Chapter 4

Ivan continued, "Zac used his connections to force your hand, keeping you trapped for five whole years. In all that time, I thought about you every single day. How could I ever let anyone else into my heart?"

Hearing this made me feel utterly sick.

Back then, Johnson Folk Music was on the verge of bankruptcy. I was the one who worked day and night crafting instruments and pulling in investments to help her clear the crisis.

Yet coming out of Ivan's mouth, it suddenly turned into me using my resources to force her into marrying me.

And Abbie bought every word of it. A look of deep guilt washed over her face. "I'm so sorry, Ivan."

"No, you did nothing wrong."

Ivan got up, walked over to her side, and rested his hands on the back of her chair as he slowly leaned in. "Zac is the one at fault. Fortunately, we both made it through."

He gazed into her eyes, his breathing growing heavier as his eyes drifted down to her red lips. He lowered his head to press a kiss on them.

In a split second, Abbie's body went completely rigid. Almost out of pure instinct, she jerked her head to the side and dodged the kiss.

Ivan's lips brushed past her cheek, landing on thin air.

I froze.

I remembered how I had once pleaded with her with reddened eyes, "Abbie, all those guys out there have ulterior motives. I'm the only one who genuinely cares about you. Can you please just stay away from them?"

Had she remembered my words in her subconscious?

But I quickly shook my spectral head and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

How pathetic of me. I was already dead, yet here I was, letting my imagination run wild again.

How could she possibly care about anything I said? She was probably just unaccustomed to intimacy after being away from it for so long.

A shadow of annoyance flickered across Ivan's eyes, but he straightened up instantly and feigned an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I got ahead of myself. I forgot you're still technically Zac's wife."

"We terminated our contract."

When Abbie said those words, her thumb subconsciously rubbed against the inside of her right index finger.

It was bare now, leaving only a faded white mark from the ring she had worn for five years.

Ivan gasped, putting on a show of utter shock. "Really? Abbie, are you finally free?"

Yet I saw the hidden ecstasy and calculation gleam unmistakably in the corners of his eyes.

"Yeah, it's done." Abbie's voice sounded somewhat muffled.

Ivan grabbed her hand instantly, his voice trembling with excitement. "That's amazing! Abbie, you've suffered so much over these five years. This is cause for celebration. We have to mark the occasion!"

Abbie didn't share his excitement. "Forget it. It's no big deal."

"How is it not a big deal? I've waited five long years for this exact day!"

Ivan clutched her hand tightly, his thumb stroking the back of her hand in a suggestive manner.

He lowered his voice to a whisper heavy with intention. "Abbie, I've already booked a penthouse suite right here in this hotel. Let me make up for the five years we lost. What do you say?"

Abbie looked up at Ivan, who was standing right in front of her, and stayed silent for two seconds.

She didn't pull her hand back, nor did she say no. She simply gave a barely noticeable nod. "Okay."

The blood seemed to drain from my body all at once, leaving my spirit shivering from the cold.

Ten minutes later, dragged by that cursed binding force, I followed them into the luxury penthouse suite on the top floor.

With a click, the heavy door shut behind them.

Before the lights were even turned on, Ivan impatiently pinned Abbie right against the back of the door.

In the dark, his heavy breathing and the rustle of clothes felt like a dull, rusty knife slicing through my helpless soul inch by inch.

"Abbie, I missed you so much…" Ivan's voice was thick with desire.

He lowered his head, eagerly searching for her lips while sliding his hands down around her waist to pull down the zipper of her dress.

I squeezed my eyes shut in agony, while my spirit shook uncontrollably from the cold.

The woman I had loved for five years was finally going to belong entirely to someone else tonight.

Yet right in the split second before Ivan's lips could touch hers…