Chapter 3

Jane felt her heart drop.

She was more than satisfied with this engagement. The last thing she wanted was for Mark to interfere.

But she didn’t dare clash with him head-on. Pretending not to notice his dark expression, she turned to Luther with a bright smile. “How about this weekend? Nick can bring gifts to Annie’s house first. Then the two families can have dinner together.”

Luther had just nodded when Lisa’s phone rang.

She answered quickly and stood up, giving the table a small apologetic gesture. “William? What’s wrong?”

Her voice softened instantly. Even her expression changed as she walked away, still on the phone.

Mark heard the name and glanced at her, a faint crease forming between his brows.

Jane muttered under her breath, “Busy as ever.”

Annie spoke gently, “When the families meet, Mark, you should come too.”

Mark nodded once. He wiped his hands with a napkin, stood up without another word, and strode toward the door.

Luther called after him, “Where are you going? You haven’t finished eating!”

“Mark!” Annie called too.

Only then did he pause and glance back. “It’s nothing. Go ahead and eat.”

When Lisa returned after hanging up, Mark was gone.

Annie’s eyes were red as she spoke. “Is Mark upset about the engagement? Is that why he left?”

Of course he was. The woman he’d never gotten over was about to marry his own brother. How could he not care?

Lisa’s chest tightened painfully. The dishes on the table blurred in front of her.

Nick spoke up. “Why would he be? Besides, my marriage isn’t his decision to make.”

One by one, the family began reassuring Annie.

Lisa waited until they finished. “Take your time. I’m heading out. Let me know the date once it’s set. I’ll prepare a gift.”

Annie looked at her gently, but there was unmistakable triumph in her eyes. “Thank you, Lisa.”

Lisa held her gaze for a few seconds, then turned and left.

—

There had been an issue with a set of data earlier, and her mind was still tangled in it. Instead of going home, she headed back to the institute.

One line of calculations wasn’t sitting right with her. Instinctively, she reached for her phone to call William.

A second later, she remembered. He’d already been transferred yesterday.

By the time she finished correcting the problem, it was nearly eleven.

The complicated formula still ran through her mind as she headed down the stairs. She missed a step and twisted her ankle.

Pain shot up her leg.

She limped the rest of the way down. The moment her foot touched the ground, it throbbed sharply.

There was no way she could walk home.

She hailed a cab instead.

After the wedding, Lisa and Mark lived at Skygarden Mansion. They only returned to the Powell family estate on weekends.

Skygarden was one of the most expensive developments in Harbor City. Every inch of land was worth a fortune. They lived in the villa section, quiet and secluded, with open views all around.

So when Mark stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, drink in hand, he spotted Lisa at the gate right away.

It was already close to midnight.

After resting along the way, the pain in Lisa’s ankle had dulled. She tested it carefully when she got out of the car and found she could still walk. Slowly, she made her way in. It was almost impossible to tell she’d twisted her ankle. She entered the yard and unlocked the door.

The moment she stepped inside, someone grabbed her wrist.

She was slammed back against the entryway.

Mark reeked of alcohol. Without saying a word, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Lisa pushed at him, but her hands were quickly pinned above her head.

The difference in strength between them was obvious.

In the end, she couldn’t fight him off.

She didn’t know how long it lasted before he finally pulled away.

Mark straightened and looked down at her.

Her hair was a mess, her eyes glossy from the kiss, but her gaze was cold.

He spoke at last, his voice low and magnetic, yet devoid of warmth. “Why are you back so late?”

Under his icy stare, it felt like her mouth was filled with bitter medicine. She couldn’t force out a single word.

Yes, the woman he loved was getting engaged. Of course he felt awful.

But why did he have to take it out on her? Why vent all his anger on her?

Lisa shoved him aside and stepped away. The moment she put weight on her foot, sharp pain shot through her ankle.

She sucked in a breath and staggered.

Mark immediately caught her by the waist. Concern crept into his voice. “What happened to your foot?”

Before she could react, the ground dropped away.

She cried out as he lifted her into his arms.

“You’re injured. Stop pushing yourself.”

His face was tight as he carried her into the bedroom.

He set her down, then turned and stepped out to take a call.

Lisa let out a long breath and gave a bitter smile.

She got off the bed slowly and made her way to the kitchen. She grabbed some ice, then went to the bathroom to look for a towel.

She was sure there were clean towels in the cabinet, but when she opened it, there were none. She searched everywhere and still couldn’t find one.

Enduring the pain, she finally wrapped the ice in an old towel and pressed it against her ankle.

The bedroom door was still open. A few minutes later, she heard a knock.

Mark came in with a doctor. “Check whether there’s any fracture.”

Thankfully, there wasn’t. Just a sprain. Ice, a medicated patch, and it would be mostly better by the next day.

After the doctor left, Mark’s phone rang again.

His voice softened instantly. “Annie… just now you—”

His footsteps moved farther away, his voice fading until she couldn’t hear him anymore.

Lisa understood.

So he’d been on the phone with Annie earlier too.

Something sharp stabbed into her chest.

Mark listened to the voice on the other end, eyes fixed on the bedroom door, and replied quietly, “Okay.”

The next day, Lisa spent the entire day at the research institute. When she finally stood up to leave, she realized her ankle was still sore.

She walked around slowly for a bit. Once it eased up, she drove home.

By the time she arrived, it was almost eleven.

After showering, Lisa got straight into bed. Her mind was a mess. She forced herself to close her eyes.

She had too much to do tomorrow.

Footsteps approached. Lisa didn’t move.

The mattress dipped beside her. A moment later, a burning-hot chest pressed against her back.

An arm slid around her shoulders. His hand traced down her arm and settled at her waist, fingers tightening around her slender frame.

Lisa caught his hand. “I don’t want to tonight.”

Mark frowned. “Your period? Isn’t it at the end of the month?”

“It’s not that.” Lisa closed her eyes. “I just don’t want to.”

“But I do.”