Se connecterRyan: Who was the man who answered your phone yesterday?
Emily stared at the short message, unable to move.
"Why...?"
Ryan was the one who had cheated on her.
And Emily was the one who had told him she wanted a divorce.
So why was he so obsessed with Alexander?
Why did the possibility of another man in her life seem to bother him more than the pain he'd caused her?
"You don't need to reply," Alexander said calmly.
"But p
Ryan: Who was the man who answered your phone yesterday?Emily stared at the short message, unable to move."Why...?"Ryan was the one who had cheated on her.And Emily was the one who had told him she wanted a divorce.So why was he so obsessed with Alexander?Why did the possibility of another man in her life seem to bother him more than the pain he'd caused her?"You don't need to reply," Alexander said calmly."But please don't delete that message. Keep it along with the others.""...All right."Emily slipped her phone into her handbag.Her fingers were still trembling slightly.She wished she could simply turn off her phone and forget Ryan existed, even for a few hours.But she knew the problems waiting for her wouldn't disappear that easily."Emily."Alexander spoke gently."There's something I'd like to discuss with you.""What is it?"
"Emily, sweetheart! We've got a serious problem! Your husband just showed up at the café again!"The panic in Robert's voice made Emily's face go pale."What...?""It's not bad enough to call the police this time, but he keeps demanding to see you. He just won't take no for an answer!"Emily felt her stomach tighten.Ryan had gone to the café again.Even after everything that had happened yesterday, he was still causing trouble for the people she worked with."Robert, I'm so sorry...""Now why on earth are you apologizing?"Robert's voice turned sharp."That awful man is the one causing trouble, not you!"Emily couldn't find the words to respond.She knew Robert was right.And yet, apologizing had become almost automatic.Whenever something went wrong, she instinctively assumed she was somehow responsible.It was a habit she'd developed without even realizing it.
As they entered the shopping mall, Emily looked around at the stores lining the spacious corridors.It had been a long time since she'd gone shopping without worrying about how quickly she needed to get home."Which store would you like to visit?" Alexander asked.Emily gave him a slightly embarrassed smile."Well... I don't usually spend much money on clothes."During the day, she worked at the café.At night, she worked at a restaurant.With two jobs and a household to support, she'd always chosen clothes based on comfort and practicality rather than fashion.There had never been much room in her budget for anything else."In that case..."Alexander looked around and spotted a clothing store nearby."Why don't we try that one?"Emily followed his gaze.To her surprise, it was a familiar store she'd shopped at several times before."Oh, I know this place!"She smiled with
"...You're Mrs. Carter, aren't you?"Emily stopped at the sound of a woman's voice behind her.She turned around.A woman who appeared to be in her early thirties stood a few steps away, looking pleasantly surprised."Oh..."Emily recognized her face.But from where?She searched her memory, trying to place the woman.Then she remembered.They'd met once at a company gathering Ryan had taken her to, back when he was still working."It's been a while," Emily said politely."I knew it was you!"The woman broke into a cheerful smile."I'm Sarah Collins. I worked in the same department as your husband. We met once at a company event, remember?""Yes, of course. It's nice to see you again."Emily returned her smile, though she couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.Of all the people she could have run into today, she'd never expected to meet someone connected to Ryan.After they exchanged greetings, Sarah's gaze shifted to the man standing beside Emily."And this gentleman is...?"Emily he
"Sorry about that."Alexander ended his phone call and returned to Emily with his usual gentle expression."Thank you for waiting.""Was that about work?" Emily asked."Yes, just a small matter."He offered no further explanation.Emily didn't press him. Whatever the call had been about, she assumed it was something related to his business."Well then, shall we go?""Yes."They stepped out of the suite into the quiet hallway.There wasn't another person in sight.Emily remembered what Alexander had told her earlier that morning. He had reserved the entire floor to make sure she could stay there safely.Even knowing that, the silence still felt extraordinary.The hotel manager was waiting beside the elevator."Good morning, Mr. Sterling.""Good morning."The manager turned to Emily and bowed politely."Good morning, Ms. Carter. How are you feeling today?""I'm much better now. Thank you."The manager smiled with visible relief."Please don't hesitate to let us know if there's anything
Ryan: I'm throwing out every last thing you left at home.Emily stared at the message, her breath catching in her throat."My things..."Her clothes.The uniform she wore to work.The jewelry her mother had left her.The dishes she'd collected little by little over the years.Everything she owned was still in that apartment.Some of those things could be replaced. Others couldn't."They're all still at home..." she whispered.Alexander noticed the distress on her face and glanced at the message."You don't need to reply.""But what if he really throws everything away?""Then we'll deal with it when the time comes," Alexander said calmly. "Your husband is clearly acting out of anger. It's possible he's only saying this to frighten you."Emily tightened her grip on her phone."But I have things my mother left me."Alexander's expression grew slightly more serious."Then those are things we should make sure you get back."Emily nodded."Yes...""All right. Let's work with that in mind."







