Chapter 176



Kallie strained with all her might but found Jake unmoving atop her. Strangely, Kallie sensed that Jake wasn’t applying his full weight, and despite being pinned down, she didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. It dawned on Kallie swiftly—Jake must be doing it deliberately.

Furious, Kallie sank her teeth into Jake’s shoulder. Jake grunted, the impact seemingly sobering him from his drunken state. Squinting with a hint of menace, he reacted to her bite. Kallie, seizing the moment, used her free hands to sign frantically, trying to convey that she wasn’t Sarah and that he was making a mistake.

Jake, however, was unfazed. He reached out, firmly grasping her chin, his voice low and firm. “I’m not blind, I know exactly who you are.”

Kallie’s eyelashes fluttered, a mix of fear and confusion as she opened her mouth to question his intentions. But before she could speak, Jake leaned in, cutting off her words with a kiss.

Kallie trembled under his touch, her eyes wide as she stared into Jake’s intense gaze. His unique scent enveloped her, overwhelming her senses. Caught in the moment, Kallie found herself unable to resist, swept up in the intensity of Jake’s passion.

She attempted to resist, but Jake was swift, capturing her hands and securing them behind her back. As the kiss deepened, Jake wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her even closer to him. Their bodies pressed tightly together, the space between them vanishing entirely.

Jake’s dark eyes shimmered with a complex mix of emotions as he gazed at Kallie, the intensity in his gaze softening into something more enigmatic. Despite the passion that clearly tempted him to further abandon, he held back, moderating his desire. He teased her lips, alternating between gentle nibbles and firmer, more insistent pressures.

Locked in this embrace, time seemed to stretch on indefinitely, each moment lingering as they remained entwined. Finally, Jake pulled away, gasping for air as he released Kallie.

Breathing heavily, Kallie lifted her head, her eyes scanning the room in a daze. Without realizing it, during their intense moment, they had somehow moved onto the bed. The closeness they had just shared felt surreal, almost as if it belonged to another lifetime.

Kallie struggled to make sense of her emotions. She had thought her love for Jake had faded, yet during their kiss, her body had reacted on its own. Her limbs went weak and her heart raced uncontrollably. Could this intense physical response be merely a reflex, remnants of their once passionate relationship?

Without waiting for Kallie to recover, Jake drew her closer into his arms again, inhaling her scent deeply. Outside, a gentle drizzle began to fall, the light pattering against the window adding a tranquil backdrop to the room’s atmosphere.

For Jake, the moment felt surreal, almost dreamlike. Kallie lay still beside him in a daze until a sudden memory jolted her. She started to rise, but Jake’s arm tightened around her, holding her back as he murmured, “What are you afraid of? Do you think I’d hurt you? Stop resisting. Can’t you see?”

Kallie’s frustration flared at his words. Was he using her as some sort of emotional crutch? Struggling with a mix of anger and the need to protect herself, especially mindful of her pregnancy, Kallie carefully extricated herself from his grasp. It was crucial to avoid any careless movements that might jeopardize her baby’s well-being.

Once she stood, Kallie turned to look at Jake. His face was pale, beads of sweat dotting his forehead. The intensity of their kiss seemed to have brought him back to a clearer state of mind.

As the sharp, familiar pain surged through Jake, it threatened to break his usual stoic demeanor. This was the first time Kallie had seen Jake visibly affected by pain. There had been an incident in the past when Jake suffered from a stomach ulcer due to poor eating habits. At that time, despite the severe discomfort, Jake had endured it for an entire day before the pain interfered, compelling him to seek hospital care.

When Kallie received the news and hurried to the hospital, she found Jake perched on the hospital bed, his posture relaxed as if he were merely taking a break. His expression turned into a slight frown upon seeing her, a hint of displeasure crossing his face. “What are you doing here? You didn’t have to come. It’s not like I’m dying!”

Kallie, carrying a pot of stomach-nourishing soup she had prepared, placed it down and gestured to explain Edgar had informed her of his hospitalization, and worried, she felt compelled to check on him. For a brief moment, Jake’s expression softened, his eyes revealing a fleeting tenderness before returning to their usual calm. He averted his gaze, his voice growing colder. “It’s pouring outside. I’m just saying that you should think twice before acting on your impulses. Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not that I care about you. As my wife, showing up here in the middle of the night could make others think I’m on my deathbed. We can’t have that.”

At the time, Kallie was still reeling from the loss of their first child and was physically and emotionally fragile. The sting of Jake’s cold dismissal in the hospital still lingered sharply in her memory, so leaving the room with her dignity intact had been her only option that day, her expression grim.

Now, recalling that moment, Kallie recognized the authenticity of Jake’s current agony. It wasn’t an act. The pain he was in was genuine, severe enough that he couldn’t conceal it.

Kallie hesitated, torn by her instincts, but decided to reach out to Edgar for help, only to remember that he had already finished his duties for the day and was unreachable.

Meanwhile, Jake continued to groan, his body curled up on the bed in a pitiful display. With a heavy sigh, Kallie acknowledged her own relenting nature. She was too compassionate for her own good. Despite everything, Kallie found herself moving toward Jake, shaking his body slightly to get his attention.

Jake struggled to meet her gaze, his brow furrowed deeply as more sweat beaded on his skin. Kallie gestured slowly, ensuring Jake could clearly see her movements. She cautiously asked if he wanted her to reach out to Sarah or if he needed medical attention, like summoning a doctor or heading to the hospital.

Realizing she couldn’t physically support him, she gestured to ask if he could move since she couldn’t possibly transport him to the hospital.

Jake responded with a deep, labored sigh and then suddenly reached out, grasping Kallie’s wrist and pulling her close into his arms. Taken aback by his sudden move, Kallie stumbled forward, falling once again into his embrace. With Kallie in his arms, Jake exhaled deeply, a look of relief washing over his face.

“You don’t have to do anything. Just let me hold you a bit. I’m feeling really awful,” Jake murmured, his voice a mixture of pain and something else that Kallie couldn’t quite decipher.

Confused by his behavior yet sensing the gradual relaxation in his tense frame, Kallie remained still. Feeling an inexplicable surge of worry, Kallie made a gesture, posing a question even though she knew perhaps she shouldn’t pry. She desired to understand what was ailing him, as his symptoms suggested sickness.

Jake, feeling slightly better, closed his eyes as he replied with a coldness that belied his earlier vulnerability. “What does it matter to you? The more you know, the more it will bother you.”

Kallie’s brow furrowed at his response. Even in his moment of apparent need, his arrogance surfaced, making it hard for her to empathize fully. Slowly, her eyelids grew heavy, and the soothing sound of the rain soon ushered her into a peaceful slumber.

With his headache finally subsiding, Jake felt a wave of relief wash over him. He glanced down at Kallie, who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. It had been ages since they had shared such a restful moment, perhaps even since the early days of their marriage. After marriage, Kallie always seemed timid and anxious in Jake’s presence, like a frightened rabbit wary of a looming predator.

Jake found it hard to understand her fear. Perhaps the absence of love had fostered this apprehension.

As she slept, Kallie stirred slightly, her subconscious reacting as she tried to push Jake’s hand away. Despite this, Jake tightened his hold, not ready to let go of the moment of closeness they had unexpectedly shared.

Kallie ceased her feeble attempts to disengage and eventually turned over, settling back into a deeper sleep. Jake, feeling the calm enveloping them both, drifted off. It had been ages since he had experienced such peaceful slumber, undisturbed and genuine.

Meanwhile, in the garden, Sarah endured a long and lonely night waiting for Jake. She had set the scene with hopeful anticipation, but as the night stretched on, no one came. Dawn found her waking up with a start, her head resting awkwardly on the garden table. The candles she had lit flickered out hours ago, and the scattered remnants on the table told her that she had been waiting in vain.

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