Chapter 9



“Sarah!” Linsey’s voice trembled with anger at Sarah’s disgraceful request, her body poised to spring forward. Yet, Kallie didn’t hesitate. She knelt down, her expression stoic.

To Kallie, being inferior to Sarah when Jake was involved was an accepted truth. Anything to please Sarah seemed a worthy sacrifice.

Jake stood by passively. The actions of others held little consequence.

The floor around them was strewn with shattered glass, and as Kallie’s knees hit the floor, a sharp pain shot through her. Her body swayed from the impact, yet she bore the pain stoically.

Looking up at Sarah from her position on the floor, Kallie’s face was a mask of serene determination, devoid of fear or distress.

Sarah, however, remained unappeased. “You…” she started, intent on having Kallie continue to degrade herself, when suddenly a man’s voice, thick with restrained anger, cut through the tension. “Enough!”

Jake rose to his feet and strode toward Kallie.

“Jake!” Sarah’s voice cracked in panic as she clutched at his sleeve.

But Jake ignored Sarah, bending down to lift Kallie into his arms instead.

The room fell into stunned silence. No one had anticipated this shift. They watched, mouths agape, as Jake carried Kallie away, forcefully kicking open the door to the chamber as they left.

Linsey was the first to collect herself. She glanced at Sarah, who sat stunned on the couch. “See your place now? No matter what you do, Jake’s heart belongs to his wife!”

Linsey’s earlier fury had subsided, replaced by a smug satisfaction.

In a rage, Sarah seized a bottle from the table and hurled it against the floor. “Get out! All of you!”

With Kallie in his arms, Jake hurried out of the bar. His driver was already outside, waiting.

Upon returning to the villa, Kallie waved her hands dismissively and entered on her own. Her thick pants had cushioned her knees, which seemed unharmed by the glass shards. She gestured to Jake, silently asking how he was holding up and whether he needed some soup to sober up.

Jake remained silent, his look at Kallie laden with unsaid thoughts.

Kallie was puzzled. Jake’s ability to hold his liquor was well-known, and he didn’t appear drunk. Summoning her courage, she gestured to ask whether he could go easy on Linsey.

Despite Linsey’s quick temper and tendency to hold grudges, she had always shown kindness to Kallie, who wanted to repay Linsey’s generosity.

With resignation, Kallie added her willingness to quit working at the bookstore as a term, hoping Jake wouldn’t go after Linsey.

Jake’s face twitched, yet he remained silent.

Kallie’s anxiety spiked. She wondered if Jake was contemplating retaliating against Linsey because of Sarah. The thought was unbearable. She couldn’t live with such guilt if anything happened to Linsey!

Kallie reached out and gently tugged at Jake’s sleeve, her heart lifting when he didn’t pull away. With immense effort, she managed to whisper, “Jake…” This was the only word she could produce, her vocal cords damaged beyond easy use.

At her voice, the icy look in Jake’s eyes thawed. They had shared a joyful childhood, her presence a constant comfort whenever he felt down, always there when he needed her most.

“Okay, for you, I’ll forgive her.”

Kallie’s relief was palpable as she heard Jake’s vow. He was a man of his word. Once he committed to something, he never backed out.

A radiant smile brightened Kallie’s face, her eyes twinkling with emotion, and she couldn’t resist pulling Jake into a tight embrace.

It had been far too long since Kallie had addressed Jake in this tone.

Back in their school days, Jake had been quite the heartthrob, drawing adoration from countless girls.

When they discovered Jake’s closeness to Kallie, their jealousy manifested cruelly. They stuffed Kallie’s desk with dead worms, tossed her belongings into the trash, and locked her in the bathroom.

Kallie endured the bullying silently, too afraid to complain lest the Reeves family think her a nuisance. To ease the situation, she reluctantly kept her distance from Jake.

Now, as Jake’s hand rested comfortingly on Kallie’s back, he too reminisced about those times. Tenderly, he lifted her chin, gazing into her eyes before lowering his lips to hers, capturing the soft pink of her lips in a gentle kiss…

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