Chapter 3

Through the surveillance feed, Alvina watched Eden and Wendy enter the study one after the other.

They had just screwed each other at noon, and by night, they were already desperate for more…

What an addiction.

Wendy was wearing a trench coat.

At first glance, nothing seemed wrong.

But once she stood in front of Eden and removed the coat, everything beneath was laid bare.

The two stood together as Wendy took a long silk ribbon and covered Eden’s eyes with it.

But what happened next left Alvina stunned.

Eden picked up a bottle of perfume and sprayed it over Wendy.

Alvina knew that perfume better than anyone. It was the perfume she made herself, the one she usually wore.

She had a habit of making several bottles of the same scent and keeping them around the house as backups.

She never expected Eden to take that bottle and spray it on Wendy.

What was he trying to do?

Their conversation soon gave her the answer.

Wendy hooked one arm around Eden’s neck while her other hand slid across his chest.

“If we keep doing this, what happens if Alvina finds out?”

The man looked utterly fearless. “So, what if she does? I’m not cheating. I’m undergoing treatment.”

Eden pinched Wendy’s chin.

“I’m blindfolded, breathing in her scent, and imagining you as her. Everything I’m doing is to recover as soon as possible. She’s the one who failed as a wife. She can’t satisfy me, so I have no choice but to let you take her place.”

“That may be true, but women can be petty. Even if you’re only letting me use my hands, I’m afraid she still wouldn’t be able to accept it if she found out…”

“She’ll understand. And even if she doesn’t, I’ll just coax her a little.”

His careless tone was filled with complete confidence.

“You have no idea how much she loves me. Do you know why she won against all those other women back then? Because when the others were rejected, they gave up.

“But her? No matter how many times I turned her down, she always came crawling back.

“If you spent two years begging for someone before finally getting them, would you be willing to let go so easily? She’ll never leave me in this lifetime. She’s hopelessly in love with me.”

Only at that moment did Alvina finally understand.

The courage she once poured into loving him was nothing more than pathetic devotion in Eden’s eyes.

The relationship she treasured so deeply became a trophy he flaunted in front of another woman.

Alvina began to laugh, her eyes bright with tears, both ridiculous and pitiful.

She sat there for a long time, motionless, her entire body stiff and cold.

Whatever the two of them said after that, she could no longer hear a word.

Her stomach churned violently.

When she saw Wendy kneel in front of Eden, as if she were a dog, Alvina could not take it anymore. She rushed into the bathroom and threw up.

…

It was a long, cold night, longer than the past six years had ever felt.

In the morning, Alvina came downstairs and found Eden and Wendy sitting in the dining room, eating breakfast.

The two of them were chatting and laughing. Perhaps because they enjoyed themselves so thoroughly the night before, both of them looked rather refreshed.

Alvina had no appetite. She threw up badly the night before, and now, just seeing them again made nausea rise in her stomach.

When Eden saw that she had no intention of coming over for breakfast, he frowned. “You’re not eating?”

“No.”

“Where are you going?”

“To work.”

The image of that little toy from yesterday suddenly flashed through Eden’s mind.

His expression darkened.

“Shut down that studio of yours. If you want to play around with perfumes, you can do it at home. There’s no need to go out and make yourself so visible.”

In Eden’s eyes, Alvina’s so-called dream was nothing but a waste of time.

He never took it seriously.

Alvina’s gaze turned icy, sharp as a frost-covered blade. “That is my work, not a game.”

“Do you even need to work? Am I unable to support you?”

“Then why don’t you tell Dr. Warren to shut down her own practice and focus solely on being your personal psychologist? It’s not as if you can’t afford to hire her.”

Eden frowned, then a mocking curve tugged at the corner of his lips.

“You’re comparing yourself to Dr. Warren? She’s a respected psychologist in her field. She has won countless awards. Her name alone commands admiration at any academic conference.”

That admiring tone quickly turned dismissive.

“And what do you have? Your shabby little studio barely gets two or three clients a month. If you weren’t associated with me, who would even know your name?”

Wendy had been watching from the sidelines.

At that moment, she finally stepped in, pretending to speak up for Alvina.

She sounded as though she was defending Alvina, but the gloating in her eyes was impossible to hide.

“Eden, how can you discourage Alvina like that? She may not have made a name for herself yet, but maybe her chance just hasn’t come.”

Eden let out a soft scoff.

“With those obscure, second-rate perfumes she makes? She thinks she’s going to make a name for herself? Something only has value when people are willing to pay for it. If no one wants it, then she’s just playing around.”

Alvina stared at Eden’s face and suddenly found him terribly unfamiliar.

Perhaps he had not changed.

Perhaps she finally stopped looking at him through a filter.

When a person was in love, even flaws could seem like virtues.

But once the illusion began to fall away, the people around them finally revealed what they truly were.

A mocking curve lifted Alvina’s lips.

She did not bother criticizing Eden for belittling her.

What was the point of arguing?

Making him choke on his own words would be the strongest counterattack.

“As long as I’m enjoying myself, no one has the right to interfere.”

Alvina paused, then added, “Besides, they say a man who wrongs his wife invites ruin into his own life. Eden, I’d advise you to be more careful with your words.”

After leaving those calm words behind, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Eden watched her figure gradually disappear, an indescribable frustration tightening in his chest.

Back then, Alvina was the one who pursued him first. Over the years, he grew used to her obedience, tolerance, and compromise.

But over the past two days, she became like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, slipping further and further out of his control.

Eden did not like that feeling.

He could not figure out why Alvina’s temperament changed so suddenly.

The image of that little sex toy flashed through his mind again.

Could she have someone else outside?

With a dark expression, he walked out of the dining room and called his assistant.

“Arrange for two men to keep a close watch on my wife at all times. No man is allowed to come into contact with her. If any strange man enters her studio, stop him immediately.”

“Yes, Mr. Gray.”

After he hung up, the worry on Eden’s face did not fade.

His eyes were filled with a fierce possessiveness.

“Alvina, I will never allow anyone to touch you, and I will never allow anyone to take you away from me.”

Over the next few days, perhaps because they were both busy with work, Alvina and Eden rarely saw each other.

So, when they finally met again, he quickly noticed that the perfume on her had changed.

Eden came back from a business dinner that night after having a few drinks.

The moment he entered the bedroom, he saw Alvina standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in a seductive silk nightgown.

Moonlight spilled over her, outlining the faint, graceful curves of her body.

Her collarbones, shoulders, and the dip of her waist looked as if they had been carved with painstaking care.

Eden’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

He walked straight toward her.

Just then, a breeze brushed past, carrying an unfamiliar scent toward him.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind. “You changed your perfume?”

“Mmm.”

“Can we… try tonight?”

Desire stirred restlessly inside him.

At that moment, he truly wanted her.

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe she was simply too captivating.

Either way, he wanted her.

Alvina slowly rose onto her toes and breathed softly against his ear. “Sorry. My period started.”

It was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

Eden immediately lost interest.

After saying that, Alvina went into the bathroom.

By the time she came out again, Eden was already gone.

Her gaze swept toward a certain spot, and a cold, calculating glint rose in her eyes.

Then she picked up her phone and opened the surveillance feed.

When she saw Wendy enter the study, a mocking smile spread across her lips.

The show was about to begin.