Chapter 2005

What a clown.

"Did you arrange for the paparazzi to take intimate photos of Ivy and me, Aurum? Were you hoping that a few pictures could break Gale and me apart? Your plan failed," Shawn asked.

"Yes, it was me!" Aurum seized the opportunity to voice his doubts. "Why does Gale trust you so much?"

"Because she and I are married, bound together through thick and thin, for better or for worse, till death do us part. Aurum, you've never experienced marriage, so you don't understand how important trust and responsibility are. That's why you foolishly thought a few photos could come between Gale and me."

"But why did you tolerate seeing Gale and me lying together on a bed in the hotel?"

Shawn replied calmly, "I know she wouldn't betray me. Even if, by some chance, something did happen, she would be innocent, a victim, manipulated. The more so, the more I need to stand by her, support and rely on her."

He paused, looking at Aurum with profound pity. "You will never understand."

Aurum wa