Chapter 4

"William. I..." I pulled my hand out of his grip.

"You miss me, don't you?" He tried to kiss me.

I immediately screamed.

"Bravo, Alana. It's only been five minutes and I find you with this bastard."

James! Oh goodness! He definitely got the wrong idea.

"James! It's not what it looks like!" I panicked, stepping back away from William, who now stood frozen in place.

James stepped forward carrying an overwhelmingly intimidating aura. His jaw clenched tightly, and his pitch-black eyes flashed with explosive fury. He didn't glance at me at all; his deadly glare was locked fully on William.

"James, listen to me first—"

Without warning, James grabbed William's shirt collar and slammed him violently against the large pillar.

Thud!!

"I told you to never show your face in front of my wife again, you bastard," James hissed in a low, dangerously calm voice. His strength pinned William completely helpless, making the man's face turn instantly pale.

I covered my mouth tightly, my heart hammering against my chest watching the scene unfold before me. This cold man truly looked like a monster ready to tear his enemy apart.

"James, stop it! Don't make a scene here!" I whispered in half-panic, gathering the courage to touch James's tense, muscular arm.

James intimidated William once more. "If it weren't for my wife, you'd be tasting my fist today!"

I felt touched by his gesture. However, his next words left me feeling utterly annoyed.

"That doesn't mean I forgive you, Alana."

James released his grip on William's collar roughly, leaving the man coughing while clutching his neck. William gave James a terrified look, then hurriedly took off down the hallway, vanishing from our sight.

Now, it was just me and James in the quiet hallway.

A cold aura shrouded his body once more as he turned to face me. The eyes that had been filled with wild fury just moments ago returned to a flat, unreadable, yet pressure-heavy gaze.

I swallowed hard, trying to meet his eyes even though my heart was still pounding. "James, I really didn't have plans to meet him. He suddenly pulled me over here."

James didn't answer right away. He stepped closer, erasing the space between us until his shadow completely enveloped me.

"Do you think I'll just believe that?" he whispered coldly, curling his lips into a heart-piercing sneer. "We're going back to the dining table now. Don't make Grandmother wait any longer."

Without waiting for my reply, he grabbed my wrist—his grip tight and possessive this time, as if ensuring I couldn't turn away or take a single step away from his side.

Grandmother welcomed us upon our return. "I thought you two needed some time for a second honeymoon. James, schedule an appointment with the doctor soon. I want to meet my great-grandchild as soon as possible."

I choked on my own saliva at Grandmother's words. ‘Great-grandchild?! Grandmother, our relationship was almost wrecked by an affair storm two minutes ago near the restroom!’

James, who was still holding my hand under the table, showed no sign of surprise whatsoever. His face remained flat and calm, as though he were accustomed to the old lady's pressure. However, I could feel his fingers locking around mine even tighter, applying a subtle pressure meant only for me to feel.

"We're working on it, Grandmother," James replied casually, his voice sounding so persuasive that if I didn't know his true nature, I might have believed him. He turned to look at me, flashing a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes at all. "In fact, Alana was very enthusiastic about asking me about the checkup earlier this afternoon. Right, Honey?"

‘Honey?! Damn it, this man is ridiculously good at acting!’

My cheeks suddenly flushed hot under the joint gaze of Grandmother and James. I forced my lips into a sweet smile—or rather, a restrained, awkward grin.

"A-ah... yes, Grandmother," I stammered, trying to save face in front of Grandmother. "We will definitely see the doctor soon."

Grandmother chuckled heartily, looking extremely satisfied with my response. "Splendid, then! Grandmother is delighted to see you two getting along so well."

Behind the formal smile I put on for James's family, I nudged James's waist gently with my left elbow. James merely tilted his head slightly, returning the favor with a playful gaze that seemed to say, 'You started this game, Alana.'

Once we were on the way home, I protested his little performance in front of his grandmother.

"I thought you didn't like me, Mr. James?"

The man instead rested his hand on my thigh. "What did you say, Honey?"

I glanced at the driver in front of us. "Stop it! There's someone else here."

"He won't look at us. He's focused on his job."

The touch of his fingers over the fabric of my long skirt felt scorching, sending a jolt of heat that instantly tensed every nerve in my body. This man was completely unpredictable—switching from a cold, intimidating husband in front of his enemy to a dominant figure testing the limits of my patience inside the car.

"James, seriously..." I whispered in a half-muffled voice, attempting to move his large hand away from my thigh. But instead of releasing me, his fingers gently tightened, holding my movements without any effort.

He leaned back into the plush leather seat of the luxury car, completely relaxed. His dark, night-like eyes stared intently at me under the dim streetlights filtering through the car windows.

"Why? Isn't this what you wanted when you asked me to accompany you to the fertility doctor?" he whispered close to my ear, his tone calm yet laced with dangerous temptation. "I'm merely playing my role as a 'very enthusiastic' husband, just like you displayed in front of Grandmother earlier."

I gritted my teeth, cursing my own lips for running wild back in the dining room. The driver in front indeed kept his eyes straight on the road without glancing back even once, but the transparent partition in the car still had me scared out of my wits.

"That's because you started it first!" I retorted in a hushed whisper, glaring at him fiercely. "Besides, who called me 'Honey' in front of Grandmother? You're taking your acting way too far, Mr. James!"

James chuckled softly—a low sound that felt absurdly sexy inside the quiet cabin of the car.

"Who said I was just acting?" he teased, his fingers slowly and gently stroking the fabric of the skirt over my thigh, causing my breath to hitch.

***