Chapter 8

"I have a meeting tonight to discuss a collaboration."

Finally finding a reason to speak with her, Connor blocked Anne in the living room as she came out for a glass of water.

For days, Anne had not only moved into the guest bedroom but also ignored him entirely. At the office, she only spoke to him when necessary for work. At home, she would shut herself in the study.

The investment they last negotiated was at the contract-signing stage. Connor seized the opportunity to start a conversation.

"Got it," Anne replied curtly, finishing her water without any unnecessary words before heading upstairs.

Connor, frustrated, followed her. Just as she was about to close the bedroom door, he reached out to stop it, slipping inside before she could react.

Pinning her against the door, he leaned in and bit her lip.

The sharp pain made Anne frown. "Connor, what are you doing?"

Connor did not know what had come over him.

Anne had ignored him for just a few days, yet it made him so restless that he could not sleep.

Because of his demanding job, Connor had begun showing early signs of arthritis in his neck.

To help him, Anne had learned massage techniques, massaging him every night. She even consulted a doctor friend and spent a lot on specially made patches.

Though Connor often showed frustration, Anne would still coax him into using them.

With things finally quiet, he found he could not adjust to the peace.

Connor stared at her pale, delicate face, his throat tightening. Unwilling to admit he could not sleep without holding her, he awkwardly said, "The patches you bought me are gone."

Suspicious, Anne replied, "Didn't you say you didn't like wearing them?"

"But my neck's been hurting a lot lately," said Connor, his tone self-assured.

He expected her to show concern.

Instead, she calmly said, "I'll send you the doctor's contact. You can buy them yourself from now on."

"But you've always bought them for me before."

"Connor, aren't you tired of this?" Anne pushed him away forcefully. "I'm busy. If you don't have time, you can ask Felicia."

Connor froze. "You're telling me to go to Felicia?"

"Yes." Anne did not hesitate.

Connor grabbed her shoulders tightly. "Anne, I'm your husband. Are you pushing me toward someone else?"

"Oh, you remember you're my husband now?"

Neither of them had brought up what had happened that day.

Even though she had met with Walter for lunch, Connor had taken Felicia to his company. Why should he be the one to back down?

Seeing the anger on her face, Connor suddenly pulled her into an embrace. "Anne, are you jealous?"

Anne froze.

Her reaction seemed to confirm it in Connor's eyes.

He smirked. "I told you, I won't betray you during our marriage."

"Anne, the doctor said Felicia's condition is improving. Just give me a little more time." This time, Connor gave a definite time frame. "In a month, I'll tell her the truth."

Held tightly in his arms, Anne could hear Connor's heartbeat. She momentarily lost focus.

In their younger days, whenever she did not do well on a test, Connor would hold her like this.

Back then, his scent was a clean, refreshing mint.

Instinctively, she took a light breath, but the mint was mixed with a sickly sweet orange scent. She never used a perfume with that fragrance.

Looking up at Connor, she asked, "Do you still love her?"

'Do you still love her?'

'Did you ever love me?'

Connor did not catch the subtext in her question.

His gaze wavered. "Anne, she disappeared because of me. I can't just abandon her."

Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, Connor felt a wave of panic. It was something he had been experiencing often lately.

He leaned in to kiss her.

Anne turned her face away. "You'll be late for your meeting."

"I'll be quick," he murmured, trailing kisses from the corner of her lips down to her neck.

Sensing her resistance, he bit her.

When she shoved him away forcefully, Connor glanced at the mark on her neck. Instead of getting angry, he simply followed her as she moved.

Anne grabbed a dress and went into the bathroom.

The door slammed shut in front of Connor's face.

He rubbed his nose with an amused glint in his eyes.

Leaning against the door, he waited for her, just like he used to wait for her after school years ago.

However, as those memories surfaced, his smile froze.

When he realized what he was doing, his expression darkened.

His mind drifted back to the scene abroad when he saw her in another man's arms, being kissed.