Chapter 2

That night, Adeline fell asleep to the sound of the wind and snow howling outside her window.

The next morning, just as dawn broke, she was jolted awake by the relentless chiming of her phone notifications.

She picked up her device, only to see a headline in a searing, blood-red font—

BREAKING! Psychologist Adeline Suffers Mental Breakdown! Leaks Private Photos!

The blood in Adeline’s veins turned to ice instantly.

Below the headline was a psychiatric evaluation report accompanied by 999 of her most private photos.

The comment section was in an uproar:

[I heard she was jealous of her husband’s savior and sent a fake report to her school to try and drive the poor girl to suicide!]

[Talk about a twisted mind. A psychologist like this needs to get the hell out of the medical field!]

[Great body, though. Since she’s so lonely, anyone got her contact info? I want to ask how much she charges for a night.]

Looking at the stream of vile, unbearable words, Adeline felt herself bordering on a total collapse.

She dug her nails into her palms, and just as she was about to call Dominic, the front door was pushed open.

Dominic walked in, hand-in-hand with Bianca, whose leg appeared to be injured. Their fingers were tightly interlaced.

Bianca’s eyes were rimmed with red. "Sister Adeline, you already drove me to jump off a building and ruin my leg. Why did you have to hire people to send death threats to my parents?"

Facing these baseless accusations, Adeline instinctively looked toward Dominic.

The man’s gaze remained fixed entirely on Bianca, filled with an obsessive devotion. He didn't even spare Adeline a glance.

Adeline fought to control her trembling hands, forcing back her tears as she stared stubbornly at him. "Did you post those things online?"

A trace of a smile lingered in Dominic’s expression, but the eyes he turned toward her were utterly devoid of warmth. "Perhaps you should ask yourself, my dear wife, why you took it upon yourself to write that report in the first place."

"So, as your wife, I don't even have the right to push back?"

Even though she already knew the answer, Adeline couldn't bring herself to give up hope.

"Honey, you’re welcome to try."

The nonchalant remark hit Adeline like a sledgehammer.

She lowered her head, hot tears flooding her eyes.

This was Dominic.

He would give the world to those he loved and bring hell to those he loathed.

To clear his darling’s name, he hadn't hesitated to sacrifice Adeline’s dignity and reputation.

Bianca, however, maintained her aggrieved facade. "Dominic, I can let the report go, but you have to give me justice for the harassment and threats my parents faced."

Dominic leaned in and kissed her cheek. Those soulful eyes, which seemed capable of deep affection for anyone he chose, landed on Adeline once more.

"Apologize."

Adeline’s eyelashes fluttered. "I didn't do it. Why should I apologize?"

Dominic let out a soft "tsk" and clapped his times. A group of bodyguards entered immediately.

"Honey, I’m not in the mood for riddles. Will you apologize yourself, or should I have the boys help you?"

Adeline felt as if her heart was being sliced into pieces. She stared at Dominic, her eyes bloodshot.

But the tenderness of the past was gone, replaced only by a chilling indifference.

After a long silence, Adeline lowered her head in resignation. "I’m sorry."

Dominic’s lips curled into a smirk as he turned back to the girl in his arms. "Satisfied? No more tantrums?"

Bianca hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Dominic gave a doting smile, lifting Bianca’s hand to plant a kiss on it, his eyes brimming with sweetness.

Adeline’s heart was trampled into the dirt once again.

Unable to watch another second, she turned and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

Behind her, she could still hear Dominic’s low, coaxing voice: "Does your leg still hurt? How about I give you a nice massage tonight?"

She shut the door, drowning out the world, and collapsed onto the bed, letting the tide of misery pull her under.

The past years flashed before her eyes like scenes from a dream.

In those dreams, Dominic would run across the entire city just because she mentioned wanting a piece of plum candy.

After they married, he was the perfect husband, cooking for her, massaging her, and brewing her herbal soups.

He was possessively protective, refusing to let anyone look at her for more than three seconds without picking a fight.

Once, Adeline had even run away from home because of his intensity.

That night, Dominic had tracked her down to her guesthouse. He set off a sky full of fireworks outside her window and knocked on her door with bloodshot eyes. "Baby, don't be afraid of me. I won't ever be like that again."

She had softened, letting him hold her tight as he whispered her name all through the night.

But the dream had dissolved, leaving behind nothing but mist and shadows.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, swallowing the bitterness in her throat before forcing herself out of bed.

Just as she opened the bedroom door, she saw Dominic standing at the top of the stairs. He held his arms open for her, a smile in his eyes.

"Up so early, honey?"

Under the glow of the warm lights, the tenderness in his gaze overlapped with the man who had once lit up the sky with fireworks for her.

Adeline dithered for a moment and, like countless times before, walked toward him without a shred of suspicion.

In the next heartbeat, her foot hit a slick patch.

She instinctively shielded her stomach, reaching out to grab Dominic.

But the man standing before her, holding a cup of coffee, merely took a step back with a mocking glint in his eyes.

Adeline’s hand caught nothing but air. She tumbled violently down the stairs, the back of her head slamming against the steps. Warm blood trickled down from her forehead, blurring her vision.

Shaking with pain, she looked up at Dominic in utter disbelief.

He walked down the stairs slowly, coffee in hand, and knelt beside her.

With the same gentleness he had shown during their most intimate nights, he reached out to wipe the blood from her face.

"Honey, Bianca accidentally spilled some water this morning. She’s young; don't hold it against her."