Chapter 2

He was right. I caused him trouble, but I was only trying to survive.

All alone in the wilderness, starving and scarred, I acted on sheer instinct to stay alive. Who would ever willingly want to be photographed nearly undressed, humiliated, with those pictures spread everywhere, followed by endless lies?

I knew it would damage his reputation. That was why I apologized.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I’ll go and clarify things,” I offered.

I was ready to deny any connection between us.

“Suzy, what do you mean by that? You sound upset with me. Are you mad because I said I didn’t know you? Is that it?”

As he spoke, he stood up and walked over to me. He then gripped my chin with his hand, forcing me to look up at him.

How could I possibly be mad at him? Everything that happened was a result of my poor choices.

“No, not at all. From the start, you told me that this was just a fling and that it would stay private. And since it’s just a fling, you had no obligation to save me. I won’t blame you for it.”

His eyes lingered on me for a moment before he said, “You’ve finally learned your place.”

With that, he loosened his grip on my chin, pulled a few tissues from the table, and wiped his hands.

Then, he sat back on the sofa and said coldly, “Since you’re my secret lover, you should know what being a secret lover means. Don’t overstep your boundaries.”

I? Overstepped my boundaries?

A few days before the bandits kidnapped me, on his birthday, I bought him a necktie. It was not just any necktie. I had bought one from a luxury brand, worried that a cheaper option might make him look bad. However, I did not know that it was a boyfriend-exclusive design—something the staff at the store failed to mention.

Luke then wore it to a press conference, and people quickly noticed. They even investigated who bought it. Fortunately, I had worn a mask and hat that day, and they couldn’t identify me.

Even so, the incident made him furious, and he accused me of being manipulative and overstepping my role. No matter how hard I tried to please him after that, he continued ignoring me. Well, that was until the kidnapping happened.

“What are you standing there for? You’re filthy. Go take a shower.”

He sounded disgusted and impatient, his brow furrowing as if my presence offended him.

Filthy? That word summed up everything about me. I was filthy inside and out, but I never wanted to be like this. I was a victim.

Enduring the sharp pain in my abdomen, my face pale as I made my way upstairs. Then, I heard him on the phone.

The voice on the other end was a woman’s, and it was one I recognized immediately. When I called him for help during the kidnapping, that woman had been there. If I was right, it was Ruby Grace, a famous actress who was often Luke’s on-screen partner.

Hearing their intimate conversation, I suddenly felt like the biggest fool. His indifference had been so obvious all along. Yet, I was only realizing it now.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I struggled to move forward. Just as I lifted my foot, my legs gave way. I lost my balance and fell, crashing into the floor and shattering a vase worth millions. Suddenly, a pool of blood began spreading beneath me.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Luke ended his call abruptly, and his furious voice boomed through the room.

“I’m sorry. I-I’ll compensate you for it,” I stammered, beads of sweat rolling down my forehead.

I tried to get up, but more blood spilled out, pooling on the floor beneath me.

Seeing that, Ian suggested to Luke that I be taken to the hospital. However, Luke sneered at his suggestion.

“You care about her a lot, huh?”

Just as Ian was about to say something, Luke’s glare silenced him. In the end, the housekeeper was the one who brought me upstairs.