Chapter Two

Edward's fingers still left a lingering warmth along my jaw when he finally pulled his hand away. The faint smile that had appeared on his lips disappeared as quickly as it had come, replaced by a rigid expression of complete control.

“We're going back to the mansion now,” Edward said.

His voice had turned cold again, as though the heated teasing from moments ago had merely been a figment of my imagination.

He straightened the buttons of his suit before gesturing for me to walk ahead of him.

I swallowed, trying to calm my still-racing heartbeat before stepping out of the office.

The drive to the mansion passed in suffocating silence.

Edward was busy staring at the screen of his tablet, while I chose to look out the window.

My status had officially changed.

I was no longer the woman James had thrown out of a cheap apartment.

I was now the wife of the head of the Turner family.

The black car finally came to a stop in front of the main courtyard of the Turner family mansion. The house stood majestically, its grand facade lined with massive pillars.

The moment the front door opened, laughter immediately greeted us.

In the spacious living room, James sat on the sofa beside a woman in a tight red dress—Rose.

Two half-filled champagne glasses sat on the table in front of them, gently swaying as they celebrated their victory.

The victory of stealing my work.

“You should've seen Allana's face last night, darling,” Rose said with a coy laugh, her hand stroking James's arm. “She looked like a beggar when you threw her suitcase out the door.”

James chuckled as he took a sip of his drink.

“She actually thought she could keep that project on her own? She's nobody without the Turner name behind her.”

My hand clenched at my side, my nails digging into my palm.

My blood boiled at every word that came out of that bastard's mouth.

But before I could take another step, a large, warm hand wrapped firmly around my waist.

I turned in surprise.

Edward was already standing beside me.

He pulled me closer without hesitation, closing the distance between us. The way his hand held my waist and the way he positioned his body beside mine made his dominance and possessiveness unmistakable.

“What exactly are you celebrating in my house?” Edward's voice rang through the room, calm but powerful enough to silence the laughter instantly.

James and Rose jolted in shock.

The glass in James's hand nearly slipped from his fingers.

My former boyfriend's eyes widened when he saw Edward standing in the entrance.

But his shock quickly turned into fury when his gaze shifted toward me—and then to Edward's possessive arm wrapped around my waist.

“Allana?!”

James shot to his feet, his face turning crimson.

“Why the hell is this woman here?! And Dad... why are you holding her like that?!”

Rose stood as well, disbelief written across her face as she looked me up and down as though I were nothing more than dirt beneath her shoes.

Edward didn't loosen his hold on my waist.

Instead, he pulled me even closer to his side and stepped forward, taking me with him.

“Watch your language, James,” Edward warned.

His voice was dangerously low, yet heavy enough to make the entire room feel suffocating.

“You're speaking to Mrs. Turner.”

James let out a cynical laugh, clearly unable to process what he had just heard.

“What do you mean, Dad?! Mrs. Turner?!” He pointed at me. “I threw this useless woman out last night! She was only taking advantage of our family name!”

“She took advantage of no one,” Edward cut in flatly.

“She signed the marriage documents with me an hour ago. Legally and publicly, Allana is my wife.”

The words hit the room like a bomb.

Rose covered her mouth, her eyes widening in disbelief.

James, meanwhile, stood completely frozen.

The redness drained from his face, leaving him deathly pale.

“M-Married?!”

James's eyes widened as he pointed at me with a trembling finger.

“Are you insane, Dad?! She's my ex-girlfriend! She's just some cheap woman trying to get revenge on me! Why would you marry someone like her?!”

SLAP!

The sharp sound of the slap echoed throughout the living room.

Rose let out a small scream.

James staggered sideways, clutching his cheek, which had already turned bright red.

It wasn't Edward who had slapped him.

It was me.

I stepped forward and swung my hand across that bastard's face with all the strength I had.

“Shut your mouth, James,” I said breathlessly, glaring at him with undisguised hatred. “You're the one who stole my project design and sold it to the board. Don't you ever call me cheap when you're nothing but a thief yourself!”

“You... bitch!”

James snarled furiously, raising his hand as if to slap me back.

But before his fingers could reach me, Edward was already standing between us.

With one swift, controlled movement, Edward caught James's wrist in midair.

His grip was so strong that the bones seemed to grind beneath his fingers.

James winced in pain, his body forced to bend as he struggled against the burning sensation in his wrist.

“You dare touch my wife in front of me, James?”

Edward whispered the words directly into James's face.

The gray of his eyes had darkened, a dangerous glint in them sending a chill down my spine.

“D-Dad... let go... it hurts!” James groaned, cold sweat beginning to bead along his temples.

“From this moment on, all your credit cards, car privileges, and access to the Turner family accounts are suspended,” Edward said coldly, without loosening his grip.

“You're also forbidden from setting foot in the office until you submit a proper financial report for the project.”

“Dad, you can't do this to me just because of this woman!” James shouted in frustration.

Edward's lips curled into a frightening, rigid smile before he released James's wrist with enough force to send him stumbling back onto the sofa.

“I can, James.”

His voice was quiet.

“Because in this house and in that company, I am the law.”

He then turned toward me.

The icy look in his eyes softened instantly as he placed an arm around my shoulders again.

“Go to the master bedroom, Allana,” Edward said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“Starting tonight, you're sleeping in my room.”

James stared at the two of us, breathing heavily, his eyes filled with raw resentment.

Rose stood beside him, trembling without daring to utter another word.

Edward guided me up the stairs toward the second floor.

As my foot touched the first step, I glanced back.

Seeing James sitting there helplessly, clutching his reddened cheek, filled my chest with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

But when we reached the large master bedroom, Edward suddenly stopped.

He released his arm from my shoulders and turned to face me.

“You were quite bold downstairs,” Edward said, his eyes roaming over my face.

“I was only taking back what was mine,” I replied firmly.

Edward stepped closer, trapping me between the bedroom door and his solid chest.

His warm breath brushed across my forehead as he lowered his head.

“I like your courage,” he whispered, his fingers gently stroking my warm cheek.

“But remember, Allana... what happened downstairs was only the beginning. James won't sit quietly after this.”

Edward leaned closer to my ear.

His next words sent a shiver down my spine.

“And in this room... you need to be ready to pay the price for it.”