After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 6

To Rebecca, Jeffrey’s words felt like a sharp blade piercing her heart.

Even though the news about Jeffrey and Andrea had hurt her, Rebecca had clung to the hope that it might have just been a misunderstanding.

But hearing those cheesy words firsthand felt even worse than being stabbed. Her chest grow fight with a heavy, suffocating pressure.

“What is it?” Jeffrey’s voice was deep, but his tone was colder and more distant than she had ever heard, making her feel completely insignificant.

Still, Rebecca wanted to hear him clarify it. “What are you two doing?” she asked

“Did you call me just for that!” he replied, deflecting her question.

She was completely disappointed in him. Collecting herself, she saw no point in wasting more time. “Where is my suitcase? I want it back.”

His response was the silent void of a disconnected call.

She stabbed the redial button without hesitation. Her passport was in that suitcase, and she knew leaving it in his hands any longer was asking for

Trouble

This time, he didn’t pick up.

Andrea saw the call coming through on his phone, the ser

showing the contact hame Rebecca, and asked tentatively, “Aren’t you going to get that?”

allmustaying with you now,” he said: “Let’s finish your show first.”

Jeffrey let his phone koop ringing, making no move to answer or decl

Andrea, fresh from the shower in a sleek cambole, slipped her arms around bis “Forget the show,” she murmured. “I’d rather do something else with

you

She pressed herself closer against him, putting herself in a position where Jeffrey would get an eyeful if he glanced down.

“Be good now,” Jeffrey said, stopping her advances with calm detachment, “Your main focus right now should be resting and recovering your health.”

hurt tone, “You’re rejecting me because you don’t

it,” he reassured

to kiss Rebecca, but you

an act for Samuel’s benefit; he explained, “You should never think you’re less important to me than Rebecca. You’re the one who

subtle unease

it was Rebecca who had saved him in their childhood, not her, sho would lose everything she had and

from Jeffrey appeared on Rebecca’s phone: Come and get it yourself included was the

straight over. But when she pulled up to the estate, the

but

1/3

Chapter 6

sent him a message. If you’re

divorce wasn’t finalized yet, she still had every

hadn’t anticipated this move from her. Thirty minutes later, he returned with

get angry or make sarcastic comments. She simply walked over and asked him, “Why

looking at her as if she were a complete stranger. “Are you someone

became clear–from the minute those divorce

strangers

that had

and detached. “You’re right. I’m not anyone important, but if you had

a suitcase,” Andrea said, speaking up for Jeffrey. “It’s not like he would want

said, her voice hollow. The usual emotion in her eyes was gone, replaced by a chilling emptiness. “I just want my suitcase before it gets contaminated

Jeffrey’s expression darkened.

was flat and final. “Give me my things,

herself letting go of everything–his sudden coldness and his

fake the suitcase, Jeffrey reminded

easily replace it with an identical one,” she said, surprising herself with how numb she felt “I doubt you want any more

her carefully, trying to detect any sign that she was just putting on

long moment, he turned to the bodyguard behind him. “Get her suitcase from

nodded before

he returned carrying a soft

Jeffrey and Andrea expected Rebecca to simply take the luggage and leave, she

asked hesitantly, “Rebecca, what are you

still here,” Rebecca replied in a deceptively calm voice that

almost imperceptibly. He hadn’t anticipated she would learn to mirror