Two weeks had passed, and still, there was no sign of her. Lucian was losing it. If he ever got his hands on her, she would make him pay. These days she had left, casting a shadow on him; it seemed like there was something missing from his life. Every day he came back from work, she'd go to meet him, take his bag, and then heat his bath, but now everything seemed different. Even though he had his servants to do those things, he still felt empty.
He was in the study working when he got some news of her whereabouts: she was staying at the Ashcroft villa, his rival's. Their families had been on bad terms. His hand slammed on the table; he was filled with rage—who knew what they would be doing this time of night? Several images of he and Serene flooded his mind. His mind went back to how he had never treated her right; he knew she had reached her limit. Rubbing his temples, he got up, took his car keys, and zoomed out; he was determined to bring her back.
On reaching the villa, he was stopped by the guards but immediately overpowered them and drove into the compound. Getting out of the car, he stormed into the villa.
He was greeted with a blissful scene; there she was; his wife Serene chatting happily with Theodore. He angrily glared at them. Glancing up, Serene was shocked; her hands trembled, and the cup slipped out of her fingers and crashed to the floor. How could he find her? She thought she was safe; he was here for her. Feeling her uneasiness, Theodore gently placed his hand on her thigh to give her a sense of warmth and comfort. He looked at Lucian, revealing a devilish smile. only they could decipher. "What brings you here, Lucian?" he said, almost in a mocking tone.
"I must be intrigued by how you managed to hide away someone's wife; you must possess really good talent," Lucian replied, mocking him. "Anyways, I believe you have something of mine, and I'm here to take it back. Is that a problem, Mr. Ashcroft?" His words carried a deep meaning. They both knew what he was talking about.
I'm sorry, but Serene doesn't want to go with you," he said, placing his hands on her shoulder. His eyes turned dark; only he was allowed to touch her that way. Serene could feel the tension between the two men. She couldn't butt in if she wanted to, even though this whole matter was related to her, but she couldn't bear spending another minute with him, let alone a day.
Before she could speak up, Lucian interjected, "I don't think it would be wise to interfere with my marital affairs; she's my wife," he said, emphasizing each word deliberately. This time, he knew it was hopeless to argue with him; it wasn't the perfect time yet. He needed to plant an immeasurable hatred for Lucian in her heart, and the only way was to let her go with him. Only then would the final part of his plan take root.
Feeling he had won, Lucian walked over to Serene carrying her up and placing her over his shoulder. In anger, she started hitting him, raining curses and expressing her dissatisfaction. Helpless, she gave up, she was no match for him. She couldn't believe she was going back; she had finally embraced a new life, but unfortunately he came and took it away from her. It was like she was back to the old days, but this time she wouldn't allow him to push her around again. She needed to make it clear to him that they were done and she would never be with him—not in this life, not in the next.
Glancing up at her, he realized how much hurt he had caused her. Two weeks of living alone made him realize he could never live without her. He couldn't understand his feelings; they were too complicated. He was happy that she was back by his side, and this time he would never let her go. She would stay by his side forever, but the question was, "Was that what she really wanted?" and the worst part was that she believed all those rumors online and had distanced herself from him. Though he never paid attention to all those lies over the years and took it down but they seem to resurface online and they were ruining his reputation.
Driving into her former home, she couldn't help but feel nauseous. This was a place she had vowed never to set foot in, but now she was back here. Stepping out of the car, she stood there, hesitant to go back into the mansion. Memories from that night flooded her mind. The news, those pictures—everything was clear to her: she had no place in his heart, and she stopped Believing that he could ever love her back the way she once loved him, she felt she felt like a tool used by him. When she saw the news, it seemed her world had crumbled before her. He went ahead and had a child with another woman. Did he find her so disgusting? She couldn't help asking herself these questions. A tear slipped from her eye; she couldn't appear weak in front of him; it would only give him the opportunity to continue disrespecting her.
Following him, she walked back into the house and stared at his back with hatred. She would never stop looking for a way to escape from his grasp. Until then, she had to be patient and endure. Her room was next to his. When she reached for the door handle, she heard him say, "Don't think you can divorce me. I am the one who decides when this marriage ends. Until then, you obey my orders, and let this not happen next time," he said, entering his room.
She understood his words perfectly well and knew the consequences of disobeying him. Tired, she quietly entered her room and shut the door behind her.
Leaning against the door, she couldn't help breaking down into tears, she had been holding it all in. She had a lot of questions to ask him was that his child in the news? But she lacked the courage to do so, she didn't even get the opportunity to thank Theodore for saving her. If he hadn't come in time, something terrible might have happened to her. In her heart, she hoped her mum was safe. Her plan was to take her mum with her and perhaps start a new life. But unfortunately, her plan was ruined, she couldn't even think of a way to escape.
The next morning, Serene opened her heavy eyelids. She didn't sleep well last night, she had a terrible dream and she felt a bit sleepy. Going to the bathroom, she washed her face and wanted to go down to look for something to eat but found out the door was locked. Shouting to let her out a servant appeared and said; "Young Madam, Sir has ordered you shouldn't be let out of your room." It was her punishment for leaving, at this rate she might starve to death. Collapsing on the floor she couldn't help feeling restless but all the same she felt she had been wronged, it was all his fault.
She sat down on the cold, tiled floor, humming a lullaby to calm herself. She was a mess; it was 12 AM the next morning, and she hadn't eaten. She couldn't help thinking about when she would be allowed to go down and eat. She was so hungry that she could eat a cow.
She sat down, hitting her head against the wall. She felt so weak and useless. She couldn't help herself or the one she loved—her mum. She wasn't given the opportunity to experience teen romance; she was forced to grow up, to be an adult. Everything quickly flew by; the years she spent loving and longing for him were in vain. If she could go back, she would have rejected the offer, but would she be totally free?
Soon, she heard some footsteps outside her room and immediately started banging her hand against the door. She couldn't stay in her room; she felt she was suffocating. She wasn't used to being starved like this; she had a health condition, and her body wouldn't allow it. Immediately, the door swung open, and a pair of Long legs walked into the room, stopping in front of her. He saw her disheveled state and couldn't help but scoff. Was she trying to put up an appearance in front of him? His eyes narrowed dangerously; he had lots of ways to punish her. Grabbing her chin, he looked at her and said, "Wife, you know the consequences of disobeying me. Next time, I won't be so gentle," he said, letting go of her and watching as she fell to the ground like a bag of chips.
Turning his back, he continued, "Go get yourself cleaned up and prepare my bath for me." He walked out, exuding an air of authority.