Chapter 8

“Sierra.” 

Her steps halted when she heard someone calling her name. She didn't even realize that someone had been watching her all along.

Whipping around to the source of the voice, her lips curled into a smile as her gaze fell on a strikingly handsome man... a man who could easily rival her husband's good looks, approaching her. Aldric Carter was her ex when she was in high school.

“Hey, Aldric,” she greeted him warmly.

Before she could react, Aldric simply closed the distance between them, pulling her into a tight hug. It took her by surprise, making her body flinch as he whispered words of longing for her that she never expected.

“I missed you, Sierra. I never thought we would meet again like this.”

She could only crack a faint smile, her hand raised to pat him awkwardly on the back. However, she was still blissfully blind to the steel gray eyes that were fixed on them from a distance, watching their every move with a smoldering gaze.

“I missed you too,” she murmured. “Have you been back in this city for a long?”

Aldric loosened his hold slightly, stepping back to look at her. He shook his head, the ever-present boyish smile still gracing his face. His hand brushed a strand of her loose hair, his gesture looking friendly and familiar.

“No, I have only been here for a week. I will be heading back to Australia soon, probably next week.”

He sighed gruffly, laced with a touch of frustration as he noticed her face turn sour, lacking the friendliness to show her upset. Then, he pulled her into a hug again and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

“I will miss you even more, Sierra. Always.”

“I will always miss you too, Al—”

Her words were cut off by a high pitched shout as Aldric was snatched away from her, his body jerked back violently. Her eyes widened in horror as her ex-boyfriend was knocked to the ground, the culprit's fist already making brutal contact with his face. He barely had time to react before the second punch landed, and Aldric staggered backwards, his suit jacket pulling hard as the punch went on. Ace... her husband was not holding back. His fist slammed hard into Aldric's face again and again before Sierra had time to process what was happening.

“What the fuck are you doing, Ace?!” Sierra screamed, her voice laced with both incredulity and fury.

Tragically, Ace simply ignored her screams, his anger completely vented as he relentlessly pounded Aldric to the ground. Blood oozed from his temple where Ace had hit him, but it wasn't enough to stop his attack on Aldric.

“Stop it! You're going to kill him!” Sierra shouted, her voice hoarse with frustration, turning to the two other men standing nearby, watching with dumbstruck faces. “Why are you two just standing there? Do something! Keep them apart!”

Yet, both of them did nothing. Instead, they fiddled around with their cell phones, filming the clash as if it were a show for the entertainment they enjoyed.

“Ace, have you gone mad! Please!” Her plea was almost drowned out by her sobs. “You're going to kill him!”

“What?!” Ace barked, his voice booming, filled with barely contained rage.

Sierra gasped in shock at the force of his wrath, her green eyes widening as she stared at the man she once thought she could never fear. His face reddened, his jaw clenched so tightly that she could see the tension radiating throughout his muscles.

“You're going to kill him, Ace! For God's sake, are you out of your mind?” she snapped, staying upright despite her trembling body.

Ace Valentino, the man she had tragically married, never showed any signs of holding back, not giving in, his breath panting as he glared at her, his gray eyes boiling with rage. “He has no shame to touch you, Sierra! He dared to put his hands on you!”

Sierra stared at him, her eyes dark, holding hostility. “What's wrong with that? Since when do you care? Weren't you the one who said we shouldn't meddle in each other's business—”

“But I'm your husband, Mrs. Valentino!” Ace snapped, his voice harsh and venomous. “And I have the right to—”

“Husband on paper only!” Sierra snapped back, her tone laced with coldness and harshness.

Her words struck him like a punch to the gut, shutting him up on the spot. For a second, Ace was frozen, his anger replaced by something else, something tugging at the edge of his self-control. There it was again, that wave of raw possessiveness in him, something he couldn't figure out.

“What's going on? Cat got your tongue?” Sierra challenged, her words bitter. “Husband's only on paper. You can't even claim me right. You never touched me! What kind of husband are you?”

“You're my husband in name only, Ace. Never forget that it was you who told me that.” She went on, her voice lowered and pointed at the same time, reminding him of the loveless marriage they had.

Before he could retort, Sierra turned on her heel and strode away, her pace quick as she made her way to Aldric, who was being assisted by one of Ace's staff. They were soon headed for the nearest hospital.

“Damn it!” Ace cursed silently, watching the woman leave, the weight of his words heavy in the air. His fists clenched tightly at his sides as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration, the fight leaving his body as her figure was out of sight. 

Yet, he had no idea that another pair of eyes had witnessed everything that happened from the shadows, his keen eyes capturing every detail of the confrontation. Lance, his trusted assistant, saw it all, from the moment Ace threw the first punch to the last look Sierra gave him before walking away from him. His gaze dropped as he looked at Ace, sadness etched on his face.

“You started to forget me, Ace,” Lance murmured, his voice tinged with sadness.

****

“Are you okay?” Sierra asked softly, her eyes taking in his injuries. His face was bruised, and there were cuts along his cheeks and eyebrows, but the doctor had patched them up fairly quickly. Despite everything, Aldric smiled at her, there was a gentle, calmness in his gaze.

“I'm fine, Sierra. Don't worry about me. You know me, I'm tougher than you think,” he replied, his voice light despite the weariness behind it.

Many years had passed since they were last together, but Aldric had not changed. Not really. He was still the same man she had loved, the man who had always been there for her.

She flashed a faint smile in return, though her eyes showed her concern. “Good. I've already called Natalie. She should be here soon.”

As if on cue, the door opened, and a pretty woman, who was heavily pregnant, rushed in, her expression showing deep concern. She rushed over to Aldric, hugging him tightly right away, her large belly making him breathe a sigh of relief.

“Darling!” she gasped, kissing him over and over again. Aldric hugged her tightly, soothing her with gentle words as Sierra watched the scene with a faint smile on her face, biting her lower lip gently.

Ten years ago, Aldric had hugged her in the same way. She remembered the way he held her like that, the way he had been her rock during the hardest moments of her life, but now, it was another woman he held. And Sierra? She was trapped in a marriage built on cold, empty promises, trapped in a forced marriage with no love in it. Sierra doesn't love Ace, and Ace doesn't love her either.

There was no malice, no jealousy, just an odd sense of peace. She was happy for him, for both of them. They had something real. Something she never had in her own marriage.

Clearing her throat, she stepped forward. “Well, now that Natalie's here, I'll be back. I'm really sorry about Ace. This should never have happened.”

“Don't be sorry, Sierra,” Aldric said gently. “It's not your fault. I'm the one who crossed the line. Frankly, I get why he did what he did. If I were in his shoes, I would have reacted the same way.”

Sierra nodded, a slight somber smile on her lips. “Thank you.”

Natalie, who was quietly observing, chimed in, “Ace is jealous, Sierra. Any man would be jealous if he saw another man holding his wife like that. I've known you and Aldric for a long time, so it doesn't bother me. But Ace... he might have taken the wrong path. He just... doesn't know how to handle it.”

Aldric nodded in agreement, and Sierra chuckled hollowly.

Jealous? Her mind was racing. Ace, jealous? No way in hell, she muttered to herself. “He has no reason to be jealous.” But as she left the hospital, the thought kept plaguing her mind. I wonder what reason he would have to be jealous?