Florence had been avoiding Tristan.After their last conversation, she had buried herself in her work, using the art room as an excuse to keep her distance. She convinced herself that she just needed space—that if she ignored the problem long enough, it would stop bothering her.But deep down, she knew better.Because it wasn’t just Tristan’s ruthlessness that haunted her.It was the fact that, despite everything, she hadn’t run.She should have been disgusted by what he had done. She should have been afraid of what it meant to be married to a man like him.But instead, some twisted part of her felt safe.Like as long as she was his, nothing could touch her.That was the most dangerous thought of all.She was trying to push it away when the door to the art room burst open.“Florence.”She flinched at the sharpness in Tristan’s voice. “What the hell?”Tristan stormed inside, his usual cool demeanor replaced by something raw and unfiltered. He looked furious. No, not furious—livid.Her
Florence was restless that night.She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts tangled in the storm Tristan had created. The guilt of Jennie’s tear-streaked face lingered in her mind, but so did Tristan’s unwavering declaration—No one messes with what’s mine.She turned on her side, gripping the blanket. The problem was that, despite everything, a small part of her—one she didn’t want to acknowledge—had felt safe hearing those words.She hated that.Frustrated, she threw off the covers and padded toward the kitchen. Maybe some water would help her clear her head.As she reached the dimly lit hallway, she noticed the faint glow from Tristan’s study. The door was ajar, and through the crack, she could see him seated at his desk, flipping through documents. The sight made her hesitate.She should just walk away.But her feet moved before she could stop herself.Florence pushed open the door and stepped inside. Tristan barely looked up, but she caught the way his fingers paused mo
The moment Florence stepped into the penthouse, the warmth of the place felt suffocating. She had been out in the cold, but the chill inside her chest had nothing to do with the weather.She dropped her bag by the door, her fingers still clenched around the sketchbook Jennie had destroyed. Her heart pounded, echoing the turmoil inside her. Tristan sat on the couch, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of whiskey in his hand. The room was dim, bathed in the soft glow of the fireplace.His gaze lifted from the documents in front of him, sharp and unreadable.“You’re late,” he remarked casually, taking a sip of his drink. “Where were you?”Florence swallowed down the lump in her throat. The anger that had been simmering in her blood threatened to boil over.“Jennie came to me,” she said, her voice cold.Tristan raised an eyebrow. “And?”Florence stepped further inside, her hands trembling. “You destroyed her father’s company. His company is going bankrupt.”Tristan didn’t flinch. Inst
Florence began to work on her assignments all over again. The professor refused to extend the deadlines as it was against the rule to do so. She had cursed at the professor for being so strict but deep down she knew that no professor would help her out . It was going against the rule. She straightened her black blouse as she sat on the stairs right in front of a beautiful lake. It was one of the most amazing spots to paint and today Florence was painting a landscape which was also her assignment. This was her second time drawing the same drawing.Past few days have been a disaster. She wasn't able to sleep for even a second and now her eye lids were getting heavy. She could really use some sleep.She brought her black coffee to her , trying her best to remain calm . Past few days, she had not seen Tristan much . The said guy would always be busy with his work. Truth to be told, Tristan kind of gave off a vibe of a playboy and Florence had no idea whether her husband was really bu
Tristan was sitting on the sofa with a book in his hand, his wet hair falling over his eyes as he glanced at the digital clock on the table in front of him. It blinked nine. Tristan frowned at the clock because as far as he knew, Florence is usually done with her classes before six in the evening and in extreme cases by seven. He hadn't had his dinner yet and he was looking at the door far too often. He didn't know why he was acting protective towards her , maybe because she was his responsibility or maybe because she is too young to be in his world. Not to forget that she would be an easy target for his enemies . He didn't even want to think about the circumstances. Just as he was about to call Florence, the door of his penthouse opened and in came Florence, who looked as if she was about to faint any second. A bile raised in Tristan's throat as he immediately stood from his place and threw the book carelessly on the sofa. "Where were you?" Tristan asked as he walked towards he
"Sean? Have you seen my file?" Florence asked as she walked towards Sean who sat on one of the benches in front of the university. He stopped sketching as he turned to look at her. Florence looked like a disaster at the moment. Her white pants were soiled at the bottom from mud and her long hair were tied up in a messy bun. She looked completely different from what she did when she arrived at the university. Looking how divested she looked, Sean immediately stood up and marched towards her. Beads of sweat were sticking over her forehead, her chest was heaving up and down as she frantically looked around to find her portfolio. She had brought it when she came this morning. She can't remember where she left it though." What do you mean? You had your file when we met this afternoon for lunch." Sean said and Florence looked as if she was close to crying. Her bandage was now a disaster too." I know… " Florence said her voice came out wavering. " I had it with me all the time but