Chapter 2

Upon hearing Thomas' choked-up voice, I was immediately overcome with a looming sense of dread. However, no matter how I pressed him for answers, he continued speaking in riddles. In the end, he could only ask for my understanding.

"There are some things that I simply can't say. After all… there are some people that I can't afford to cross," he told me. "I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from, Mr. Young…"

"I don't understand!" I shouted, my anxiety getting the better of me. "I don't even know where my wife is! What on earth happened here?"

Thomas sighed repeatedly. Afterward, he apologized several times and hung up.

Feeling frustrated, I wandered through the enormous villa alone. I searched the entire building, but I couldn't find Gwen's bedroom anywhere. To make matters worse, even our wedding photos were nowhere to be seen.

The entire house was filled with Peyton's portraits and scenic photographs from her travels around the world. It was evident that my father had taken Peyton on countless trips during my time away.

Although I had been abroad for the last few years, I had never stopped thinking about my wife. Aside from sending her money and buying her gifts, I hadn't shown her nearly enough care.

The thought that she might have been mistreated while living alone with my family filled me with guilt and heartache. I immediately sent my assistant to a jewelry store and had him pick out an entire set of jewelry weighing more than a pound.

Gwen had always loved gold jewelry, but she'd never bought herself any for the sake of saving money. I was confident that she'd be delighted by the gift I had bought her.

I waited until late into the night before Gwen finally came home. The moment she saw me, tears streamed down her face.

"Theodore… you're finally back. Please don't leave me alone again…"

She buried her face in my chest and sobbed uncontrollably.

Even after seeing her in person, I still couldn't believe my eyes.

The woman I'd pampered for years had been reduced to a gaunt, haggard woman with a bald head. She reeked of garbage, and her body was painfully thin.

Every inch of her exposed skin was covered in bruises and scars. To make matters worse, even her voice had become hoarse and timid. It seemed as though she was living in constant fear.

My heart broke for her, but I was furious too.

"I'm home, honey. You don't have to be afraid anymore." I comforted her.

It took me some time before I finally managed to calm Gwen down. Just as I was about to open the box of gold jewelry I had bought for her, I heard the sound of high heels clicking on the floor.

Peyton strode through the front door with a face full of heavy makeup. She marched over to the box and opened it without any hesitation.

"My dear little brother, I can't believe you bought me such an expensive gift! Why didn't you give it to me at the airport earlier?" she exclaimed.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of the gold jewelry. Without even asking, she slipped one of the bracelets onto her wrist.

I snatched the bracelet back from her. "This is not for you. I bought it for my wife."

Peyton scoffed. "What's hers is practically mine!" she declared obnoxiously. "I'm sure she won't mind. Right, Gwen?"

The Gwendolyn I remembered was a sweet and kind woman. But despite her gentle nature, she had never been a pushover.

I expected her to give Peyton a sharp retort as she had always done. But to my surprise, she shrank back and bit her lip in fear.

"Peyton's right. What's mine is yours. If you like them, you can have them," she said meekly.

Gwen didn't even dare to come any closer to me. Instead, she grabbed a cloth and hurried over to Peyton. Then, she dropped to her knees in front of her and began wiping her shoes.

I was furious.

"What are you doing, honey?" I roared.

I pulled Gwen away from Peyton. But once she caught sight of Peyton's darkened expression, she started to tremble in fear.

Ignoring my protests, she hurriedly dropped back onto her knees and continued to clean Peyton's shoes. "It's okay, honey. Taking care of your family is what I'm supposed to do."

My heart shattered at the sight of Gwen behaving like a meek servant.

She was the kind of woman who used to complain for ages if there was so much as a chip in her manicure. But now, she wouldn't even voice a single complaint to me.

She looked incredibly frightened, and she seemed as if she would burst into tears at any given moment.

I couldn't take it any longer. Pulling Gwen firmly behind me, I shielded her with my body as I turned to face Peyton.