Flattered

The voice behind me sounded familiar—cold in a way my brain recognized before I even turned. I forced my head to look.

It was him.

Desmond.

My husband.

I hadn’t expected to see him here.

He looked at me—his expression unreadable—but the moment his gaze shifted to Mark and Maleficent, his eyes turned to ice.

"How dare you bully my wife?" he said coldly to Mark and Maleficent.

Mark pointed a shaking finger at Desmond.

"It’s you, isn’t it? You bastard. You’re the one Agata’s been cheating on me with!"

His voice dripped with bitterness.

Desmond walked over and held out his hand to me. I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. He didn’t stop there—he wrapped an arm firmly around my waist. I didn’t expect that.

"Are you hurt in any way?" he asked, his voice rough and low.

"I’m fine," I murmured, biting my lip as my eyes flicked back to Mark and Maleficent.

"What gives you the right to bully my wife like that?"

"Who the hell is your wife?!" Mark snapped. "Agatha is my fiancée!"

He pointed at Desmond again, as if Desmond hadn’t just called me his wife. As if he hadn’t just heard it clear as day.

Why was he so pissed off?

This man—the same man who disgustedly rejected me just yesterday

"Do you know that bullying my wife is a criminal offense? An action you should never dare to take?" Desmond's voice was sharp. "Never you dare to lay a hand on her again."

With barely a second’s warning, Mark charged at Desmond, swinging a punch. Desmond dodged it effortlessly and landed a solid hit in return—one that knocked Mark straight to the ground.

“That’s revenge for hurting her,” Desmond said coldly, a cruel glint in his eyes.

I stared at him, stunned. This man—the one I’d just married—was standing up for me like I was his whole world, even when the world was set on destroying me.

Desmond, still on the floor, gritted his teeth and pointed at Mark. "You... you... I’m going to call the cops on you!"

"Go on. Do it. Call the cops," Desmond dared him, smirking.

Panic bloomed in my chest. Would Mark really call the police?

He did.

Mark whipped out his phone and dialed the emergency number. The two of them stood there, locked in a stare-off. I joined the glare party, staring Mark down like I could set him on fire with my eyes.

Moments later, a police car screeched to a halt. Officers stepped out. The lead officer approached, his tone brisk.

"Who reported the case? What’s going on here? Who are we arresting?"

Mark jumped up, brushing dirt off his pants like he had any pride left.

"Sir! Arrest that man!" he said, pointing at Desmond. "He assaulted me!"

The officers turned—and then froze.

The lead officer looked straight at Desmond. His eyes widened.

"Sir… is it really you?"

He bowed, visibly nervous.

A slow smile spread across Desmond’s face.

"Are you here to arrest me?" he asked coolly.

The officer shook his head fast enough to give himself whiplash.

"No, no, sir! I wouldn’t dare! Who needs to be arrested?"

"It’s good you know your place," Desmond replied. Then he pointed to Mark. "This man—he assaulted my wife. Arrest him. He stinks up the air with his existence."

Without delay, the officer approached Mark.

Mark’s eyes bulged.

"Officer, no! Arrest him, not me! This is a mistake! Let go of me!"

He caused a scene the second the officer's hand gripped his arm. The look on his face—pure disbelief. Oh, how sweet it was. I nearly burst out laughing. It was delicious revenge.

Then the officer turned to Maleficent, who was standing there with the most awkward look on her face.

"Should we take her too, sir?" the officer asked Desmond.

Desmond looked at Maleficent like she was a piece of rotten fruit.

"Yes. Please take her. Make sure she’s well taken care of. You know what I mean."

Tears welled up in Maleficent’s eyes.

"You can't do this to me! Sister, please! Say something! I'm your sister, Agata! Please speak on my behalf!"

I barely held back my laugh. Who would’ve thought? The great Maleficent—my evil sister—reduced to begging, face twisted in shame, all while being dragged off to jail by my husband.

"Sister? I don’t know you," I said with a shrug. "I’ve cut ties with that family."

The officer saluted Desmond.

"Shall we take them away now?"

Desmond nodded.

"Yes. Remove them. They’re just staining the air with their presence."

The officers dragged Mark and Maleficent off without a shred of respect. As the car pulled away, I turned to Desmond. My throat tightened. I had no words—none that could express what I felt.

Where would I even begin to thank him?

Desmond's POV

"You seem unable to protect yourself whenever I'm around, dear wife," I said, looking at her with a grin. "Do you know you're in a lot of trouble, and yet you make it so easy for it to happen?"

She stared at me, her gaze hesitant, avoiding direct eye contact. Was she nervous? She was such an intriguing person. She smiled at me.

"I am very grateful for the help you gave me just now," she said.

I paused, staring deeply at her, expecting her to say more, but she didn’t. Just those simple words—thank you. I didn’t know what to say. Many people had worshipped me, but she was the one who didn’t back down. I had expected a more grateful expression from her. Instead, she stood quietly, looking at me with an awkward expression. Her fingers went to her face, and my gaze dropped to her lips. My mind couldn't help but flash back to earlier today when she had fallen on top of me, and our lips had clashed. I struggled to control my urges at that moment.

I tried to push the thoughts away, my mind racing with desires I couldn’t ignore. The urge to bite her, to taste her blood, was overwhelming. I quickly shook my head, trying to clear the dark thoughts, as if running from something. I forced myself back into the present.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" I asked, snapping myself out of my thoughts.

"I just came to buy some things for the house," she replied. "I told you that before, right?"

"Yes," I said, nodding. "I know, but it's hard for me to find the right words to say sometimes. You should stay in one place. I have a house, servants, everything you need. You don't have to be out here."

At my words, her brow furrowed, and she looked at me with a deep frown. Then she said, "In case you’ve forgotten, we’re married because of our situation. Why are you acting like we’re a happy couple?"

I looked at her and chuckled, my eyes darkening. "I know, but we need to be realistic. We have to act like a couple in public. Do you know why I’m doing this?" I pointed to a tree, and just as I did, a head popped out from behind it. The moment I pointed, she turned and her eyes widened in realization.

"A reporter has been recording the whole scene, hasn’t he?" she asked, shocked.