Chapter 5

Worried that Elena might get mistreated when she returned to Newshire, Anthony and Gianna had prepared a number of assets for her before she even arrived in the city.

Several of the Leone and the Shaw families' most important clients were part of her private portfolio, but she never made that information public.

Nodding, Elena replied, "I've made my decision."

Calvin clicked his tongue. "They're screwed for thinking you're a puppet they can control and push around."

After the dinner, Elena had just headed downstairs when she missed a step and nearly fell. Calvin swiftly grabbed her to keep her steady.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Once she regained her balance, she looked up and saw Henry exiting from a nearby private lounge with a group of people.

The atmosphere turned tense.

Henry's friends immediately made a ruckus.

"Oh, my. If it isn't Elena, Henry's wife. Don't tell me she actually found herself a new man. Look at them. They look pretty cozy with each other."

"Are you interested in foreigners, Elena? Guess you're looking for an international marriage next, huh?"

The more they spoke, the more deplorable their comments were.

"You know, with the way Henry looks, there's no way she doesn't lust after him. I bet she's gone mad with lust, so she's looking for other guys to satisfy her."

"What do you know? This just means she's bored with the local flavors and wants something exotic."

While the men were still mocking Elena, Henry stormed up to her and questioned angrily, "Who is he?"

"That's none of your business," Elena replied indifferently.

Henry grabbed her by the jaw. "You'd die without a man, wouldn't you, Elena?"

He was blatantly humiliating her.

Calvin quickly tried to explain, "You got the wrong idea. We're just—"

However, Elena lifted her head and cut Calvin off with a chuckle, saying, "That's right. At the end of the day, it's your fault for not fulfilling any of your duties as my legally wedded husband. What am I supposed to do if I don't find myself another man? Live like a widow instead?"

An awkward silence fell over the hallway. Even Henry's snarky friends had shut their mouths and were gawking in shock.

They knew full well just how devoted Elena had been to Henry the past few years. But now, she was openly admitting to being involved with another man.

Meanwhile, Henry's expression was so cold it could kill. "What did you say?"

With a brazen smirk, Elena said with crystal clear enunciation, "I said, since you're not keeping me satisfied, I've decided to seek satisfaction elsewhere. What's wrong with that?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Henry threw her over his shoulder and marched out of the building.

Elena squawked in alarm, but before she managed to struggle free of Henry, he'd stuffed her inside the car. It was a bulletproof SUV, and once the door closed, the atmosphere in the car was so still that it felt like a vacuum.

At the very next moment, Elena was pressed against the seat.

Sneering, Henry undid his tie while pressing the button to pull up the divider between the back seat and the front.

"You said I'm not keeping you satisfied, huh? I'll satisfy you this time."

"Henry! Have you gone mad?"

Elena barely managed to get the words out before Henry kissed her. It was the first true act of intimacy between them since the day they got married.

Henry's breath grew ragged and impatient. He thought he felt nothing for Elena, but the sweet taste of her lips and the warmth of her skin stirred up the instinctive desire he'd kept suppressed for years.

Elena's mind was a mess. Everything was spinning out of control.

Henry grabbed her by the waist and pinned her down against the back seat. Just then, his phone rang. Pausing, he frowned and checked his phone. After taking the call, he immediately tensed up in a panic.

"Irene has been taken to the ER?" he exclaimed.