Six

Sahara walked unsteadily into the bathroom, barely aware that she hadn’t even brought any clothes with her. It didn’t matter. Nothing really did in that moment except the tight ache in her chest and the tears that kept slipping down her face without warning.

The moment Leaf mentioned her name—Rocsan—something inside her broke all over again.

Rocsan.

Her first love. The one she never truly let go of.

The memory didn’t just hurt; it cut deep, reopening wounds she thought had already healed. She pressed a hand against her chest as if it might somehow ease the pain, but it only made her tremble more.

Why did it still hurt like this?

Even after everything, even after all the time that had passed, she still found herself falling apart at the mention of her name.

Her tears came quietly now, steady and unstoppable, as she stood there trying—and failing—to hold herself together.

She was her rival for the attention of the man she loved. Leaf was the same age as her. They had grown up in the same circles, and from everything she knew, Rocsan had been her husband’s longtime girlfriend.

Childhood sweethearts, to be exact.

They had studied together from elementary all the way through college; their lives were intertwined for years. The only time they were truly separated was when Rocsan left for Paris to pursue her modeling career.

Now she was a successful supermodel—beautiful, famous, and untouchable in a way that made Sahara feel painfully small in comparison.

And she was the woman her husband once loved first.

The woman she was still trying to measure herself against.

She had almost forgotten there was a woman her husband once loved.

And it wasn’t her.

Sahara forced herself to steady her breathing, to pull herself back together. She couldn’t let herself fall apart, not now. Not where Leaf could see her like this.

He had warned her once. Told her she would suffer in this marriage.

And she refused to let that become her reality.

He was her husband now. Legally, undeniably hers.

And she would not allow him—or Rocsan—to find their way back to each other, not without a fight she wasn’t ready to lose.

She decided to take a warm bath to relax her aching body, especially the soreness she was still trying to ignore.

After preparing a bubble bath, she slowly stepped into the tub and sank into the warm water.

For a moment, she tried to calm herself—to forget what she had heard from her husband earlier, even just for a little while. She wanted peace. She wanted silence inside her mind.

So she closed her eyes, letting the warmth surround her, hoping it would wash away the pain and thoughts weighing her down.

And without realizing it, exhaustion finally pulled her into a deep sleep.

His wife had been in the bathroom for an hour and a half, yet she still hadn't come out.

He had already showered in the guest room and changed into fresh clothes, but Sahara remained inside.

A frown creased his forehead.

Slowly, he pressed his ear against the bathroom door, hoping to hear some sign of movement from inside.

Nothing.

Not a single sound.

No footsteps. No rustling. No running water.

A strange uneasiness settled in his chest.

What happened to that woman?

Earlier, while he had been with her, his mind had been elsewhere. He had found himself remembering Rocsan—remembering how things had once been between them. The memories had come fast and hard, clouding his judgment.

He had never intended to touch his reluctant wife that night.

But the moment he saw her, something inside him snapped.

The nightgown she wore was far too revealing, the thin fabric leaving little to the imagination. Through the delicate material, he could make out the curves of her body, the outline of her breasts, and the fragile innocence she seemed completely unaware of.

For a moment, he had forgotten the alcohol in his system.

Or perhaps it had only made things worse.

He had entered the bedroom feeling intoxicated, but the sight of her had awakened something far more dangerous. Desire had hit him with unexpected force, leaving him unable to think clearly.

And then he had done the unthinkable.

Still, a part of him continued to justify it.

They were husband and wife.

Their marriage might have begun under complicated circumstances, but it was a marriage nonetheless. In his mind, what had happened between them was something that eventually would have happened anyway.

And Sahara had not continued fighting him.

She had eventually yielded.

Because of that, Leaf convinced himself that he had done nothing wrong.

Yet as he stood outside the bathroom door, listening to the unsettling silence on the other side, that certainty began to feel less convincing than before.

He knocked on the bathroom door repeatedly, but there was no response.

The silence on the other side made his heart pound harder and harder against his chest. A growing sense of dread crawled through him. Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

His mind immediately went on high alert.

Without wasting another second, he rushed to retrieve the spare key. His hands trembled slightly as he unlocked the bathroom door and pushed it open.

The sight that greeted him drained the color from his face.

Sahara was completely submerged beneath the water.

She wasn't moving.

For a terrifying moment, his mind went blank.

Is she trying to kill herself?

The thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"P-Please, no..."

Fear seized him.

He hurried to the bathtub and pulled her from the water with frantic urgency. Water streamed from her body as he gathered her into his arms and carried her to their bed.

His pulse thundered in his ears.

As he laid her down, his gaze accidentally fell on the marks scattered across her skin—the painful reminders of everything that had happened between them earlier.

Guilt twisted inside him.

He immediately forced himself to look away and focused on her pale face instead.

"Sahara."

No response.

"Sahara!"

He gently slapped her cheeks, trying to wake her.

Nothing.

Panic surged through him.

He lowered his ear close to her nose and let out a shaky breath when he felt warm air brushing against his skin.

She was still breathing.

Thank God.

Relief washed over him, but it wasn't enough.

He continued calling her name, shaking her shoulders carefully.

"Sahara, wake up."

Still nothing.

His anxiety grew worse by the second.

Was she regretting everything that happened between them?

Was she so miserable that she wanted to disappear?

The questions clawed at his mind.

What would he tell her brothers if something happened to her?

What would he tell Quinn?

What would he tell his own mother, who adored Sahara like a daughter?

The mere thought made his stomach knot.

Just as he was beginning to panic completely, Sahara suddenly coughed.

Water spilled from her mouth as she gasped for air.

Her chest heaved violently.

"Sahara!"

Leaf immediately helped her sit upright and supported her trembling body.

She looked dazed and confused.

Her wet lashes fluttered as her unfocused eyes slowly found his face.

For a brief moment, all the anger, resentment, and frustration he carried disappeared.

Only relief remained.

Without thinking, he cupped her face in his hands.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his voice lower than before.

Sahara blinked at him in confusion.

"W-What happened?"

She stared at him, surprised by the concern she saw written all over his face.

Leaf released a heavy breath.

"You almost drowned in the bathtub."

His expression darkened.

"What were you thinking?"

The worry that had consumed him moments ago quickly transformed into irritation.

Sahara shook her head.

"I wasn't trying to do anything. I just closed my eyes while taking a bath."

She frowned, trying to remember.

"Then...I don't know. I must have fallen asleep."

Leaf clenched his jaw.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to be relieved or furious.

"You fell asleep?"

His voice rose.

"In a bathtub?"

Sahara lowered her gaze.

"I didn't mean to..."

"You could have died."

The words came out harsher than he intended.

"What would have happened if I hadn't checked on you?"

She remained silent.

"You almost gave me a heart attack, brat."

The nickname slipped from his lips naturally, just like it had years ago.

"I don't ever want this to happen again."

His voice softened slightly before he stood.

"Next time, don't close your eyes while you're in the bathtub. Be more careful."

He turned away, unwilling to let her see how shaken he actually was.

"Fix yourself."

Without another word, he headed toward the bedroom door.

"Leaf..."

His hand froze on the doorknob at the sound of her voice.

"Where are you going?" she asked, stopping him before he could leave.

It was only their first day as husband and wife, yet everything was already falling apart between them.

How was she supposed to make him fall in love with her when he could barely stand being in the same room with her?

Despite still feeling weak and exhausted, Sahara pushed herself up from the bed. She was worried about him despite everything that had happened.

Because no matter how much he hurt her, he was still the man she loved.

"Don't waste your strength," Leaf said without looking at her.

His voice was cold, but not as cold as the ache settling inside her chest.

"If that's what you want to know, I'll be sleeping in the guest room tonight."

The words hit her harder than she expected.

Without waiting for a response, he turned his back on her completely.

The bedroom door closed behind him.

Silence followed.

Sahara remained standing beside the bed, staring at the empty doorway.

Slowly, tears filled her eyes.

So, it hadn't been a dream after all.

She really had nearly drowned in the bathtub.

For a brief moment, when she had opened her eyes and seen the panic on his face, she had foolishly thought that maybe he cared. Maybe beneath all the anger and resentment, there was still a small place for her in his heart.

But she had been wrong.

If he cared even a little, why was he leaving her alone tonight?

Why was he choosing to sleep in another room?

She lowered her gaze as a tear slid down her cheek.

Did he truly not have even the smallest amount of affection for her?

Not even enough to stay beside her after what had happened?

The thought hurt more than she wanted to admit.

And for the first time since their marriage, Sahara wondered if loving Leaf Morgan had always been a battle she was destined to lose.