LOGINChristian hadn't said a single word, but Talia could still sense that something in him had shifted.He stood at the window for a long moment before turning back to her. "It's Nancy. I'll go down and talk to her, then I'll be right back."Talia sat up quickly. "Christian, are you really going to be this cruel? You stood up in front of all those people and acknowledged her as your wife. Now, right when you're supposed to be going through with the wedding, you're just going to toss her aside? How is that fair to her?"Christian's steps faltered, and a beat of silence passed before he answered. "All I know is that I'm following my heart."Deep down, he knew the person he wanted by his side was Talia.He left the bedroom without looking back. Talia lay there staring at the halo of light blurring around the ceiling lamp, too stunned to move.It didn't take long for Christian to reach the front entrance of Elmwood Estate. The moment Nancy saw him come out, the sadness in her eyes was sw
Talia finally opened her eyes. Her dark gaze locked onto Christian's, steady and unblinking. She said, "I already showered. There's no need for another one."Christian's fingers stilled against the back of her hand, and his voice dropped low. "Go wash up again."There was a faint edge of command in his tone that was hard to miss.Talia didn't comply. Instead, she almost laughed. "You're that eager to get me into the shower? You do think I'm dirty, don't you?"Christian looked away without answering. "Just go."This time, there was nothing faint about the command. It was blunt and undisguised.Talia didn't argue. She sat up in bed and gave him a curt nod. "Fine. I'll go."She pushed the covers aside and got out of bed. As she walked toward the bathroom, Christian lifted his head almost without thinking, his gaze following her retreating figure.A faint red mark marred the back of her neck, fresh and unmistakable. It could only have been left by Quentin moments earlier.The sigh
Quentin's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying, but he had himself under tight control now. When he answered Garrett's question, his voice came out low and steady. "I know."But beneath that composure, the sadness in his voice was impossible to miss.Garrett noticed the shift in him, and his grip on Quentin's collar slowly loosened. When he spoke again, his tone had softened considerably. "If you knew she was in danger, why are you here and not out looking for her?"Quentin flinched and pinched the bridge of his nose before answering, his voice barely above a whisper. "She went back with Christian on her own."That was all it took to set Garrett off. "So she said she wanted to go back to him and you just let her?"Quentin dropped his gaze. "I tried everything I could to stop her, but her mind was made up. Nothing I said was going to change it."Garrett swallowed the urge to hit Quentin and stepped past him instead. "If you won't look out for her, then I will. That's wha
Every single word out of Talia's mouth dripped with cold contempt, and the way she looked at Christian was nothing short of pure disdain.Christian watched her in silence. Then, in the next moment, something in him snapped. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her toward him, pulling her right up against him. He leaned in close, his voice barely above a murmur. "You want to try me?"Every single word came out low and ground between his teeth.Pain shot through Talia's arm, but she didn't make a sound. She tilted her face up to meet his gaze and gave him an almost amused smile. "Go ahead."There wasn't an ounce of sincerity in her voice. If anything, she was testing him.Before Christian could respond, she spoke again. "If you don't mind how dirty I am, then sure, let's give it a go. But let's be honest, all those other times weren't exactly impressive either, were they?"The more she mocked him, the more desperate he became to prove her wrong. His grip on her wrist tightened until his
Christian's displeasure boiled over. "What's so great about Quentin? He's got women all over the place. Talia, what do you even see in him?""Christian, just because he has a reputation, it doesn't mean that he's actually unfaithful," Talia said."And just the same, just because you claim to be devoted to Nancy, it doesn't mean you actually are. You two aren't even in the same league. There's no point comparing the two of you."Christian listened, his eyes slowly falling shut. He tried to swallow the rage churning inside him, but no matter how hard he pushed it down, it wouldn't go.Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. His eyes snapped open, bloodshot and burning, and he rounded on her. "No point comparing? How good is he exactly? One hour? Three? Or does he just go deeper than I do?"He advanced on her with every question.Talia backed away instinctively until her back hit the wall, leaving her nowhere else to go. She raised her hands against his chest to keep him at a distance
The ringtone startled Talia, but when she pulled out her phone and saw the name on the screen, she froze. It was Garrett.A wave of dread washed over her.She glanced up at Christian, and the anger inside her surged so fast that she couldn't contain it. Before she could think, her hand swung up and connected with the side of his face.She hadn't put much force behind it, but the slap still cracked sharply through the room.Christian pressed his hand to his cheek and stared at her in open shock.Talia glared at him through her tears. "Christian, you're insane."Garrett had told her that if she went back to Christian, they would be done with her. So what was she supposed to do now?Christian lowered his hand from his face and looked down into her eyes, his jaw clenched. "Yeah, I am. So don't provoke me, because there's nothing I won't do."Talia held his stare without saying a single word, tears streaming silently down her face. She hadn't answered Garrett's call, so it rang out
Talia turned and glanced at the hospital bed. Yvonne's face was rosy, and her eyes were wide and bright. She didn't look sick at all.As she thought it over, she figured that Yvonne was probably faking it.And so, feigning helplessness, she turned to the doctors and said, "In that case, let's go a
Talia, wearing only a thin undershirt, carefully checked Millie's upper body.After confirming that there were no other open wounds, she said to Henry, "No more bleeding points."Henry pressed down on the wound, his face drenched in sweat and his hands slick with blood. He looked at Talia and said
The moment Quentin heard the nurse mention that Millie was awake, he couldn't be bothered to bicker with Henry anymore. He turned and hurried away in a frantic rush.As Talia watched him leave, she felt a strange sense of relief that he was gone. If he had stayed any longer, she wasn't sure how muc
Quentin's reputation as a womanizer was well known, but he'd never shown a hint of humility in front of anyone before. Yet here he was, stripping away all his dignity for Talia.Given Quentin's status, he didn't need to bow to anyone, not even Christian. Everyone present was stunned by his behavior







