กระชาก

"Arthur, do you realize you are acting out of line? Are you seriously flying out to see Ely Melor just because she has a minor bruise when your wife, Juniper Greene, is seriously injured? You are putting both yourself and Juniper in danger!"

I heard Jeremiah Burnham, Arthur's friend's voice, spilling through the cracks of the wall.

Stunned with shock, I stopped in my tracks.

The villa had numerous secret rooms with excellent soundproofing. Voices would be muffled unless someone was speaking particularly loudly.

A moment later, I heard the sound of something being smashed.

"What do you mean you only love Ely? Don’t you realize how many years Juniper has been her scapegoat? If you don't love her, why don't you let her go?! Think about it. If Ely were in Juniper's position, she would have thrown you under the bus!"

"Shut up! How am I supposed to guarantee Ely’s safety if I don’t use Juniper as my shield? Besides, you can’t say I have mistreated her if I had given her the luxury of becoming Mrs. Borne all these years!" Arthur's voice was a deep and distinct rumble.

I leaned against the wall and struggled to make sense of what I was hearing.

All these years, he had been loving someone else? I was just a scapegoat?

I staggered back to my room. The wound on my stomach that I suffered for his sake throbbed and oozed blood. Despite that, even that pain could not compare to the agony I felt in my heart!

The piece of apple Arthur had sliced for me sat on the bed as though it was mocking me.

He had always been so good to me. Everyone envied the way he outwardly displayed affection for me.

He was Arthur Borne, the man who ran countless businesses along the country borders. He had connections in the business world as well as the underworld.

In the last five years, I had been kidnapped three times for being his wife. I had also been stabbed twice and even shot once to protect him.

I had risked my life for him all because I thought he loved me deeply, but it turned out to be a lie...

"Did you just leave the room?"

I heard him calling out from behind me.

Tears streamed down my face when I met his eyes, which curved into a smile.

I had lost count of the times I secretly rejoiced at the thought of being lucky enough to marry such a handsome man, but now, the only thing I saw was an icy chill in his eyes.

"Juniper, did I frighten you? What were you doing?"

He was a sharp man, so I forced myself to smile.

"I just woke up and got scared when I couldn’t see you. I’m still calming down."

I had gone from an ordinary student to the woman of a kingpin in a single night.

After the first time being kidnapped, I developed a trauma response of shivering with fear whenever Arthur was out of sight.

He did not doubt me and proceeded to comfort me with a kiss instead. He gently brushed his slender fingers against my jaw and caressed my ears. His fingers trailed down the crook of my neck before sliding down the ridge of my spine.

I could not hold back a gasp.

At last, his frantic hands stopped at my waist. I could feel the heat of his palm searing every part of my skin.

"I’m going to be away tomorrow. Stay home and be good, alright?" He softly kissed the edges of my lips, and when he spoke, his breath was hot against my ears.

I shivered instinctively before clenching at his clothes with both hands to remind him, "Arthur, my wound... I’m still recovering."

His expression dropped. He swiftly cleaned me before observing the blood-soaked gauze. Then, he furrowed his defined brows tightly, "Juniper, I’m going to die of heartache at this rate."

He helped me change the gauze by himself.

I looked at the genuine anxiety written in his eyes, yet the words I overheard echoed in my mind.

He said he was going to be away tomorrow. What was he up to?

Was he going to see the lover whose life was worth more than my own?