Chapter 2

Jaxon froze for a moment before he realized Yvonne was calling him.

He looked up and met her eyes.

The familiar warmth was gone from her beautiful eyes. All that remained was cold indifference and a hint of amusement.

She was just like she had been two years ago, when she never stayed with one man for long.

The intimacy and tenderness they had once shared had vanished in an instant.

Jaxon felt his heart clench. A dull ache spread through his chest.

He showed no sign of his pain, though. He quickly composed himself and walked over to them.

Yulian Spencer was already looking at suits.

While Yulian was distracted, Yvonne grabbed Jaxon by the wrist. Her voice was cold and low enough for only him to hear.

She warned, “Keep your mouth shut. If Yulian finds out about us, you can forget about making a living in Kingsport.”

Jaxon nodded. His smile never wavered.

He approached Yulian and began explaining the different fabrics and cuts with his usual professionalism.

His coworkers glanced at him with a mix of sympathy and barely concealed delight at his misfortune.

But Jaxon’s heart had gone numb long ago.

Everyone thought Yvonne had started treating him coldly only after she met Yulian.

That was not the case.

Yvonne had changed about two months ago.

After two years of staying faithful to him, she had started going to nightclubs again. She got involved with escorts and all kinds of young, handsome men.

Jaxon had grown used to her staying out all night. She would return the next morning with alcohol on her breath and the scent of some stranger’s cologne on her clothes.

Yulian was simply the first man she had brought to the store in front of him.

Yulian was not some rich young heir. He was not used to the attentive service that came with shopping at a luxury store.

When Jaxon stepped forward to adjust his tie, Yulian moved aside. “No need. I can do it myself.”

But after several attempts, he still could not get it right. The more he tried, the messier it became.

Yvonne watched his earnest but clumsy efforts and chuckled.

She stepped forward and reached for his tie. With practiced ease, she tied a perfect knot.

Then she tilted her head up slightly. Her breath brushed against his jaw. “You look good.”

Yulian’s ears and neck turned bright red. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he stood stiff as a board, too nervous to move.

Yvonne seemed to enjoy his embarrassment. She rose onto her toes and planted a gentle kiss on his reddened ear.

Jaxon stood beside them like a stone statue. He felt as if he might crumble into dust at any moment.

He supposed Yvonne had finally grown tired of him.

So love had an expiration date after all.

No one would indulge you or stay madly in love with you forever.

But when someone had once loved you so fiercely, only to stop without warning, the pain was almost unbearable.

He clenched his fists and forced himself to steady his breathing.

‘You’re a police officer,’ he thought. ‘Your job is to protect this city, not lose your composure over a woman.’

None of them noticed the paparazzi in the shadows who had captured the entire scene.

The next day, the photos made the gossip headlines.

[Yvonne Sawyer’s New Flame Steals the Spotlight as Jaxon Wilder Is Left in the Cold]

Jaxon had not even finished his shift when he received a call from Lily Watson, Yvonne’s mother.

“Jaxon, you need to come to our house right away. If you don’t, Yvonne’s father is going to beat her to death!”

Jaxon rushed to the Sawyer family home. When he arrived, he saw Yvonne on her knees at the entrance. Her silk dress was torn to shreds by the whip, and vivid streaks of blood stood out against her skin.

Bernard Sawyer, her father, stood nearby with a riding crop in his hand. His chest heaved with rage.

“You’re going to cut ties with all those lowlifes this instant and settle down with Jaxon, or I’ll beat you to death!”

Lily stood beside him and wiped away her tears. “Yvonne, Jaxon… Jaxon has suffered so much for you. Everyone in Kingsport knows how deeply he loves you. How can you treat him like this?”

But Yvonne held her head high and refused to give in. She even looked Bernard in the eye and challenged him.

“Then kill me! Even in death, I’ll still be with Yulian!”

Jaxon stared at her defiant figure.

For some reason, he remembered how she had stood up to Bernard the same way a year ago, all for his sake.

She had even gone without food for three whole days. Then she jumped from the second floor to escape and see him, even though she had sprained her ankle in the fall.

Back then, when he saw Yvonne covered in wounds, he had made a silent vow.

He promised himself that once the mission was over, he would tell Yvonne the truth. Then they would spend the rest of their lives together and never be apart.

This time, the scene was almost the same, but everything had changed.

His heart felt like ice.

He thought, ’Yvonne, you don’t have to die.

‘My mission will be over in less than a month.

‘When that day comes, I’ll disappear from your life for good.

‘You and Yulian can spend the rest of your lives together. You’ll never have to be apart.’