Chapter 2

I had not even reached Gianna’s room when dozens of bodyguards surrounded me.

The moment they saw me, they went on high alert.

“Mrs. Pellam, Mr. Pellam gave strict orders that you are not to go anywhere near Miss Seyfert.”

Even through the wall of bodyguards, I spotted a puppy-filter photo of Jesse and Gianna on the door. A pink heart framed the picture, and beneath it, in playful cartoon lettering, were the words: Jessiana Castle.

I forced a cold smile onto my face.

“How childish.”

I used to beg Jesse to take photos like this with me too.

Every time, he would tell me that, as the CEO of a publicly traded company, he could not possibly do something so childish.

It turned out it was not that he could not do it. He just did not want to do it with me.

I pressed a hand to my still-aching chest and took a deep breath.

“Move. You all know what I’m capable of when I lose control.”

With that, I pulled out the utility knife I carried with me.

I had only intended to scare them, but before I could do anything, a bodyguard lunged at me and tackled me to the floor.

The others immediately pinned me down, leaving me unable to move.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Pellam. Mr. Pellam instructed us that if you show signs of having an episode, we are to restrain you immediately.”

Another bodyguard immediately pulled out his radio.

“Mr. Pellam, Mrs. Pellam is here. She brought a knife—”

Before he could finish, Jesse’s voice suddenly rose through the radio.

“Restrain her now! What if she hurts Gia?”

The moment I heard that, I stopped struggling.

“We have her under control. Should we send her back to the estate or keep her confined for now?”

The radio went silent for two seconds.

After a long pause, Jesse let out a quiet sigh.

“Forget it. Bring her inside.”

The bodyguards took the knife away, but the blade still caught my wrist in the struggle. By the time they forced me into the room, blood was dripping from my wrist.

I bit down hard on my lower lip, forcing myself not to cry.

But the moment I stepped inside, I froze.

The setting sun streamed through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow over the rocking chair on the balcony.

A cup of hot coffee and an open book rested on the small table beside it.

In the corner, a vintage record player played the jazz music Jesse loved.

This was no hospital room.

It was a home—one I had designed myself.

Before we got married, I had drawn the design plans myself, carefully shaping every detail around our shared tastes.

However, Jesse said that he did not want me to exhaust myself, so he hired a design team and had the estate remodeled in a completely different style.

The home I had dreamed of stood right in front of me.

Yet it had become a home for him and another woman.

“You’re here.”

Jesse’s voice came from behind me.

I turned around, still dazed.

The shock in my eyes had not yet faded when he said, “Gia always said that she loved this design, so I gave it to her. You don’t mind, do you?”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“What do you think?”

He simply nodded.

“Go ahead and tear it down, Quinn. Whatever makes you happy.”

His gaze briefly drifted to my still-bleeding wrist, and all I saw in his eyes was disgust.

“I’ve gotten used to it. Gia has too.”

He then shifted his gaze to the window, his expression so calm it was as if he were saying, “Look, Quinn. The sunset is beautiful today.”

I followed his gaze.

A rainbow had appeared in the sky after the storm, but the storm inside me felt like it would never end.

“Jess, come play ‘It Takes Two’ with me…”

The moment Gianna saw me, she stopped mid-sentence.

The game controller slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.

She suddenly clutched her head and erupted into hysterical screams.

“No! Don’t take off my clothes! Don’t kill my baby! I’m a terrible person! I’m a homewrecker! I was wrong! Please… I’ll never do it again…”

Jesse crossed the room in just a few strides and pulled her tightly into his arms. His eyes reddened with anguish.

“It’s okay. You’re safe. I’m here. No one will ever hurt you again.”

He looked straight at me as he said those words, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred.

A laugh escaped me.

I laughed until tears streamed down my face.

For a split second, I wanted to run over, grab Gianna, and throw us both off the balcony.

But the last sliver of my sanity told me she was not worth it.

My nails dug into my palms as I fought to suppress the urge to take her down with me.

I only let out a cold laugh.

“Gianna, drop the act.”