Chapter1 Discord

In the soft, flickering light of the candle, Amanda finds it hard to read Riley’s expression.

He must have been smiling, just like me. She's a firm believer in that. After all, it’s our third wedding anniversary. Even though he still has a lot of work to do, he makes time to come home and have a candlelit dinner with me. Amanda closes her eyes, letting herself believe the lie for a moment.

“I wish we could be together forever,” Amanda says with a happy smile. Her eyes come alive, twinkling like lakes in sunlight. Riley freezes for a while. It seems like there is an ethereal halo around her, he thinks.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierces through her abdomen, so intense it nearly knocks the wind out of her. Amanda’s face pales instantly, but she bites back the pain, not wanting to ruin the rare moment of warmth between them.

But just as she gathers herself, a shrill ringtone shatters the peaceful atmosphere. The name flashing on Riley’s phone screen makes Amanda’s heart skip a beat. Before she stops him, Riley eagerly picks up the phone.

“Riley, my head hurts so much… I feel like my chest is being squeezed, I… I can’t catch my breath… Please, come… hurry…”

The woman’s weak voice comes through the phone, but before she finishes, the line goes dead, as though she’s passed out.

Riley looks like he’s in a bad mood for a second. Annoyance flickers across his face. Still, he stands up, grabbing his clothes with an intensity Amanda cannot decipher.

“Faye’s sick again. I need to take a look at her.”

Faye Aiken is a girl who has grown up with Riley Griffin. She's been with him a long time, someone with whom he shares an unbreakable bond. Three years ago, she had gone to Switzerland for treatment. Last month, she returned. And only in one month, She had fallen ill nine or ten times already. Whenever she was sick or in need, he would certainly set aside anything to be with her.

The Aiken family, second only to the powerful Griffin household in wealth, had spared no expense in getting Faye the best doctors. How could she still be sick after three years of treatment? What could be so urgent that it absolutely has to be him? It was obvious to Amanda—Faye’s constant hospital visits and importunate requests were nothing more than a ploy to keep Riley’s attention and draw him closer to her.

If even Amanda could see through this, how could Riley be so blind? Yet, step by step, he falls into the trap. The truth is clear—in Riley’s view, Faye Aiken's status is much heavier than Amanda, his wife.

Her heart aches at the thought. But then, from somewhere deep within, Amanda finds the courage to speak up, her hand clutching tightly at Riley’s arm.

“She’s able to call you, so that she’s not in critical condition. She’s been resting at home since she got back, surrounded by people who can care for her. She doesn’t need you there. You’re not a doctor.”

Amanda’s voice softened, her plea barely audible. “Riley, just this once, could you stay? Can you spend tonight with me?”

Riley closes his eyes for a moment, his voice cold when he speaks. “There's a life at stake, Amanda. You should put yourself in other people’s shoes .”

“But…” Apparently, Riley doesn’t want to listen to her, he quickly cuts her off, already heading toward the door.

She watches from the villa window as his car disappears into the night.

He doesn't even look back, Amanda thinks.

A few months ago, Riley had gone to another country, negotiating a major acquisition deal. As his chief secretary, Amanda had stayed behind, managing the company’s day-to-day affairs with the board members. In truth, it had been over three months since they had last seen each other.

When the deal was finalized, Riley had been in an unusually good mood, which led him to accept Amanda’s invitation to celebrate their anniversary at the villa. It was a rare occasion, as their previous anniversaries had always been swallowed by work commitments.

But now, reflecting on it, Amanda found the situation painfully ironic. Riley had been here in person, but had his heart ever truly been with her? When Amanda spoke of her hopes for their future, was Riley thinking the same thing, or was his mind already consumed with thoughts of the “delicate” Faye Aiken?