Chapter Four

Edward's office door closed firmly behind us, shutting out the noise from the Turner Group hallway.

Edward's words about “celebrating the victory” still echoed in my ears.

But instead of touching me, he walked over to his desk, poured his golden liquor into two small crystal glasses, and handed one to me.

“To your first victory, Mrs. Turner,” Edward said quietly, tapping his glass against mine with a soft clink.

I took a small sip. Warmth immediately spread down my throat.

“Thank you for standing up for me in front of the board.”

“I wasn't standing up for you, Allana,” Edward replied, leaning against the edge of his desk as he looked straight at me. “I'm simply protecting the company's most valuable asset right now. Your design is the main reason Turner Group's stock has surged.”

I smiled faintly.

His words brought me back to the reality of who I truly was.

I wasn't the daughter of some billionaire.

I hadn't been born with a silver spoon in my mouth like James or Rose.

Both of my parents died in an accident when I was still a teenager. From that moment on, I grew up alone as an orphan with only two things to rely on: my intelligence and my hard work.

I fought to earn a full scholarship to one of the best architecture programs, passed Turner Group's rigorous selection process purely on the strength of my own design portfolio, and eventually earned a position as the company's lead designer.

James approached me two years ago not because he truly loved me, but because he realized my talent was what could secure his position in Edward's eyes.

And once he was finished using me, he discarded me as though I were worthless.

“What are you thinking about?”

Edward's low voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Just remembering how James approached me in the beginning,” I answered honestly, staring down at the glass in my hand. “He thought that because I had no family and no one to protect me, I would be easy to walk all over.”

Edward didn't answer immediately.

He placed his glass on the desk before stepping closer until he stood directly in front of me.

His hand rose, his thumb gently brushing the corner of my eye.

“You're not alone anymore, Allana,” Edward whispered, his eyes gazing into mine with an intensity that was difficult to read. “Anyone who intends to trample you now will have to get through me first.”

The protective edge in his touch and voice sent a powerful flutter through my chest.

But my attention suddenly shifted when I noticed a small silver-framed photograph partially hidden behind a stack of documents on Edward's desk.

The photograph showed a young woman in a white dress, standing in a garden with a gentle smile.

Her face looked strangely familiar.

But what made my heart beat faster was the faint handwriting at the bottom corner of the photograph.

Emmily.

“Who is she?” I asked instinctively, pointing at the photograph.

Edward's expression changed instantly.

The warmth that had just filled the room vanished without a trace.

His gray eyes turned cold again, distant and untouchable.

With a quick, rigid movement, Edward picked up the photograph, placed it inside the desk drawer, and locked it.

“That's none of your business, Allana,” Edward said coldly.

His voice had become rigid, like an impenetrable wall of ice.

“I'm your wife now, Edward,” I replied, holding back the curiosity churning inside me. “Is she the reason you hate James so much? Or the reason you raised him?”

Edward stepped forward, trapping me between the desk and his solid chest.

His warm breath brushed against the skin of my neck as he lowered his face close to mine.

“Our marriage is a business and revenge arrangement,” Edward whispered, staring directly into my eyes with a dark, commanding presence.

“Never dare dig into my past, or you'll regret the decision you made when you signed those documents.”

I swallowed, feeling the tension burning between us.

Instead of frightening me, his warning only made me more certain that a much bigger secret was buried within the Turner family.

Before I could respond, the office door was suddenly knocked on hard from outside.

Edward's secretary stepped inside, his face deathly pale.

“Mr. Edward!” the secretary exclaimed in panic.

“James just called an emergency press conference outside the building! He's brought documents accusing you of asset embezzlement and has exposed your relationship with Mrs. Allana to the media!”