LOGINGrace took far too long to get out of the car. Meanwhile, the flames were already spreading through every room of the house. She stared at the horrific scene, knowing deep down that this was no accident. No one had to tell her that the fire was intentional.Firefighters fought the blaze. She stepped out of the vehicle, and the scent of smoke hit her nostrils, clinging to her skin, hair, and clothes. The wind carried away the ashes of a house that had once been hers too. If Ruan were there, he would have dropped to his knees at the sight of the home he had meticulously planned being completely leveled by the fire.Even though he had built the house for Megan, a tear still escaped her eyes. She saw Grace talking to the authorities and decided to approach.“I’m sorry, but we’ll hardly be able to salvage anything,” the chief said, shaking his head. “We’re trying to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby homes so the disaster doesn't get any worse.”“Do you have any leads on what caus
Chloe watched the exact moment Ruan's expression—once so calm because of Chris's presence—drain into something pale and lifeless. His feet moved quickly toward the door. She didn't think twice before planting herself in front of him, eyes pleading for him to stop right there.“Did you hear what she said?” He placed his hands on her shoulders—heavy and cold. “My house is on fire. I have to do something.”“I know many of your qualities, Ruan, but fireman wasn't one I had on the list.” She grabbed him, knowing her physical strength alone wouldn't stop him, but her agility gave her just enough of an edge to beat him to the door. She locked it and yanked out the keys.“This is no time for jokes, Chloe.” He stretched out his hand, his jaw clenching so hard it could've cracked his teeth. “Give me the keys back.”Chloe felt her heart being crushed. She couldn't let Ruan go to his house without knowing the real reasons it had caught fire. He was still under medical supervision, still under ser
POV RuanRuan shouldn’t have given up so easily on speaking to Chloe, but when he looked at her and saw how she acted around Elijah, his blood boiled. He was already under immense pressure from everything that had happened with Megan; his heart was shattered, and he didn't need another disappointment.It was hard for him to admit that he hated the idea of seeing Chloe with another man. At first, he told himself this distrust stemmed solely from Christopher—that he didn't want another man raising his son—but he couldn't convince himself of that lie. He hated seeing Elijah by Chloe’s side even when Christopher wasn't around. It wasn't because Elijah gave him any reason to; it was simply because Chloe was his ex-wife, the woman he had shared his life with for years.He returned to his room, his head beginning to throb. He lay on the bed and closed his eyes, but recent events haunted him like ghosts. Megan was still married, and the accusations Chloe had made were far too serious. His hea
POV ChristopherChristopher blinked rapidly, refusing to let tears blur his vision even further. He didn't want Chloe to see him crying; every time he did, it made her even more vulnerable. But the pain in his back was too intense. He held back his tears as much as he could, for as long as he could.“I didn't mean to cause trouble,” he said quickly, his voice raspy with pain. “That woman came up to me, threw me on the ground, and then said it was all a game…”Chloe immediately pulled Christopher into her arms and hugged him tight, closing her eyes and refusing to let her pain show. She knew Christopher was holding back his tears, so she did the same, trying to give him strength.“It wasn't your fault, okay?” She kissed Christopher’s sweaty forehead. “We can ask the doctor to take a look at you.”“I'm fine, Mom,” he said, fighting back the urge to cry. “I'm just a little scared.”It was much more than a scare. It hurt far more than a hard bump on the back; Christopher’s heart ached, an
POV Ruan“Please, Ruan, stop, you’re hurting me…” Megan’s voice trailed off at the same pace Ruan dragged her through the hospital corridors.This was the most inappropriate setting for an argument with a girlfriend, but Ruan couldn't bear to wait another moment. The image of how he had held Christopher, the tears in his son’s eyes, and the desperation of seeing the boy so vulnerable wouldn't leave his mind. He needed to have this conversation with her right here, right now, or he would lose his mind.“What do you think you’re doing?” He stopped in an area far from the rooms where he could shout without anyone hearing. He released Megan’s arm with force, as if discarding a bag of trash. “How dare you do that to a child?”“What?” Megan massaged the spot where Ruan had gripped her, staring at him with a look of pain. “I was just playing…”“Does throwing a child to the floor and climbing on top of him seem like a game to you, Megan?” His voice thundered so intensely that Megan recoiled i
POV ChloeChloe had to step away from Ruan and sit down. Her knees were shaking. Concentrating proved difficult with Ruan so close. She hated admitting that she still felt something for him; she hated knowing that he still dominated her thoughts, even while he hid another woman. She tried to push those thoughts aside and kept her gaze away from him. However, Ruan approached, pulled up another chair, and sat directly across from her.“I'm waiting,” he whispered, his full attention locked on Chloe.“Don't you want to see Chris first? We can talk about this afterward.”“Do you know what it’s like to lie in this bed, aching to see your ex-wife?” He gripped her chin, tilting it up and forcing her to meet his eyes. “I need to know the truth, and only you can tell me.”Her blood boiled. Chloe stood up an instant later, putting distance between them for the second time. The taste of Ruan lingered in her mouth. They weren't married anymore, and she should have stayed away, but that wasn't what
When Chloe entered Arnold’s office, Samantha stood in front of his desk, smiling, waiting for him to sign some documents. She turned, shot Chloe a deadly look, and left.Chloe hunched her shoulders and wondered if that could become a problem. What terrifying thing could Samantha do to make her life
Chloe looked to the side as soon as she woke up and saw the empty spot. A feeling of guilt, stronger than the first time, tore through her chest.She thought she shouldn’t have done that. She had lost a baby only a few days ago and now seemed to want another one. How could she be so weak and vulner
Dawn broke without Chloe managing to sleep properly. She kept remembering Ruan whispering Megan’s name on the phone with emotion. He was still madly in love with her half-sister. How could she have ever thought that marriage would work one day?She punished herself for not listening to the entire c
The silence of the morning invaded Chloe’s ears as soon as she woke up. She looked at the ceiling and remembered she was still in Ruan’s bed and in his room. It should have been their bed and their room since they were married. But in that small place, nothing was shared between them except the mar







