Judy didn't even spare me a second glance. She took Dan's hand, grabbed the suitcase, and strode toward the exit.

"Judy Morrison, stop right there!"

She stopped and turned around to look at me. A cold, impatient smirk tugged at her lips.

"What exactly do you want, Joel? Do I really have to say it out loud in front of everyone? Fine. I regret marrying you. Are you happy now?"