Chapter 2

The peace lasted until the afternoon, when it was shattered once again.

"Come to the study."

At 2:00 pm, Vanessa pushed open my bedroom door, dropped those words, and left.

When I entered the study, Dylan was curled up in the armchair by the window, playing on his phone. The moment he saw me, he deliberately nudged closer to Vanessa.

Vanessa sat upright behind her desk.

"I need you to sign the paperwork and transfer the deed to the lakefront mansion in Northridge to Dylan."

I looked down, my eyes skimming the address on the documents.

No. 17, Crestwood Park.

It was the first property we had chosen together before we got married. I vividly remembered that day, her fingers tightly interlaced with mine.

"Mason, this will be our home from now on," she said. "When we're old and gray, we'll sit out in the yard and soak up the sun together. Doesn't that sound nice?"

For that house, I personally oversaw eight months of renovations. I even planted climbing roses along the courtyard walls until they were completely covered.

But later on, every time Vanessa brought home a new lover, she would ruthlessly sever another bond we shared, casually giving away our memories to someone else.

In that brief moment of distraction, the tip of the pen nicked my index finger, and a tiny bead of blood welled up.

Vanessa, who had been leaning back in her chair, immediately bolted forward.

She caught my wrist, pulled my finger to her lips, and took that drop of blood into her mouth.

Then, she opened a drawer, found a Band-Aid, and kept her head down as she carefully wrapped it around my finger.

Even after it was on, she didn't let go right away.

Holding onto my fingertips, she pushed the document toward me. "Now that you're patched up, get this signed. Dylan loves the view over there. You barely ever go anyway, so just let him have it.

"It's just a house. Don't worry. You'll always be my husband," she assured me.

I looked down at the Band-Aid she had wrapped so carefully around my finger.

I picked up the pen again and signed my name without a second thought.

"There. Take it."

Dylan let out a soft chuckle by the window.

Without giving him so much as a glance, I turned to leave.

"Wait."

Vanessa reached out and caught me by the chin. "Are you sure you're not upset?"

She seemed to be searching my eyes for something.

Her jaw clenched tightly.

"You're getting more compliant these days. You'd better keep being this sensible," warned Vanessa.

"Unless there's anything else, I'm going back to bed to catch up on some sleep. I didn't rest well last night," I said.

She released me, and I walked toward the door without a second thought.

Just as I was about to step out, a woman's blazer was draped over my shoulders. Vanessa's hand lingered on my shoulder for a brief moment.

"The AC is freezing in here. Keep the blazer on. If you get sick, I'll be the one who has to deal with it."

She paused, then added, "The kitchen is making your favorite fish and chips tonight. I'll have dinner with you, so make sure you come downstairs."

"Got it."

I left the study with her blazer over my shoulders.

But as I passed the hallway, I took it off and casually draped it over the railing.

When I returned to my room, my phone lit up with a screenshot of a wire transfer from my mother-in-law, Evelyn Sinclair.

It was a cool 100 million dollars.

Right after, she sent another text message.

"Does my foolish daughter still think she's being considerate? And that she's the ultimate catch for a wife?"

I calmly replied, "Pretty much."