Chapter 6

Roxanne did not visit again over the next several days.

Fredrick remained alone in the hospital, quietly recovering.

The nurses occasionally gossiped about how attentive Roxanne was to Jaxon in the VIP room, catering to his every whim.

Fredrick listened without a word, his expression unreadable. His physical wounds slowly healed, but the emptiness in his chest only deepened, growing colder with each passing day.

On the day of his discharge, he took a taxi home.

As they passed an upscale club, he suddenly asked the driver to pull over. "Here's fine."

He stepped out and looked up at the club's glittering sign.

Roxanne often frequented places like that to entertain business associates, but Fredrick had never accompanied her. He had no taste for the noise or the empty pleasantries.

Yet today, for reasons he couldn't explain, he walked inside.

Lights flashed, and music thundered through the club. He found a quiet booth tucked away at the back and ordered a bottle of hard liquor.

He poured himself one glass after another, drinking each without hesitation.

The liquor burned down his throat and into his stomach, but he welcomed the pain. Perhaps it could numb his battered heart, if only for a moment. Nothing else had managed to ease the ache.

Even with his pale complexion and plain clothes, Fredrick was handsome enough to attract more than a few admiring glances as he drank alone.

Before long, a woman in a black evening gown and expensive jewelry approached with a drink in hand. "Hey, handsome. All alone? Mind if I buy you a drink? Maybe we could exchange numbers?"

Fredrick raised his bleary eyes toward her and parted his lips to answer.

Before he could speak, a familiar voice rang out, barely restrained fury evident in every word. "He's my husband. Get lost."

Roxanne had appeared out of nowhere. She stepped in front of Fredrick and fixed the woman with an icy glare, her imposing presence enough to make the atmosphere turn tense.

The woman clearly recognized her. Her expression changed instantly. "I'm sorry, Ms. Duranov! I had no idea he was your husband! I'll leave right away!"

She hurried off, nearly tripping over herself in her haste.

Roxanne turned toward Fredrick. The moment she saw his unfocused, drunken gaze, her anger erupted.

"Fredrick! What are you doing in a place like this? And why are you drinking so much? If I hadn't shown up, were you planning to give that woman your number? Have you forgotten that you're my husband?" she demanded.

Fredrick stared at her furious face and let out a low, bitter laugh, his voice thick with alcohol and mockery.

"Husband?" He repeated the word as though it were the funniest thing he had ever heard. "Not for much longer."

Roxanne didn't quite catch his words. "What did you say?"

"Roxy!" Jaxon's voice interrupted them.

He came up beside Roxanne and affectionately linked his arm through hers. Only then did he seem to notice Fredrick.

"Oh, Freddy's here too? What a coincidence!" He turned to Roxanne with a smile. "Since we've run into him, why don't we invite Freddy to hang out with us in our private room? Didn't you say you wanted us to get along?"

Roxanne frowned and glanced at Fredrick, clearly hesitant.

Before she could respond, Jaxon seized Fredrick's arm. His grip was surprisingly strong. "Come on, Freddy. The more, the merrier!"

The alcohol had already gone to Fredrick's head. He tried to pull away, but Jaxon wouldn't let go. Instead, he practically dragged Fredrick into their private room.

The room was crowded with guests, most of whom belonged to Roxanne's social circle. Several young men were also present.

When everyone saw Roxanne enter with both Jaxon and Fredrick, the conversations briefly faltered. An awkward silence settled over the room.

Jaxon, however, remained cheerful. "Don't stop on our account, everyone! Freddy's joining us!"

Someone soon suggested a game of Truth or Dare.

Jaxon lost the very first round. His dare was to approach a strange woman and persuade her to give him her necklace.

Roxanne immediately frowned and grabbed his arm. "Jax, don't. I'll drink the penalty for you."

Jaxon laughed and gently freed himself from her grip. "It's just a game. I can handle a little punishment. Don't get jealous, Roxy."

He gave her a quick kiss before leaving the room.

Roxanne's expression darkened as she watched him go, her gaze fixed on the door.

Before long, Jaxon returned with a necklace in his hand and a triumphant grin on his face.

However, a visibly intoxicated woman had followed him inside. Her eyes lingered on Jaxon as she approached. "Handsome, I gave you my necklace. Surely one kiss isn't too much to ask?"

She leaned forward to kiss him.

"Do you have a death wish?!"

Roxanne's furious roar silenced the entire room.

She sprang from the sofa, seized a bottle from the table, and smashed it against the woman's head without hesitation.

Glass shattered. The woman screamed as blood gushed from her scalp.

But Roxanne wasn't finished. She kicked the woman to the floor and continued attacking her, punching and kicking her repeatedly in a vicious frenzy.

Jaxon panicked when he saw the woman collapse in a pool of blood. He rushed forward and desperately pulled Roxanne away. "Roxy, stop! You're going to kill her!"

Only then did she stop.

Her chest heaved with exertion, and fury still burned in her eyes. She cast a brief glance at the woman, who lay crumpled and bloodied on the floor, before turning to Jaxon, who was visibly shaken.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. "We're leaving."

Jaxon hesitated. "Roxy, your husband's still here."

Roxanne stopped midstep and glanced back at Fredrick, who remained silent in the corner.

A complicated emotion flickered across her face.

But ultimately, her concern for Jaxon outweighed everything else. "He can get himself home."

With those words, she slipped an arm around Jaxon and escorted him out without another glance.

She left behind a room in chaos and, in a forgotten corner, the man who was still her husband in name.

No one knew how much time had passed before the battered woman on the floor finally stirred.

Barely conscious, she struggled to her feet and swayed unsteadily.

Blood covered her face, and hatred blazed in her eyes. She swept her gaze across the room until it settled on Fredrick.

"So... you're her husband." She staggered toward him, a strange, broken laugh escaping her throat. "That bitch nearly beat me to death over some man. Fine. Then I'll kill her husband instead. An eye for an eye."

She snatched an empty whiskey bottle from the nearby table and swung it at Fredrick's head with all her strength.