"People might think I have an unprofessional assistant otherwise," Edward said.Being a mere employee, Nathan didn't dare argue and could only complain inwardly, "Don't you think that explanation makes it even more suspicious?"As the car moved steadily forward, Macie turned her head to look out the window, avoiding any questions about how Edward knew her discharge time or why he had come to pick her up.The reason was nothing more than to "shut her up"—to prevent her from speaking carelessly in front of Yosef. It could also be because he had a shred of lingering conscience. After all, he was the one who caused her fractures.In the back seat, Edward remained silent, his gaze shifting from the back of her head to her foot.The blister marks had faded, leaving only faint red traces. Macie was walking fine now, and her complexion looked rosier than before.It seemed like the nutritional meals hadn't been a waste.Edward smiled at the thought of it. Macie might be giving him th
Macie quietly took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the urge to argue.After all, it was just a place to sleep. She didn't think that it made a difference where she slept. She could endure it… It was only for ten days anyway."Where are my things?" Macie asked.Edward, noticing that her anger had subsided as quickly as it flared, replied, "Sharon had someone pack them up and put them in the small guest room."Hearing that, Macie walked to the other small room and pushed open the door, only to find her belongings scattered messily all over the floor. Anyone who didn't know better would think that it was just a pile of trash.Behind her, Nathan inhaled sharply. The mistress had bullied the rightful wife terribly. First, she took over the latter's bedroom, and now she was forcing her to sleep in what was basically a storage room.Edward, who had followed, took in the scene and frowned slightly before turning to Sharon."Is this how your assistant handles things? By dumpin
"I'm not going anywhere. I just don't like these anymore," Macie replied impassively.Edward's tense posture relaxed at those words. He instructed Nathan, "Go to the supermarket downstairs and buy a quilt and a bedding set."Nathan obeyed and left, while Edward returned to the living room.Macie continued tidying up. Most of her belongings were there, but...She suddenly stood up and strode to her old room. Just as she was about to unlock a drawer with a key, someone appeared behind her and pulled open the bottommost layer.Macie froze for a moment upon seeing the empty space inside. When she turned around, she was greeted with the sight of Sharon's smugly curved lips."Where's my notebook?" Macie demanded."What notebook? I don't know what you're talking about." Sharon feigned ignorance."Didn't you open this drawer?" Macie gritted her teeth.Before Sharon could reply, Edward approached from the doorway, wearing a frown. "What are you two arguing about?"Just as Macie was ab
When Macie went to the bathroom to wash the cloth, she noticed that all her personal toiletries—her toothbrush, skincare products, and everything—were gone. Only Sharon's set remained, neatly placed beside Edward's.Macie let out a mocking laugh. She had lived there for two years, but Sharon had erased all traces of her existence within just two weeks. She had gone from being the rightful owner to an outsider, an intruder who no longer belonged.At the same time, a Rolls-Royce came to a stop outside the modeling office. The car door soon opened, and Sharon stepped out. She deliberately stood sideways to bid Edward goodbye so everyone in the lobby could see him.As the car drove away, she smiled brightly and waved before turning around, her expression filled with confidence, pride, and satisfaction."Wow, Sharon! Your boyfriend dropped you off again!""You two have such a good relationship. Mr. Fowler is rich and handsome. And since he's an only child, no one will fight you for t
At 10:00 am, Macie went downstairs to buy groceries and prepared exactly what a certain someone had requested—three dishes, not one less. She delivered them to the company on time.This was the first time in her two years of marriage that she had stepped into a "public setting". She had no idea what kind of whim had struck Edward, but she planned to simply leave the food at the front desk.After explaining her reason for being there, the receptionist gave her a scrutinizing and hostile look before saying, "Please leave before I call security. We don't allow unrelated personnel to visit our company."Macie pressed her lips together and briefly remained silent before taking out her phone to send Edward a message. However, when she opened the chat, she hesitated and called Nathan instead.After she stepped outside to call Nathan, she exchanged a few brief words and then waited for him to handle it.Inside the CEO's office, Edward's expression darkened as he watched Nathan hang up the
"Excuse me, may I ask how you and Mr. Fowler are related?" the receptionist asked in a hushed tone."I'm his housekeeper who cooks for him," Macie replied indifferently.The receptionist hesitated, wondering if there really was such a young housekeeper. And if that were the case, why had Nathan instructed her to be respectful toward this woman?She had no time to ask further questions as the elevator doors opened, and Macie stepped inside, heading straight to the top floor.Macie found Nathan already waiting upon her arrival. He immediately took the food container from her hands and softly said, "Mrs. Fowler, I was just about to go downstairs to meet you, but…" He hesitated before adding sincerely, "And please, you can always ask me for help, really."Macie understood that he was a kind person. She gave him a faint smile. "You can take it inside. I'm leaving.""Aren't you coming in?" Nathan asked."I don't want to see his stinking face," she replied coldly."That's… quite an
Edward convinced himself to let it go and focused on his meal. The moment he took the first bite, the deliciousness of the grilled honey balsamic ribs nearly overwhelmed him. The happiness and satisfaction he felt peaked instantly.Listening to the increasingly rapid sounds of eating beside her, Macie couldn't help but glance at him with an expression full of unconcealed disdain. She would have thought a pig was wolfing down its food if she didn't know better.The affection she once had for him was now replaced by repulsion. But for now, she had no choice but to stay in this temporarily disadvantageous situation.Three dishes, one bowl of macaroni, and a soup—Edward finished everything in just ten minutes. Fully satisfied, he wiped his mouth and hands with a wet tissue.Meanwhile, Macie had already stepped forward, swiftly collecting the empty containers before turning to leave without hesitation.Seeing her so eager to leave, Edward couldn't help but ask, "Have you eaten?" He s
Macie turned her head slightly to look at him, her expression devoid of emotion as she asked, "Have you ever cared about me before?"Edward was instantly at a loss for words, his expression frozen in place.Macie then returned to the small guest bedroom, leaving the man standing there, lost in thought, with a trace of guilt and self-reflection in his gaze.Since Edward had returned home early, Macie decided to head out to buy groceries."Where are you going?" Edward called out as he watched her prepare to leave right after he had just returned."The supermarket," Macie answered flatly.In the past, Edward never cared about such things. He barely even spoke to her. But that day, for some reason, he seemed unusually talkative.After getting her response and noticing the fabric tote bag in her hand, Edward obediently put his shoes back on and silently followed her out.Macie didn't turn around when she heard his footsteps behind her. When they reached the elevator, she assumed tha
"I approached Mr. Fowler Senior about the investment. He agreed to invest, and while we were talking, he asked if I was willing to marry Edward. At that point, I had liked Edward for many years. I let the excitement get to my head, and I said yes."The investment and the marriage are unrelated. They just happened at the same time. It was only because I agreed to marry him that the angel investment turned into a personal one," Macie explained."You could also think of it as a personal wedding gift from him to me. But I didn't take the whole thing. We split it 50-50," she added.Macie laid everything out in one go. Julian stared at her blankly, the pieces finally clicking into place. Slowly, reason returned to him, and he began to calm down.Macie gently pushed his hand off her shoulder and added, "Julian, my marriage with Edward had nothing to do with you. And besides, this is the modern world. Mr. Fowler Senior couldn't exactly force me into anything, right? I made the choice mysel
Julian thought back to what Yosef had said at the police station, the times in college when Macie and Edward had the chance to cross paths, and how Macie had secured a private investment of ten million dollars for his startup two years ago.Suddenly, he froze. A thought hit him hard. He blurted, "Macie, tell me. Did Mr. Fowler Senior force you to marry Edward because of that investment?"If Macie had been pushed into marrying Edward because of the money, then Yosef would be the one to blame. He would have been the one who had ruined her life."No, Julian. It's not like that—" Macie heard the panic in his voice and hurried to explain."It has to be that! Don't lie to me! Why else would you suddenly marry Edward? And why would Mr. Fowler Senior say he was the one who wronged you?" Julian cut her off."It's really not what you think. Please don't put that kind of pressure on yourself," Macie said again, trying to reassure him."How could I not?" Julian snapped. "I practically put yo
Yosef shook his head as he watched Edward break down once more. Edward hadn't cried once since his parents' divorce in middle school. But now, he was crying over a woman.So, what could Yosef say or do? Should he comfort him? Edward had it coming. Meanwhile, across the street, Julian was driving Macie home. Neither of them spoke, and he didn't ask about Edward. He was waiting for her to open up. After what felt like an endless silence, Macie finally looked out into the night and spoke softly. "I didn't actually go abroad these past two years. I married Edward instead. I'm sorry I lied to you. "He and I are divorced now. I wanted to leave that marriage behind and move on, but I didn't expect him to refuse to let go."As Julian drove, he stole a glance at Macie from the corner of his eye. Her expression was calm, but he sensed that her sadness was deep, heavy, and unmoving.Thinking back to how calm and withdrawn she had been when they reunited a week ago, he finally understoo
About ten minutes later, Nolan returned with the medicine and started disinfecting and bandaging Edward's injured hand."How's the other guy?" Yosef asked."His face is bruised. He took a few punches to the stomach, and there are injuries to his shoulders, arms, and back," Nolan answered.After hearing that, Yosef lifted his foot and kicked Edward hard in the shin. "You've got all that stupid strength but no brain. Maybe you should be thrown in jail to learn your lesson!""But it was nothing serious, sir. Don't worry," Nolan added hastily. Yosef drew his leg back and then heard Edward ask hoarsely, "What about Macie? How bad is her heel?""It was scraped pretty badly, but the worst of it is her tailbone. She said she slipped when getting out of the car," Nolan responded.After hearing that, Edward bolted upright. He tried to get out of the car, but Yosef yanked him back by the collar. Nolan also jumped in to block him. "Let me go, Grandpa! Macie's hurt. I need to go see her!"
Yosef turned to Edward and shot him a sharp glare. He asked, "Well? Aren't you going to give your word?"However, Edward said nothing. His eyes were fixed on the woman standing just a few feet away. Her mask had come off, revealing her flawless, made-up face.She had cut her hair, put on makeup, and dressed in a completely different way. She was even wearing high heels. Back when she was with him, Macie never bothered with her appearance. But now, she was dressing up for that man to win over his favor.He had never realized just how obvious love could be or how brutal the absence of it felt. He clenched his fists, a dull ache twisting deep in his chest. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Don't worry, May. You have my word," Yosef said on Edward's behalf. "He won't bother you again.""I hope you mean that," Macie said, meeting Yosef's eyes. Then, she turned her attention back to the paper and signed her name on the statement. The officer took it, and the case was officially closed.
Macie turned at the sound of Julian's voice and answered quietly, "I'm sorry, Julian. I'll explain everything to you later."Just then, Yosef looked over at the young man standing beside Macie, noticing the bruises on his face. With a frown, he asked, "Did Edward do that to you?"Julian met the older man's gaze and nodded. "Hello, Mr. Fowler Senior. I'm Julian Atkinson. We met briefly years ago during a competition at Arlington College when you were the sponsoring judge."Yosef studied him more closely. He sensed something familiar about the young man. "Yes, I remember you. You were a very impressive young man. I'm sorry about my grandson. If there's any way I can make this up to you, just say the word.""There's no need, really. Security arrived in time, and I wasn't seriously hurt," Julian responded. "Also, I'll be filing a letter of non-prosecution, so you don't have to worry."Yosef gave the young man another look before he turned to walk toward the interrogation room to bring
"No, I didn't mean that…" Edward shook his head frantically and looked at Macie."Oh? Are you denying your own words now? Should I call Sharon over as a witness?" she shot back coldly."I... That's what I said back then, but I don't mean it now! I don't want you back because I want to hurt you. I—" Edward tried to explain, but by then, the officers had already handcuffed him."I like you!" he blurted out as they led him away. He turned his head, desperate to meet her eyes. Unfortunately, Macie didn't return his gaze. She stood still, her arms stiff at her sides, as though his words never even reached her.Edward was shoved into the back of a patrol car while Macie stood frozen in place, clenching her fists and forcing herself not to look back. She wondered if Edward had lost his mind. She questioned if he had really just said that he liked her. She wanted to laugh. She thought that his words sounded fake. It was almost as if Edward thought that being nice would change her mind ab
Julian was helped to his feet by security. He looked at Macie's anxious, worried expression and managed a strained smile. "I'm fine," he said between breaths. "I can take it."Macie immediately stepped toward him, her hand reaching out to steady him. The way she moved, the care in her eyes, made Edward's blood boil all over again. He tried to shove past the guard. Rage burned through him like wildfire. He was determined to get to that man. He had to tear him apart. "That's him, isn't it? He's the guy you've been in love with all along, right? He's the one you called last time!" he bellowed at Macie, his jealousy boiling over.He suddenly remembered the journal she used to carry everywhere, even after they were married. The one with the high school entries that documented her years of pining over her secret crush. It turned out that it was Julian. It had always been Julian. "Macie, tell me the truth. Did you ever love me? Even just a little?" Edward's voice cracked."I've alrea
It was like someone flipped a switch inside Edward when he heard Macie yell Julian's name. His whole body tensed. He stopped fastening Macie's seatbelt. Instead, he slammed the car door shut and locked it. Then, he turned around and glared at the man approaching.Edward had seen Julian earlier that morning. Now, staring at his face again, it finally clicked. He realized why Julian had looked familiar to him. Julian wasn't a business associate. He was that guy from the college competitions Macie used to enter. Back then, Edward had watched some of her old footage, and this man had been in them... a lot. So, it turned out that this man was Julian. Edward couldn't believe this rotten luck."Mr. Fowler, may I ask why you're—" Julian started to say, frowning as he reached the car. But he never got to finish his sentence as Edward's fist came out of nowhere, slamming into Julian's face with full force. The blow was so sudden and clean that Julian stumbled back and almost lost his balan