All Chapters of Married to the Man Who Hated Me: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The next second, Leonard Eastwood’s pupils constricted.He shot to his feet, patting his jacket, then his trousers—checking every pocket with increasing urgency.The emerald pendant.It was gone.Damn it.Where had the wild little cat’s emerald gone?It could not be lost.Absolutely not.The following morning.When Tanya Reed woke up, every inch of her body ached. The soreness ran deep, leaving her weak and slow as she forced herself to sit upright.Her vision cleared just in time to see several house staff rummaging through her room—pulling open drawers, checking shelves, clearly searching for something.She frowned but didn’t ask.Dragging herself out of bed, she grabbed some clothes at random and dressed stiffly, every movement pulling at bruised muscles.“Tanya, breakfast is ready.”A female staff member stepped closer, her tone polite enough—but the contempt in her expression was impossible to miss.“Okay,” Tanya replied quietly.She ignored the look, finished washing up, and follo

Clara chimed in from time to time, smiling as she listened to Mason tease Tanya.“And you have the nerve to mock me?” Tanya shot back, laughing despite herself. “Who was the one running around with a stick as a kid, telling everyone she was going to be a vigilante and save the world? Honestly, who wouldn’t believe you’re still a total badass now?”“Hey!” Mason protested, instantly flustered. “Why are you dragging up ancient history? I’ve been on the elegant-lady path for years, okay? Clara—back me up here!”Clara only smiled and shook her head.“You two argue. I’m staying neutral.”Tanya paused.She glanced at Clara again, something faintly off about her expression. She seemed quieter than usual. Distracted.But Tanya didn’t dwell on it.The conversation rolled on, laughter filling the room. Time slipped by faster than Tanya realized. Before she knew it, it was already late.Mason, her throat dry from talking nonstop, took a few sips of water and stood up. Tanya walked both women to th

“The moment Mrs. Eastwood left your room, she went out and hasn’t returned since,” the maid replied quickly, clearly nervous after seeing Leonard Eastwood’s expression.Leonard frowned and rubbed his temples, letting out a quiet scoff at himself. What was he even worried about? Where could Tanya Reed possibly go?Yet nearly an hour passed, and she still hadn’t returned.Leonard’s expression darkened.That damn woman—had she run off?The thought snapped something inside him. He stood abruptly and slammed his fist against the table.“Everyone, go look for her,” he ordered coldly. “If you don’t find her, don’t bother coming back.”At the park, Tanya and Clara were sitting together on a bench.“Tanya, we should go back. It’s really late,” Clara urged again.“Let’s stay a little longer,” Tanya replied quietly.The thought of returning and seeing Leonard’s face—his mocking smile—made her chest tighten uncomfortably.Just then, raindrops began to fall, quickly growing heavier. Before either o

Clara waved her hand, signaling for Tanya not to worry.That only made Tanya more uneasy. “You should still get checked. What if it’s not just low blood sugar? We’re already here, and Leonard can have a doctor run a full examination for you.”Clara tried to refuse again, but in the end, she couldn’t win against Tanya’s insistence and finally agreed.Leonard did not object. With a single phone call, he instructed his private physician to wait at the hospital, then drove Clara there himself.Seeing this, Tanya finally felt reassured and returned to her room. As long as Clara was fine, everything else—between her and Leonard—could be dealt with later.But then Tanya suddenly remembered that Clara had always been afraid of hospitals. In the past, it was always Tanya or Mason who accompanied her. Worry crept in again.She changed her clothes, hailed a cab, and headed for the hospital.Leonard and Clara had already arrived. As soon as Tanya got out of the car, she asked the nurse at the entr

Tanya immediately turned her face away, trying to pull back, but Leonard caught her with both hands, fixing her in place and forcing her to look at him.Her body reacted on instinct. She struggled, panic flaring in her chest. Leonard didn’t go any further than wrapping an arm around her waist, but even that simple contact was enough to make her tense all over.To Tanya, any closeness with him felt dangerous.She struggled harder, trying to break free—And then the moment shattered.Her phone rang.The sudden sound cut straight through the air between them.Tanya hurriedly grabbed her phone, but the instant she saw the name on the screen, her mind went blank. She froze, fingers stiff, staring at it for several seconds.Leonard noticed her reaction immediately. His brows drew together in suspicion.Tanya snapped back to herself, clutched the phone, and answered quietly.The call was short. She murmured a few soft “mm” responses, then hung up.Afterward, she looked at Leonard and said, “I