Marla’s POV
My hands trembled, and before I knew it, I had dropped the phone I was holding.
"Lady Marla!" Matthew screamed. Everything became a blur, and then darkness consumed me.
When I woke up, the first thing I heard was a commanding voice barking orders.
"Make sure she regains her strength before the wedding happens."
The sheer authority in his tone sent shivers down my spine. Slowly, I opened my eyes, trying to make sense of the chaos around me.
"W-What happened?" I asked weakly, still disoriented.
Before I could gather my thoughts, Jason suddenly appeared before me. I froze, shocked to see him here. The last thing I remembered was that he wasn’t even home.
“You’re finally awake,” he said, his tone cold and devoid of emotion. It was like he just wanted to confirm I was conscious, nothing more.
I struggled to sit up, my body still weak. I looked around. It looked like I was in a hospital.
Then I remembered what had happened and why I had been brought here. I looked at Jason, expecting him to say something, but he didn’t even seem guilty—even though he knew I had heard them.
I needed to end this miserable situation with him.
“I need to visit the welfare home,” I said all of a sudden.
The welfare home—the one I had worked so hard to fund and build. I needed to go there before I commenced with my plan.
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Why now? You’re still sick, and you just woke up. You’re not going anywhere,” he said sharply.
I glared at him, my frustration boiling over. “And what about you? Why are you here? Since when did you start pretending to care about me? Don’t act like you suddenly care now!”
I didn’t expect what happened next. He grabbed my wrist tightly, his grip almost painful.
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that,” he growled, his eyes blazing with a dangerous intensity. For a moment, I thought he might lose control.
I stayed silent, too stunned to speak. After a few tense seconds, he let go of my hand, visibly calming himself down.
“Just focus on recovering,” he muttered. “You need to regain your strength before our wedding.”
And with that, he walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
This wasn’t the Jason I used to know. He had changed—he wasn’t the same man I once loved. Ever since Shane entered our lives, everything about him had become different.
I was still lost in thought when Matthew came in carrying a bouquet of flowers.
“Lady Marla, someone sent you these flowers. There’s a letter with it too,” he said, handing them to me.
I took the flowers and the letter, already suspecting who might have sent them. I knew it wasn’t Jason—he wouldn’t bother with such gestures.
As I opened the letter, my heart raced. My suspicion grew stronger.
It was from Shane.
‘I hope you recover soon. ;)’
As if on cue, the door suddenly opened again. Jason walked back into the room—but he wasn’t alone. Shane was with him.
"What are they doing here?" I asked, clenching my fists in frustration.
“Oh, hi!” Shane greeted, her smile so wide and overly sweet that it was almost unbearable. “I see you’ve already found the flowers I brought for you,” she said.
I couldn’t stand her smug expression. I wanted to wipe that annoying smile off her face. Then she turned to Jason, ignoring my growing irritation.
“Jason,” she said cheerfully, “I could drive Marla to the welfare home if she really insists on going. I overheard your conversation earlier, and as your personal assistant, it’s also my responsibility to take care of your future wife.”
Before she could say more, Jason abruptly cut her off.
“No,” he said coldly, his voice firm.
I was stunned, and so was Shane. She opened her mouth to argue, but Jason glared at her, silencing her with a single look.
“I said, I forbid you. I don’t want you to waste energy on her,” he continued.
The authority in his voice was undeniable, and the icy glare in his eyes left no room for argument. But what truly unsettled me was how close they were standing. Their bodies were barely inches apart, and the way they looked at each other made it seem like they shared some unspoken understanding.
For a moment, it felt like I wasn’t even in the room, like they existed in their own little world. I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that Jason wasn’t as cold to Shane as he pretended to be.
Trying to break the tension, I finally spoke up.
“There’s no need for anyone to take me,” I said firmly. “Shane, don’t bother yourself.”
Both of them snapped out of their own world and turned to face me.
“I just want to visit the director and the children at the welfare home to let them know I’m getting married,” I added, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Besides, you two seem so busy with each other,” I said sarcastically, unable to hide the bitterness in my tone. “I can manage on my own.”
Shane clapped her hands dramatically, her sarcasm matching mine.
“What a generous and tolerant woman you are!” she exclaimed. “I’m so excited about your wedding—I just can’t wait!”
Then she turned to Jason, her gaze lingering on him in a way that made my stomach churn. There was something in her eyes, something possessive, that made my skin crawl.
“Well, excuse me. I’ll leave you two now,” she said sweetly before walking out of the room, leaving Jason and me alone.
Jason seemed ready to follow her, but before he could, I grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks.
“Jason, wait,” I said. “I need to talk to you.”
