Chapter 14



As Ethan slammed on the brakes, Kallie was jolted forward before her seatbelt snapped her back into place. She gripped the handle tightly, her face drained of color.

“Sorry, Kallie, I… I wasn’t thinking…” Ethan blurted out as he finally noted how frightened Kallie looked.

Kallie just shook her head and leaned back, looking exhausted.

Suddenly, the door of the Bentley Mulsanne swung open, and Jake exited the vehicle. Shortly after, Sarah emerged, as pale as Kallie. She had neglected to fasten her seatbelt and had been tossed against the car window multiple times during the ride. Now, she was cradling her forehead, her appearance quite disheveled.

“Jake, let’s go home. Jake…” Sarah called out, trying to detain Jake as he strode toward the Mercedes.

Jake seemed to ignore Sarah entirely. He walked over to the passenger side of the Mercedes and tried to open the door, but found it locked. His frustration was visible as he pounded furiously on the window.

“Kallie, don’t be scared. I won’t let him hurt you,” Ethan reassured Kallie.

Kallie shook her head in response.

Unable to understand sign language, Ethan watched helplessly as Kallie typed out a message on her phone. “He is my husband.”

Those words seemed to sap Ethan’s resolve. He silently hit the unlock button. A moment later, a furious Jake yanked the door open and started to pull Kallie out of the car.

“Jake, what are you doing?” Ethan demanded, halting Jake from pulling Kallie out forcefully.

“I’m taking my wife home. What does that have to do with you?” Jake’s voice was icy, his eyes chilling, as though he was on the brink of violence.

Ethan clenched his jaw. “I’m concerned about how you might treat my sister’s friend.”

“Like you said, she’s your sister’s friend. What concern is it of yours?”

Despite Jake’s efforts to pull Kallie toward his car, Ethan stood his ground.

“Let her go. I won’t move until I hear her say she wants to go with you,” Ethan declared.

Jake’s gaze shifted to Kallie. Before she could speak, he scoffed. “You should be worried about yourself!”

Just then, the wail of police sirens filled the air. A squad of traffic officers arrived, encircling both vehicles.

“Speeding, reckless driving. You need to come with us.”

The officers quickly detained Ethan.

“He was speeding too! He was driving recklessly as well! Why aren’t you arresting him?” Ethan argued, but his resistance only led to him being more aggressively subdued and eventually pinned to the ground.

Kallie was taken aback by Jake’s decision to call the police on Ethan. She yearned to advocate for Ethan, but Jake didn’t allow her the opportunity. He hustled Kallie into the passenger seat of the Bentley Mulsanne.

After locking the door, Jake slid into the driver’s seat.

“Jake? Are you really going to leave me here? Where are we even?” Sarah was left pounding on the car window in shock. Yet, Jake just sped away, completely ignoring her.

During the drive, Kallie grew increasingly nauseous. Carsickness overcame her, her head spinning and her stomach in turmoil. She barely managed to get inside the house before the overwhelming urge to rest gripped her.

The butler greeted them as they entered. “Sir, Madam, you’ve returned early. Have you had dinner?”

Kallie halted, a sudden memory flashing through her mind. She had forgotten the food container in Ethan’s car.

Kallie shook her head at the butler and then turned to Jake, silently asking whether he needed her to whip up something for him and whether he craved anything specific.

Jake, still seething with anger, didn’t reply. Instead, he swept her off her feet and pinned her to the sofa.

The butler promptly exited the room.

With the world swirling around her, Kallie closed her eyes to ease the dizziness. To Jake, it seemed as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.

“A mere gesture from Ethan, and you left with him,” Jake said accusingly, his voice sharp. “I asked you to come home with me, and you resisted. Had I not intervened, would you actually have married Ethan?”

Shock flickered across Kallie’s face as she met Jake’s gaze. Back then, she had rejected Ethan’s proposal, yet Ethan had insisted. Was Jake somehow involved in the situation?

Observing her astonishment, Jake let out a scornful laugh. “It seems you get worked up just hearing his name. Remember, Kallie, you’re married to me. You are mine, forever! Don’t even entertain the thought of leaving me.”

Jake’s large hand slid under Kallie’s clothes aggressively. Overwhelmed and unable to push him away, Kallie turned her head and vomited as a sudden wave of sickness overtook her.

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