"Don’t call that," Andrew said, and Beatrice’s smile faltered for a second before it returned.
"Okay. I understand. It’s okay. I ordered so food for both of us. I know you married because your grandfather said so, but we can at least live together as good friends, right?" Beatrice asked, hope evident in her eyes.
Andrew watched the woman play-pretend wife, then twist it into the form of friendship she’d ruined long ago with her betrayal, and couldn’t help but chuckle darkly.
"Do you even know what it ans?" Andrew asked.
Beatrice pursed her lips.
"Why are you talking like that, Andrew? I know you didn’t want to marry . You made it painfully clear, but must you be so harsh?" Beatrice asked.
Andrew smiled, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes, before he closed the distance between them in large steps.
His hand reached straight for her throat, and he wrapped his fingers around her throat, anger brimming in his eyes.
"Do you think this is just about marriage? Do you think I would like to play friendship with a bitch who stole company secrets and sold them outside, all the ti when I was defending her and standing against my own wife for her?" Andrew asked.
Beatrice’s eyes widened when she rembered what it was. Right. How could she forget? Her secret of stealing the file was out in the open.
"Andrew, let explain first," Beatrice said, barely making those words out as Andrew choked her so hard.
Andrew kept staring at her with a dead expression. He watched her complexion turn red before it drained of color and paled, and he couldn’t help but think of killing her then and there.
He wanted to ask her what his father ant when he said such words, but he didn’t want to accuse her without any proof, not because he thought she was innocent, but because she was a cunning woman and he wanted to corner her in a way she would never be able to find.
"Explain," Andrew said before he let go of her throat.
Beatrice bent over imdiately and started taking deep breaths, coughing violently. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up, and for the first ti, she realised how dangerous Andrew could be.
"Explain," Andrew said with a monotone tone.
"Hmm?" Beatrice asked, trying her best to calm her heartbeats.
"You said you have a reason for betraying your friend who cared about you, the lover who loved you, and your boss who always treated you far more fairly than any boss. Give the explanation of your betrayal. Let’s hear what you have to say about it," Andrew said.
Beatrice’s eyes brimd with tears again.
She understood him. He had trusted her very much, and she broke it all for his uncle, but honestly, it was necessary, too.
"I can’t tell you that right now, but trust , Andrew. There’s a reason why I am doing this," Beatrice said, id and Andrew laughed out loud.
"Trust you? Are you being for real at the mont?" With that, the man turned and ascended the stairs.
As soon as Andrew reached his room, the first thing he noticed was the pink towel that didn’t belong to him.
A nerve in his forehead twitched, and his lips curved up.
Rather than going to freshen up, the man went straight to the closet. He yanked the door, and just like he had guessed, half the wardrobe was full of Beatrice’s clothes.
He grabbed the hangers in a single go and walked to the door before looking down from the balcony.
Without saying a word, he threw the clothes in the middle of the hall.
"If I see this kind of nuisance in my room alone, next ti, I will light them," Andrew said before he slamd the door shut.
Beatrice, who was on a call with Producer Li about the change in the schedule, looked at the clothes, gritting her teeth.
She then looked up and smiled.
It’s okay, Andrew. I know you are angry right now, but you’ll start falling for again. There’s nothing that I have ever wanted and not gotten before. Beatrice thought before she turned and walked to the dining table, placing so food on the table for herself.
She wasn’t stupid like those won who don’t eat just because theirhusbands don’tt. She needed to take care of herself and her body. After all, that was her weapon against him.
At the sa ti, Elara punched the punching bag regularly, sweat dripping from her chin as her lungs burned with exhaustion, her body begging her to stop and take so rest.
Her body was tired, but her mind only felt more fired up.
That man was back. She knew this would happen when she decided to go into showbiz, but she hadn’t expected him to have the sa effect on her still.
The more she thought about how arrogant he was, how confidently he declared he would get her back, the angrier she beca at herself for not being enough to take him down.
She would be a fool to think this was a one-ti thing. He would reappear again.
He dared to co as close as her shooting set today; next ti, he might try to co to her apartnt.
"Elara, open the fucking door!" Soone roared from outside, and Elara, who had been punching the bag unhinged, stopped, breathing heavily, placing her forehead on the punching bag to calm her raging heartbeat.
"What is it?" Elara yanked the door open.
George looked at his sister’s form, then his gaze shifted to her knuckles that were bleeding profusely.
"God, what the hell is wrong with you?!" He raised his voice before ordering Antonio to bring the first aid kit.
"I should’ve known sothing was wrong when she asked to shift the punching bag from the living hall to her bedroom. This..." Antonio started,d but then shook his head and rushed to get the dical kit.
George looked at his sister with pursed lips.
"Tell what happened? What happened so bad that it triggered you to the point of forgetting your own pain?" George asked.
Elara looked at her brother. She wasn’t sure if she should tell him everything. Telling him about it would only risk him getting into trouble with that monster who had already tried to make her parents’ lives a living hell earlier.
But...
"He is back, isn’t he?" George asked.
Elara lifted her brows, shock evident on her face.
"Did Daniel say sothing?" Elara asked.
"So he knows too?" George asked.
Elara sighed when she realised her brother had just made a wild guess, and she had been caught in the trap by her anger.
"I am not in the mood to talk about anything," Elara said.
"Well, I am, and we are going to get through this together," George said before he took the dicine kit from Antonio’s hands.
"I am enough for that," they heard a voice, and Elara turned to look at Daniel, her eyes imdiately averting.
After all, he had put her to sleep, and she had affird to him that she wouldn’t do anything reckless.
She tried to pull her hand away from George’s to hide the, but it was too late.
Daniel sighed and walked to where she was sitting before he pulled up, sat in the seat, and pulled her back onto his lap.
He took the dical kit from George’s hands and started cleaning Elara’s wounds.
The man didn’t utter a word until he was done wrapping her wound.
"Are you angry?" Elara asked, and George stood, leaving the hall to give the couple so space. After all, this was a big matter for them.
"Not at you," Daniel said before he placed his forehead on her temple.
"Let’s get engaged next week," Daniel said after so ti.
"And is it going to solve anything?" She asked.
Daniel didn’t speak. He was torn between telling her the man haunting her for the last four years, and the reason she, his woman, his wife, and beloved was forced to play pretend dead and marry Andrew was none other than his stepbrother. He clenched his fists; he didn’t want to lose Elara and have her hate him even more. What if she thinks he was involved in all that stalking?
What if she doesn’t believe him and doubts he will make things right for her and protect her with all his life?
The more he thought about it, the more reasons he found for not telling her the truth.
For the first ti in his life, he felt troubled like this.
"Tell , will that solve everything?" Elara asked.
"No. But that will keep you close to , and I assure you we will face this together and destroy our enemies together," Daniel said.
Elara looked up at the man for a few seconds before bobbing her head up and down.
"Okay. Let’s get married next week." Elara said.
"Married?" Daniel raised his brows.
"Are you not willing?" She asked.
"No. I an, yes, I am willing, it’s just that... will your parents be able to manage all the invitations and everything..."
"Let’s keep it private," Elara said.
"Are you ashad of marrying ?" Daniel asked playfully, and Elara smiled softly, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"I don’t want that monster to co for you straight after we get married," Elara whispered, and Daniel pursed his lips, feeling his heart ache again.
If only you knew that monster was the one who was a living evidence of the destruction of my life long ago. Daniel sighed.
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