After Jonathan left, I blinked away the phantom tears, dropping the whole fragile act I'd put on for his benefit. My hazel eyes—usually warm, inviting—now mirrored a steely chill.
I knew damn well Jonathan was only keeping me around because he thought I had some use. The second I didn't, I'd be tossed aside like yesterday's trash—just another inconvenience with nowhere to go.
In my past life, I'd been terrified of him. I ran not long after we got married. It took Jonathan almost a year to approach me cautiously. I never figured out when he fell for me, but it was deep—unforgettable.
This time around, I was dead set on being the one to reach out, to protect him, to love him.
I headed into the bathroom to freshen up, but the mirror showed a face riddled with reddish-brown acne, deep shadows under my eyes, and a pallid, almost ghostly complexion—even with my delicate features.
“Ugh…” I muttered, barely holding it together. How the hell did I face Jonathan looking like this? No wonder he let me go. Who'd want to hold a ghastly apparition like me?
Staring at my reflection, the memories came flooding back. Before I was forced into marriage, I'd run myself ragged putting together a financial proposal for my brother Mason—five straight nights with zero sleep. The acne? That was from testing a treatment for my brother Rue, digging through medical texts until my face was ruined.
I clenched my fists, knuckles cracking. In my last life, I'd craved family love, desperately seeking the Kelly family's approval—only to end up cremated, my ashes left unclaimed by anyone. I'd been so naive!
This time, I wouldn't make the same mistakes. No more being their damn workhorse!
I was exhausted and didn't sleep well. The sun was already high by the time I finally caught up on rest. Reaching for my phone—which had died overnight—I found a pile of missed messages and calls once it powered on.
Sure enough, a familiar number popped up. Adriel Kelly was calling.
"Why did you deliberately disappear?" he demanded the second I answered, irritation dripping from his voice.
As a top-tier pop star, his voice was usually warm and alluring, but now it came out sharp and frustrated: "Luciana, when will you learn to be as considerate as Elianna?"
His words almost made me laugh out loud. "Oh, my husband was quite insistent last night. I just couldn't get up," I replied, my tone flat, my hazel eyes narrowing with indifference.
Adriel was taken aback—surprised I seemed to actually accept Jonathan, who he believed to be crippled, and even more shocked by my brazenness.
But that wasn't his main concern. His voice grew more agitated. "Luciana, do you have any idea how inconsiderate you are, bringing this up again?"
The whole family resented me for marrying in Elianna's place, but it was the only way to protect her. They had no other choice. And even though my sarcasm made them uncomfortable, Adriel's conscience twinged a little.
I curled my lips into a cold smile. "Laughable, really. I'm the one who got married—not you. I didn't ask you to share a bed with him, so why all the drama?"
I vividly remembered the moment they forced this on me. My father had clutched my hand with his aged fingers, his voice pleading. "Luciana, your sister has a heart condition. She can't handle stress. I'm begging you—please marry into the Perez family for her sake."
My mother had gently stroked my hair, offering a warmth I hadn't felt in years. "Luciana, I know it's unfair, but Elianna can't handle the stress of this marriage. You're stronger than she is. Please do this for the family."
Their pleas left me cold. I hadn't felt my mother's love since I got lost as a child. Just because I was the healthy one, I was supposed to be the sacrificial lamb?
Her five brothers stood silent, their hopeful gazes boring into me, waiting for me to step into Elianna's place and marry a disfigured, disabled man.
Finally, my grandmother threatened to tell the entire family I had abandoned my sick sister unless I put on the wedding dress...
Now they had the nerve to act disgusted?
Adriel's tone softened after my sharp retort. "Still, even if you were wronged by replacing Elianna, you shouldn't have taken the USB with the financial proposal for Mason. Elianna spent five nights working on it. Taking it without asking is stealing! Luciana, you've let everyone down. What exactly did you learn while you were away?"
His voice trembled with anger and disappointment.
I listened calmly, having expected this confrontation. In my past life, the accusation of "stealing the USB" spread like wildfire. Even though my sister Elianna pleaded with me privately, I caved and accepted the blame. But now... why should I let them off the hook?
I laughed mockingly. "Adriel, you're such a fool!" I said, then hung up.
When my phone rang again, I blocked his number. Next, I quickly blocked my parents, grandmother, brothers, and Elianna's contacts.
Adriel stood in disbelief, listening to the busy tone. For the first time, he felt like Luciana had slipped right through his fingers. When he tried calling back and realized he was blocked, pure frustration took over his face.
Jonathan's wheelchair sat at the doorway just as I finished blocking my family's numbers. His fingers tapped idly on the armrest, his deep eyes unreadable.
"Good morning, Mr. Perez," I chirped, my eyes curving into warm crescents, my smile bright and inviting. Inside, I was praying like crazy: You didn't hear anything, you didn't hear anything!
But luck was never on my side. Jonathan's low, icy voice cut through the silence, his tone a mix of teasing and seduction, his eyes shadowed with amusement: "Was I too persistent last night?"
His words sent a shockwave through me—my toes curling in embarrassment under the covers.
"Misunderstand... it's a misunderstanding!" I stammered. I hadn't meant to run my mouth like that. I swear, it was on purpose!
I had no real intention of divorcing Jonathan. If anything, I planned to have him wrapped around my finger eventually. But having him overhear me? Mortifying.
Jonathan's eyes glinted as they swept over me, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Kept you from even getting up?" he added, and those words jolted me upright from my prone position.
I scrambled out of bed, bare feet hitting the cold floor as I rushed to his side. Squatting in front of him, I gazed up with wide, sincere eyes, my nose slightly red—looking like a lost little rabbit. I tugged lightly at his pant leg, my voice soft and earnest: "Jonathan, I'll be good. Please don't send me away."
As my fingers gently clasped the fabric, the warmth seemed to seep through, brushing against his skin...
Apart from last night, no woman had ever been this close to him.
Jonathan's eyes darkened. He pressed a finger to my forehead, pushing me back slightly. His tone was impatient, but there was a stiffness that betrayed him: "Just focus on helping me recover. Don't entertain... other ideas."
The last two words came out with unexpected awkwardness.
In the shadows, Ahmir Oliver—Jonathan's bodyguard—was nearly slack-jawed with disbelief: Was Jonathan actually letting a woman touch him willingly?
