LOGINWhen the gun went off, Hannah emerged out of nowhere.She collapsed against me as blood sprayed across my face. She went limp.“Lucas... I’m sorry...”In the chaos, I heard her murmured apology, and for a moment, my heart was a knot of conflicting feelings.After the police rescued us, Hannah was quickly rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Most of the other team members were unharmed. Only Hannah, who had shielded me, was hurt the worst. The bullet had grazed her heart, missing by less than an inch.I stood outside the operating room in silence as the doctor explained how dangerous her wound had been and what complications she might suffer in the future.He said the bullet had damaged her lung. She might have to rely on medication for the rest of her life. It could even shorten her lifespan.Belle and I stayed at the hospital to look after her, until the Neate family received the news and sent a helicopter to take her back for treatment.When the plane landed, H
“Lucas.”After a year apart, Hannah had changed a lot.The woman who had once been so cold and proud stood with her head lowered.If not for the designer dress she wore, she would have looked no different from a beggar on the street.She stared at the woman behind me as she asked in a trembling voice, “Who’s she?”“She’s my girlfriend,” I answered calmly.“Her name is Belle.”Behind me, Belle Raylan placed her hand on my shoulder.She did not say anything, but she gave me silent support.“Girlfriend?!” Hannah’s voice shot up.“You’re my husband! How could you—?”“Husband?” I scoffed. “Ms. Neate, do you need me to remind you it’s been a year since our divorce?”She said through her gritted teeth, “Those divorce papers don’t count!“I only signed that in the heat of the moment. It doesn’t count. We’re still married!”She lowered her gaze and tried to take my hand as she pleaded softly, “Lucas, honey, I know I was wrong. I found out everything Dwade did.“I fired him, and
(1st POV)I was not a fool. Dwade hated me to the core, so nothing he did would have surprised me.I had contacted my friend, Kendrick Fort, long ago. Before the kidnappers he hired dragged me into the factory, Kendrick’s men were already waiting there.Back there, Dwade had thought those men were the kidnappers he hired. But in truth, they were Kendrick’s men, who were there to protect me.Under their escort, I left through another path with no surveillance cameras. Along the way, I blew up that abandoned factory to create the illusion that I had perished in the flames.Of course, I did that for another reason as well. I wanted Hannah to believe that I was truly dead.I ended up in Kondara, my second hometown, the one I knew best.Before I married her, I was a wildlife photographer.I was also a core member of a documentary team.When I stood on this land again and pressed the shutter once more, I realized how badly I had messed up over the past three years.Compared to
The night was dark. Hannah stared blankly at the watch strap in the bag as her face grew pale.It was Lucas’ watch strap, a gift she had given him on the third day of their marriage.That flawless aquamarine on it was the only one of its kind in the entire world.There was no way she would not recognize it. But still, she refused to believe it.“Where’s the body?” She forced herself to stay calm.“If you can’t identify him, then he’s not here.”“Ms. Neate, it was a massive explosion, and the fire burned too long. The rescue team said even if they recover any remains, they’d be burned beyond recognition. There’s no way to identify them—”“Then, he’s not dead!”Hannah went mad. She lost her composure as she grabbed Taylor’s hand.“Go look for him! Right now!”How could Lucas be dead?She looked at the factory that had been almost leveled to the ground and knelt down in agony amid the wreckage.She recalled how Lucas used to look at her when they were in love. It was so te
Hannah stood up.“What did you say?“Lucas is supposed to be home. Why on earth would he be at some factory on the outskirts?”Her voice grew louder as she spoke. On the other end of the line, Taylor was drenched in sweat and could only explain slowly.“Rowan, the housekeeper at the villa called. He said Mr. Bourne left this morning and hasn’t come back since.“He also said the car Mr. Bourne took had the exact same license plate as the one at the explosion site—”“Impossible.” Hannah cut her off quickly.“Why would he go to a place like that alone for no reason? There must’ve been a mistake.”“But—”“That’s enough.” Hannah grew more irritated.“Don’t report such baseless nonsense to me anymore. My time is valuable, and I don’t have time for this.”As she hung up, her heart pounded madly.An explosion? Lucas?She scoffed. How could that be possible?“Hannah, what do you think of this one?”Dwade came out in another luxurious custom-made suit, looking smug and satisfi
I was barely done interrogating Dwade when several bodyguards rushed forward and dragged me away.They covered my mouth and told the audience that I was a lunatic who had barged into the venue.Then, they hauled me backstage.I struggled with all my might until I caught sight of Hannah.“Hannah Neate!” The tape was torn off my mouth, and I cried out in despair.“Those are my photos.“You stole my work and handed it to Dwade!”Hannah seemed stung by my accusation.She frowned, looking annoyed and contemptuous.“Stole?“You haven’t been a photographer for years. Those photos were never released. What’s the big deal if I gave them to Dwade?“If he’s going to establish himself in the photography world, he needs a portfolio.”Her words hit me like a bucket of ice water.“Then, what about me?” I asked, my voice hoarse.“All my hard work. What gave you the right to use it to lay the groundwork for him?”Her gaze darkened, and she said, “I’ll compensate you.”Dwade ran backstag







