Inside the VIP hospital room, Arkana leaned back against a leather chair, staring blankly out the window at the fading remnants of the night. His mind was in complete disarray. The image of Aurelia embracing another man in the park the previous evening kept replaying in his head, slowly consuming what little sanity he had left.
From the hospital bed, Selena studied the frustration etched across his handsome face. Moving deliberately, as though her body were still terribly weak, she gently touched his arm.
"Arkan... what's wrong?" she asked softly, her voice laced with carefully crafted concern. "You've been so quiet. Did something happen with Aurelia?"
Arkana let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"I saw her hugging another man in the park."
A flicker of satisfaction flashed across Selena's eyes before she quickly replaced it with an expression of dramatic shock.
"What? Hugging another man? Didn't you ask her who he was?" Selena paused for a moment before continuing hesitantly. "But, Arkan... actually, I..."
She stopped again, pretending to struggle with whether she should continue.
"Actually what? Just tell me, Selena."
"I've wanted to tell you since yesterday... but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me."
Arkana turned to her sharply.
"What do you mean?"
"I've seen Aurelia leave by herself several times," Selena lied effortlessly, her face utterly convincing. "I thought she was just out shopping. But it turns out she was meeting someone... Maybe she exaggerated everything between you two just to create an excuse. She painted you as the bad guy so she could leave without feeling guilty. She's the one hiding secrets, yet she made it look like you're the villain."
Her words flowed like poison, seeping directly into Arkana's already wounded pride. His reason completely shut down. The resentment and betrayal that had been burning inside him ever since witnessing that embrace in the park made him accept Selena's lies without question.
---
The next morning, the sun shone brightly, but it couldn't melt the icy silence that filled the penthouse.
Aurelia stepped inside with a long, weary sigh.
After spending the entire night crying on her brother's shoulder and thinking everything through, her heart had finally calmed. Her pride had softened. She came home with only one purpose, to save their one-year marriage and listen to Arkana's explanation with a clear mind.
The moment she entered the living room, however, she found Arkana already sitting there.
He was still wearing the same shirt as yesterday.
His face looked exhausted, and his bloodshot eyes revealed that he hadn't slept at all.
Hearing the door open, Arkana slowly looked up. His gaze was cold enough to pierce through her.
"Where have you been?" he asked without any greeting.
Aurelia tightened her grip on her handbag strap, trying to steady the pounding in her chest.
"I went out to calm myself down, Arkan. Yesterday, we were both too emotional..."
"So," Arkana interrupted flatly, his tone as emotionless as if he were discussing business, "when are we going to finalize the divorce?"
The question struck Aurelia like a brutal blow to the chest.
Her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
The emotional walls she had painstakingly rebuilt since dawn crumbled in an instant.
A crushing pain spread through her chest, leaving her struggling to breathe.
She looked at her husband through eyes that were already beginning to glisten.
"So... you really want us to get divorced, Arkan?"
Her voice trembled violently as she fought back another wave of tears.
"I came home hoping you'd comfort me. I hoped you'd put your pride aside, just a little, and explain who that woman is for the sake of our marriage. But instead... the first thing you ask me about is the divorce papers."
Arkana let out a mocking scoff.
He rose from his seat and walked toward her, his intimidating presence pressing down on her.
"Why should I explain anything to a woman who's already moved on?" he said coldly. "You accused me of cheating and acted like you're the innocent victim here. But what about you, Aurelia?"
She froze, her brows knitting together in confusion through her tears.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb!" Arkana shouted, his eyes blazing with jealousy and rage. "I went looking for you at the park last night! And what did I see? You were wrapped up in another man's arms! So that's why you turned off your phone? That's why you demanded a divorce yesterday? Because you already had another man waiting for you?"
Aurelia staggered backward, unable to believe the cruel accusation coming from her own husband's mouth.
The tightness in her chest became unbearable.
"Arkan, watch your words! The man I was with last night was actually..."
"Arkan..."
Her explanation was abruptly cut short when the front door, which had apparently been left unlocked, slowly opened.
Selena stepped inside, her face still pale, wrapped in a thick knitted cardigan.
"Arkan, I'm sorry for coming here without permission," she said softly, deliberately making her voice tremble.
She glanced briefly at Aurelia before turning back to Arkana with carefully rehearsed vulnerability.
"I came because I wanted to explain to Aurelia that I..."
Her voice trailed off.
Aurelia clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.
Her head throbbed as she watched Selena's pathetic performance unfold at the worst possible moment.
"You..."
"There's nothing you need to explain, Selena," Arkana interrupted firmly.
His voice softened dramatically the moment he addressed Selena, a complete contrast to the harsh tone he'd used toward Aurelia only seconds earlier.
Without hesitation, he strode past Aurelia and went straight to Selena.
Seeing her sway unsteadily, he instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders, supporting her before she could stumble.
"You're still weak. Why did you insist on coming here?" he asked gently. "You should've stayed at the hospital or rested at your apartment."
Aurelia stood frozen.
Her body went completely numb, as though every ounce of strength had been drained from it.
Her eyes remained fixed on Arkana's arm wrapped protectively around Selena's shoulders.
Inside their home.
Disbelief, disgust, and heartbreak merged into one overwhelming ache, clogging her throat until she couldn't force out a single word.
Only moments ago, her husband had accused her of infidelity without giving her a chance to explain.
Yet now, without the slightest hesitation, he was openly embracing another woman right in front of her while refusing to hear a single word she had to say.
At that very moment, Aurelia realized the hope she had brought home that morning had died completely.
There was nothing left worth saving with a man who had become blind to everything except the lies he chose to believe.
"Arkan..." she said quietly, her voice almost breaking. "Are you really not going to explain who this woman is? And you're not willing to hear my explanation about the man you saw with me last night?"
