Chapter 4: After The Wedding

"If it weren't for the meeting this morning, I would definitely indulge you right now," Alden teased his wife with a mischievous smile. "You're just too cute, I can't help but want to bite you."

"Ugh, no way!" Emma pouted, playfully resisting. "I won't let you have your way."

Unable to control himself, Alden quickly kissed her. Before heading to work, he already found himself wishing he could return home soon to enjoy more moments with his beautiful wife. It had been days since he'd been so busy, and he missed the taste of her. He was really craving it.

They held each other affectionately as Emma accompanied him to the door. She waited until he got in the car before turning back to the house. Emma planned to rearrange some things, go on a shopping spree, and then meet with some friends to brag about her luxurious honeymoon. She was sure many people would be secretly jealous. Just thinking about the attention and compliments she would receive, Emma laughed maniacally, delighted by the thought.

Oh, her life was so wonderful, blissful as could be. Emma hummed a cheerful tune, expressing her temporary happiness, without a care for what the future might bring.

Alden had barely left when the doorbell rang. Curious about who it could be, Emma walked to the door. The maid was out, so Emma had no choice but to answer it herself. She was shocked to find Devlin standing there, someone she had been trying to forget, even deliberately ignoring after her marriage.

Throughout the honeymoon, Devlin had been calling and texting, tempting Emma with his advances. He clearly had intentions to ruin things for her. Before Emma could figure out how to handle the situation, he had shown up at her doorstep. Could this be an ominous sign?

Devlin's unexpected and unannounced appearance at Alden's house shook Emma deeply. Suddenly, she had an unsettling feeling. Women's intuition was often quite accurate. Whether a woman was good-hearted or wicked, they all had that keen instinct. Though Emma loudly proclaimed she wasn't afraid of anything, not even divine punishment, the sense of unease and worry was a natural reaction. Anyone, even those who appeared tough and cold on the outside, had a vulnerable side deep inside their hearts. Besides, didn't the old saying go, "What you do in the dark will eventually come to light"? Emma was no exception to the laws of nature.

For now, Emma decided to assess the situation, then come up with a plan, and finally execute it. Every step of this process required a great deal of mental strength and acting skills to ensure she didn't come across as fake. These were all Emma's strengths. Let's not forget that it was her acting skills that had enabled her to achieve her goals up to this point.

“What are you doing here?”

Emma pretended to be startled, knowing she had to stay composed, but her feigned panic only made Devlin laugh mockingly.

“I missed you so much, I had to come see you.”

He said it nonchalantly. Emma sized him up from head to toe. Devlin was dressed in a delivery uniform, likely to avoid suspicion. It was a well-thought-out disguise, carefully planned. “I'm sure you missed me too, right, baby?”

“Stop talking nonsense. Who would miss you? Get out of here.”

As she dismissed him, Emma quickly glanced around, making sure the maid had gone out as usual. If anyone suspected anything, it would cause unnecessary trouble. It had only been two weeks, and she didn't want to take any risks just yet.

“Don't worry, there's no one here.” Devlin, reading her anxiety, slyly added, “The maid is gone, that's why I dared to show myself.”

Emma felt a bit more at ease after hearing that. She knew Devlin was cautious, always ensuring everything was secure before acting. After all, they'd known each other for a long time, so she understood his nature. Emma was quite confident in her ability to manipulate men, but in truth, she wasn't particularly talented. Her beauty wasn't exceptional, and her intelligence wasn't extraordinary either. Without using tricks, like secretly manipulating others’ minds with substances, she probably wouldn't have gotten this far.

Alden had been an unfortunate victim of circumstances, leaving him vulnerable to Emma's advances. Just wait, though—one day, when Alden recovered, no one could predict how bad things would turn out for Emma, especially when she played with someone as dangerous as Alden. Let's not forget, he had fierce and powerful allies behind him.

Honestly, Emma had made a mistake by forgetting an important truth. If you meddle with Alden's family, you should be prepared for an unfavorable outcome.

At present, Emma had not yet faced any major consequences, so she didn't feel the need to worry or fear anything. She remained hardened, enjoying her life. Emma was bold enough to deceive a powerful force, so someone like Devlin was nothing to her. To Emma, this man was easy to handle.

Feeling a little calmer, she suddenly changed her tone, sharply asking, “I don't care why you're here, just leave.”

“I had a hard time finding this address,” Devlin protested, slightly upset. “Are you really going to send me away? At least invite me in for a drink. It's not polite to chase away a guest, especially when you're the wife of the heir to the Helen family.”

Despite Devlin's provocative words, Emma remained indifferent, showing no signs of concern. "I'm not interested in entertaining you, please leave. Don't cause any trouble for me."

As she finished speaking and tried to close the door, it was blocked. Emma, unable to push Devlin away with her own strength, was forced to step back, leaving the door wide open. Without the homeowner's permission, Devlin brazenly stepped inside.

"How dare you? Do you want me to call the police and report you for illegal trespassing?"

Emma tried to intimidate him, then turned to grab her phone.

"Go ahead if you want, there'll be a good show for your husband to watch."

Devlin casually reminded her, making Emma freeze in her tracks.

"Getting married for just a few days and already thinking about divorce. Imagine how amusing that would be for the online community."

"Are you threatening me?"

Emma spun around, glaring at Devlin, her voice sharp and scolding.

"Don't think I'll be scared. If you're bold enough, go ahead, and I'll drag you down with me."

At that moment, Emma resembled a lioness who had just had its prey stolen.

"Calm down, no one's done anything to you." Devlin chuckled at her easily triggered reactions. "I only said that to remind you, I'm not threatening you, I care about you, you know."

"What do you want, in the end?"

Seeing Devlin shift to a softer, almost sweet tone, Emma understood and decided to cool down. Getting tense wouldn't help her.

"As I said, we have an appointment to continue our adventure after your honeymoon." Devlin brought up the topic again. "That's why I came here to find you."

"But I didn't agree to that." Emma countered, denying it. "On what basis do you think you can come here to find me?"

"Come on, you know you miss me too. Stop lying to yourself."

At some point, Devlin had closed the distance between them, his deep voice laced with meaning as his warm breath brushed against Emma's ear.

Unconsciously, Emma glanced downward, her gaze betraying a flicker of hesitation. A restless frustration simmered inside her, a void yet to be filled. Last night, she had tried to get close to Alden, but he had firmly refused, citing work as an excuse. From before their wedding to now, the number of times they had been intimate could be counted on one hand. That fact left Emma feeling more than a little dissatisfied.

Alden had once been a man of indulgence, never lacking in past relationships. Yet after his accident, he had changed, distancing himself from the desires he had never once restrained before. Before marriage, she could understand his self-control as a sign of respect for her, but even after they had become husband and wife, he still maintained his distance. It made her wonder—was she no longer attractive to him?

In truth, Alden was only thinking of Emma. He feared overwhelming her with his demands, so he chose patience, wanting to ease her into things. On top of that, his post-marriage workload had only increased, leaving him little time for anything else. Unfortunately, Emma didn't see it that way. Instead, she let her discontent fester, resentment bubbling beneath the surface—something Alden remained oblivious to.

If he ever discovered the truth about her, he would never again believe in the illusions he had so carefully crafted. But sadly for him, Emma was a master of deception, and Alden still naively believed that their first night together had been a flawless, genuine memory—completely unaware that it was nothing more than an expertly executed performance.