The Hidden Heiress's Remarriage

After marrying Jarred, Celene changed from a dominant woman to a people pleaser. She helped his business grow and supported him in everything. She was contented with her life until her husband unexpectedly brought his first love home as a supposed "payback" for saving his life.

Blinded by love, Celene believed Jarred's constant reassurance and trusted him, but when she discovered his infidelity, it was the last straw for her. She wasted no time in filing for divorce, which Jarred agreed to without hesitation. From that point on, he began to publicly shame her and eventually fired her from his company.

Once Celene was kicked out of the house, Noah De Laruente, the man she was supposed to marry years ago, came to her aid and said, "It's time to stop pretending to be an orphan. Marry me and reclaim your rightful position as the heiress of one of the biggest company empires in the country."

1: Blinded by Love

“NEGATIVE AGAIN?” Celene bit her lip as she met her mother-in-law’s disapproving gaze. She clutched the side of her pants, wincing as the negative pregnancy test was hurled at her head.

She trembled with the desire to fight back, but she knew it would only cause more harm. Her husband adored his mother, and any conflict with her would surely disappoint him. So, instead of reacting, she took a deep breath and crouched down to pick up the pregnancy test.

“You’ve been married to my son for almost three years and until now, you still can’t give him an heir?!” Martha’s voice rang out as soon as Celene straightened her posture. “Are you even a woman?!”

“I already visited the hospital, and the OB confirmed that I’m perfectly healthy. So, it’s possible that Jarred could be the one with issue—” She wasn’t able to finish her sentence off when suddenly, the door swung open, and both women’s gazes snapped towards it.

Celene’s husband stood in the doorway, a woman at his side and a large suitcase in tow. But what caught her attention the most was that she recognized the woman standing next to her husband.

It was his first love.

“Jarred?” Celene’s voice was filled with confusion, mirroring her expression. However, her husband didn’t bother explaining and instead went inside, tugging the suitcase along while Agnes, his ex-girlfriend, followed closely behind.

“Mom, can you show Agnes the guestroom?”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Celene’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched Agnes and her mother-in-law head upstairs with the maid carrying the suitcase. She was taken aback by her mother-in-law’s lack of confusion and willingness to help.

For a moment, Celene was at a loss for words, her mouth hanging open as she tried to process what was happening.

Agnes then turned her head towards her and a smirk appeared on her face, making Celene frown before snapping her head back at her husband.

“Jarred, explain—”

“Agnes will be living here temporarily,” he responded while walking past her and settling onto the couch behind her. She spun around, her eyes widening as she watched him loosen his necktie and lean back against the backrest. The utter shock etched on her face.

“What? Are you trying to say that I, your wife will be living under the same roof as your ex?” Celene almost laughed in disbelief. The absurdity of the situation was becoming overwhelming, and she didn’t know how to handle it all. Not only had she failed to get pregnant again, but now her husband had brought his ex-girlfriend home as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I was almost hit by a car in the parking lot earlier and she pulled me out of harm’s way. She revealed that she had escaped from her abusive ex-husband. So, in return for saving my life, she asked if she could stay at my place temporarily, no more than a week or two.”

Celene remained quiet, her brow furrowed as she absorbed every word he’d just said. She then shook her head in disbelief as she gazed at him, wondering how he could stay so collected and unfazed by this absurdity.

“Are... Are you being serious? Do you know how twisted that sounded?” she questioned, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

“Twisted? How is helping someone in need twisted? I just told you her ex-husband was abusive, enough for her to run away—”

“Since when are you in touch with her?” Celene cut him off abruptly, her expression becoming stern as she narrowed her eyes. She may have become a people pleaser when she married him and endured her mother-in-law’s mistreatment, but this kind of disrespect was not something she would tolerate from him. “Answer me, Jarred. Since when—”

“Shut up!” He raised his voice, causing Celene to flinch and her eyes to widen in shock. It was the first time he yelled at her like that, and it stung her eyes. Jarred let out a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair before gently guiding her to sit on his lap. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

“Don’t cry,” He comforted her, brushing away the tears that had started to fall from her eyes and gently planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “I just got a bit frustrated. I know that my actions were not appropriate, but please try to understand my reasoning. I’m just helping her for a bit as a payback. If it wasn’t for her, I could be lying in a hospital bed right now, or even worse, dead.”

“You’re the one I married and the woman I love now. Any feelings or history I had with Agnes are long gone, so there’s no need for you to worry about her.” Jarred wrapped his arms around her torso and caressed her cheeks. Celene just pursed her lips, frustrated by how easily she gave in to him.

A simple gesture of affection and all her anger melted away. It was pathetic.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you, alright? How about a trip overseas as an early celebration for our third anniversary?” He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, and Celene responded with a hesitant nod before wrapping her arms around his neck.

She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel at that moment, but being blinded by love, she chose to trust him, causing Jarred to grin, and quickly exchanged the topic.

“By the way, are you and mom arguing before I arrived?”

“N-no,” she stammered as she let go of him, still perched on his lap. “She was just disappointed because the pregnancy test came out negative, yet again.”

“I see. Don’t hate mom, okay? You know she desperately wanted grandchildren, and I’m not getting any younger. It’s important for me to have an heir, but don’t feel pressured. We can just keep trying until you become pregnant.” Jarred smiled before leaning in to kiss Celene, his hands cupping her cheeks.

At that moment, she chose to believe every word and reassurance he offered, unaware that they would eventually become nothing but deceitful lies.

CELENE STIRRED UP from her sleep and rubbed her eyes, feeling a bit disoriented until she realized it was morning. She reached out her hand beside her, expecting to feel her husband’s warm body next to hers, but he was already gone. Frowning in confusion, she got out of bed and went to freshen up before making breakfast for Jarred like she always did.

However, when she arrived at the kitchen’s door, she was taken aback as she saw Jarred sitting on one of the barstools at the counter, engaged in conversation with Agnes while she cooked.

The sight nearly sent shivers down her spine. She was the one who was supposed to be cooking for her husband, not Agnes. And to top it off, Agnes was wearing the apron that Jarred had given to Celene.

She tightened her fist and took a deep breath, regaining composure before entering the kitchen. She then wrapped her arms around her husband from behind and kissed his cheek affectionately.

“Good morning! Why are you letting the guest cook?” she asked, glancing at Agnes who had just turned off the stove and turned to face them.

“She insisted, she said she didn’t want to stay here for free, so she wanted to help with the chores at least,” Jarred responded as he reached for her hand and linked his fingers with hers. Celene’s lips curved into a smile, pleased by his public display of affection towards her. She assumed it was his way of reassuring her, but the harsh reality was that Jarred was only doing it to make Agnes jealous.

He had always hoped that she would regret ending their relationship years ago, and now that he saw a chance to make her feel remorse, he planned on taking advantage of it.

“I’m sorry, Jarred mentioned that you usually cook breakfast but since I woke up early, I thought I should help. I hope I didn’t offend you by taking on some of your duties.” Agnes nervously fidgeted with her fingers; her face etched with nervousness.

“Don’t worry about it. If helping out around the house will alleviate any guilt you have for staying in a married man’s home, then feel free to do so.” Celene smiled, causing Agnes to tighten her lips as she tried to control her expression, suppressing the urge to scoff at Celene’s taunts.

No matter how much her ex’s wife tried to get under her skin, it wouldn’t change the truth: Jarred had allowed her to live in his house, without any hesitation.

That alone speaks volumes about Jarred still caring for her feelings more than his wife’s.

“Do you really have to word it like that?” Celene’s body jerked at the sound of her mother-in-law’s voice. She reluctantly loosened her embrace on her husband and turned to meet Martha’s raised eyebrows.

“She didn’t say anything wrong, Mom,” Jarred said, taking his wife’s side which made Celene’s heart flutter, “Let’s just eat, Cel and I still have a meeting we need to attend.”

Martha’s face twisted into a scowl as she glared at her daughter-in-law, who sat triumphantly next to Jarred at the dining table while the maid set out their plates. Agnes took off her apron and joined them, feeling relieved that Martha seemed to prefer her over Celene.

This made it easier for Agnes to manipulate and take what she believed was rightfully hers. As a divorced woman, she was determined to win back Jarred’s attention, especially now that he was successful, unlike when she had left him before.

Meanwhile, Celene was filled with a sense of contentment. She had been anxious about Agnes potentially threatening their marriage, but now she saw that Jarred was staying true to his promises. She started to believe that there was no reason for her to be afraid anymore.

Little did she know that her world was about to come crashing down; one that she could never imagine in her dreams, never expect even.

2: For Jarred's Benefit

“YOU CALLED FOR ME?” Celene asked as she entered Jarred’s office. He nodded in response, and she made her way to his table, feeling a smile spread across her face when he took her hand and guided her onto his lap. “H-hey we’re at work,”

“I know, I won’t do anything.” he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist before nuzzling his face into her neck.

“Then why did you call for me?”

“I have a dinner meeting scheduled with Mr. Nakamura, but my head is already pounding from work. I really just want to go home and rest. Could you attend the meeting in my place?” He gazed up at her with pleading eyes, his lips tugged into a sweet smile that Celene couldn’t possibly reject or refuse.

“All right, give me all the details of the meeting and what exactly I needed to do,” she said as she caressed his cheek, fully aware that she still had a mountain of paperwork to tackle as the general manager. However, adding another task to her plate shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, this was not the first time she attended a meeting in place of her husband—the CEO and founder of J Advertising agency.

“Should I get you a medicine?” she asked, concern etched on her face.

“It’s fine, I will take one later. Thank you.” Jarred placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand before filling her in on the agenda.

He had claimed to have a headache, but that was just an excuse because he knew Celene would be more effective at closing the deal with the Japanese investor. Besides that, he wanted to go home and spend time with Agnes since he hadn’t been able to talk to her much, as he didn’t want his wife to suspect anything was going on between them.

Meanwhile, Celene who had no idea what was going on inside her husband’s head, skipped meals and breaks to complete all of her work for the day before heading to the restaurant.

“I hope he’s fine,” She muttered under her breath as she typed out a message to Jarred, checking in on how he was doing. She anxiously waited for a reply, but none came. She had just assumed he must be asleep and tucked her phone back into her bag before getting out of the cab once she arrived at the restaurant.

Once inside, she sat down at the reserved table and waited for Mr. Nakamura to arrive. While she was speaking to the waiter, she flinched when the loud sound of a slap resounded behind her. Instinctively, she turned around, her eyes widening as she saw a familiar face.

“You’re such a freaking jerk!” The woman in front of him yelled before she stormed out. Celene’s jaw dropped in surprise, but she quickly shut it when she made eye contact with Noah. She looked away and resumed her conversation with the waiter, pretending as if she didn’t see him.

“Ah, that’s all. Thank you,” She flashed a smile at the waiter as he finished taking orders. Once she was alone, she saw someone pull up the chair in front of her. For a moment, she was stunned to see Noah sitting there casually. She blinked a few times, watching him loosen his necktie.

“I can’t believe you’d witness that,” he said, staring deeply into her hazel eyes and making her flinch.

“What... What do you think you’re doing? Get out of here, I have an important meeting, and the client might show up anytime now.” she grumbled while looking around.

“Wow, that was cold... Aren’t you going to ask me if I’m fine?” Noah propped himself up on the table, resting his chin on top of his clasped hands. He smirked, causing Celene to arch an eyebrow in response.

“I don’t see why I would do that. We aren’t exactly in a relationship where we have to look out for each other’s well-being,” she replied, crossing her arms against her chest.

It had been four years since she last saw him, and she couldn’t recall him ever being this amicable. From what she could remember, Noah was always distant and intimidating; he seemed unapproachable. He still looked the same though, with his black hair slicked back in a wolf-cut style, a tribal snake tattoo on the side of his neck, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare right through people.

“That was harsh, we were once engaged,” Noah remarked, leaning back.

“I never agreed to the arranged marriage, so it was never official. Stop spewing nonsense.” Celene frowned but when she caught sight of Mr. Nakamura entering the restaurant, she stood up and immediately pulled Noah out of the chair, “Come on, get out. I don’t have time to chat with you.”

“Fine, fine, we’re going to see each other again anyway.” He scoffed and nonchalantly put his hands in his pockets before walking away.

Celene was taken aback, trying to make sense of his words. However, Mr. Nakamura had already walked up to the table, snapping her out of her thoughts and forcing her to switch into professional mode.

While she was trying her best with the meeting despite the uncomfortable way Mr. Nakamura spoke and stared at her, her husband was enjoying dinner with Agnes and his mother at their house.

Celene was completely unaware that she was being excluded and that Agnes was subtly attempting to win her husband and mother-in-law’s favor.

“Aren’t you supposed to be closing this deal? What’s so hard about having a drink with me?” Celene felt a shiver run down her spine as Mr. Nakamura’s eyes, full of malice, locked onto hers.

She gripped the side of her dress under the table, feeling her stomach churning. However, she pushed the discomfort aside. She didn’t want to let her husband down by failing to secure this deal, so despite being frustrated with Mr. Nakamura’s behavior and the uneasy feeling it caused, she agreed to go with him to the nearby bar to have a few drinks.

Once they started drinking, he continuously refilled her glass, making a deal that if she could keep pace with his drinking, he would sign the contract. Celene was aware that this type of behavior was completely unacceptable, especially in a professional setting.

However, for Jarred’s benefit, she chose to remain silent and go along with it.

“Are you drunk already?” Mr. Nakamura asked, a grin plastered on his face as he rubbed his chin. Celene whose vision was already blurry looked at him as he continued to stare with malicious intent. If only he weren’t such an important client, she would have loved to smash a glass in his face to silence him.

“I think we should call this a night—” Celene’s body tensed when the bastard’s hand started to stroke her thigh. His smug smile and proximity made her freeze, unable to fight back against his unwanted advances. The sudden rush of dizziness only added to her helplessness at the moment.

‘Was this old man spiked my drink?’ that was the question Celene was currently thinking as her breathing began to pick up speed, her vision spinning as she held onto the edge of the counter to support herself.

Mr. Nakamura’s voice reached her ears, but it was muffled and unintelligible. Her mind felt like it was drowning in thick, muddled waters, making it difficult to comprehend anything he was saying while his hand rested on her waist.

“G-get off your... Fucking filthy hands on me,” she muttered, her voice barely audible as she tried to push his hand away from her body.

But to her surprise, a familiar voice rang in her ear. She didn’t know why, but despite how awful she was feeling, she was able to pick up whose voice it was even if she wasn’t paying attention to the owner.

“Get your fucking hands off her, pervert old man.” Noah stood behind her, holding onto Mr. Nakamura’s wrist tightly. The old man winced in shame as the other customers nearby began to murmur and look at him with disapproval.

With that, he gritted his teeth and yanked his arm out of Noah’s grasp before running away.

Noah attempted to chase after him, but the image of Celene being unconscious with her head resting on the counter caused his jaw to tighten and a scowl to form on his face. He gently brushed her long wavy brown hair away from her face and placed her bag over his shoulder before picking her up in a bridal-style hold, letting out a sigh as he did so.

“You’re not acting like yourself ever since you married that Jarred bastard. Why did you let that old man sexually harass you when you usually stand up for yourself?” Noah muttered under his breath before letting out a disappointed sigh and leaving the bar with Celene in his arms.

“UGH!” Celene frowned when she felt her head throbbing as soon as she woke up. She reached for her temple, feeling a bit disoriented until she opened her eyes and noticed that she was in an unfamiliar room. A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered drinking with Mr. Nakamura.

As if on cue, she looked under the sheet and breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that she was still fully clothed.

“Fuck, what happened?” she muttered, startled when she heard someone come out of the door. She turned her head and saw Noah, his black bathrobe hanging loosely on his frame as he towel-dried his damp hair, “W-what in the world... Why are you here?!”

“Why not? This is my room.”

3: Harsh Reality

NOAH ARCHED arched an eyebrow and took a casual seat on the couch, causing Celene’s eyes to widen. She frantically searched the room for a clock and felt a chill run down her spine when she saw that it was already midnight.

“Where’s my bag? I need to contact my husband, he must be worried about me already,” She gasped, swiftly grabbing the blanket from her lap and jumping off the bed. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for her bag.

However, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her, causing her stomach to churn. She reached out and steadied herself on the nearby table before she could collapse onto her knees. As she attempted to stand again, Noah caught her, holding onto her for support.

“Honestly, what are you doing?” he sighed, “Go back to bed, don’t you know you have been drugged by that pervert?”

Celene looked up at him with wide eyes, she already had a sneaking suspicion that Mr. Nakamura had slipped something into her drink, but she didn’t expect that Noah would have picked up on it as well.

Thinking back, how did she end up here in the first place?

“What exactly happened?” she asked, allowing him to guide her back to the bed, where she sat down. She then instinctively reached for her throat, feeling nauseated when all she could recall was that old man touching her while giving her that disgusting smile and look.

“I just so happened to walk into that bar and saw that man harassing you. If I hadn’t intervened, you may have been raped by now.” Noah’s jaw tightened as he imagined the possibility of that happening.

Meanwhile, Celene couldn’t suppress a shiver running down her spine. The food she had consumed food earlier, made its way back up her throat. She quickly covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom, throwing up everything in the sink.

Noah walked after her and reached out to brush her hair away, keeping it from getting in her face. After she finished vomiting, he turned on the faucet and helped her in rinsing her mouth and washing her face. Celene then took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm herself before meeting Noah’s eyes in the mirror’s reflection.

“Sorry, and thank you for saving me,” she said softly, a slight blush tinting her cheeks because she was ashamed that he had to take care of her like this when she was already a grown-up woman. But deep down, she knew without him, something terrible could have happened.

She shut her eyes, tightening her grip on the sink. Because of what happened, she wasn't able to secure the deal, and she worried that Jarred would feel let down by her. Still she hoped he would be able to understand her once she disclosed the full story.

Perhaps, he would even take action against Mr. Nakamura for what he had done to her.

“Feeling better? Go back to the bed, I’ll prepare some tea for you.” Noah’s voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Celene nodded slowly before making her way back to the bedroom.

She sat on the edge of the bed, alone in the room with her thoughts. When she saw her bag, she quickly took out her phone, expecting to see multiple missed calls and messages from her husband, but to her disappointment, there were none.

Celene pursed her lips as she attempted to contact him, hoping that his headache had subsided, and he was doing well. However, each time she called, the call failed to go through. She just assumed her husband had fallen asleep, unaware of the immoral act he was committing at the moment.

“CAN I SLEEP HERE?” Agnes asked as she climbed off of Jarred and laid down beside him on the master bedroom’s bed. Both were catching their breath after engaging in sex.

“No, Celene could be back any minute now. You should get dressed and head back to the guest room,” He reached for his phone and turned it on, knowing her wife was probably trying to contact him.

It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Celene to come home late, so he wasn’t worried at all. Besides, Jarred knew how much Mr. Nakamura enjoyed drinking, so he assumed she got invited to the bar and they were still out drinking together.

“What? You’re just going to dismiss me like that? After I fulfilled your needs?” Agnes made a displeased expression and reached for his phone to grab his attention, causing Jarred to turn towards her and gently hold her face in his hands, showing his affection for her.

“It’s not like that, I just don’t want my wife to catch us.” he reasoned, “Celene might be head over heels for me, but she would be furious if she found out we were having sex on our bed.”

“Well, isn’t that fine? She would finally have a reason to divorce you.”

“Divorce? Nah, Celene would never divorce me over something like that. She’s deeply in love with me, despite all my mistakes. I know she’ll always forgive me, no matter how many times I mess up.” Jarred said confidently.

“She even allowed you to stay here because I showed her affection and assurance.” He added with a smile on his face, “She’s a simple and naive woman, you know?”

“Then what? Am I just going to be your mistress forever?” Agnes propped herself up, pulling the blanket to cover her naked chest. Her face carried a disapproving expression as she gazed down at him.

“Well, you’ve already dumped me before, remember? If being the other woman isn’t enough for you, then just go back to your ex-husband.” Jarred’s reply was sharp and direct, causing Agnes to seethe with anger. She knew he was purposefully being harsh to get back at her for breaking his heart years ago.

However, Agnes had no choice but to stay until she took Celene’s place, and he ended their marriage. So, the only course of action left for her was to continue trying to seduce him.

“Fine, if becoming your mistress is what it takes for you to forgive me for hurting you in the past, I will agree to it.” she said as she leaned in and pressed her lips against his, “Just know that my love for you has never faded, even after all these years.”

With that, Agnes got up from the bed and gathered her clothes that were strewn across the floor. Once she had left, Jarred couldn’t help but smirk with satisfaction at how much her ex wanted him.

Chuckling to himself, he also got out of bed and quickly tidied up the room to hide any evidence of their affair before heading to take a shower.

When he came out of the bathroom, the sound of a car pulling up to their gate caught his attention. He quickly parted the curtains and saw Celene getting out of a taxi, causing him to head downstairs to welcome her.

“Love, why are you home so late? I was getting worried when I woke up and didn’t see you beside me yet,” Jarred shamelessly lied as soon as Celene entered the house. It was a bit dark in the living room, but the lights from outside cast enough light to make out his features in the darkness.

Seeing her husband filled Celene with a mix of emotions, causing tears to prick in her eyes. She then pursed her lips, trying to hold back the tears, but failed miserably.

“Mr. Nakamura drugged me,” she confessed, her voice quivering as she hugged Jarred whose brows furrowed. “Despite feeling uneasy about the way he was looking at me, I agreed to join him for drinks after our meeting at the restaurant. I wanted to seal the deal so badly for you that I pushed aside my discomfort and followed him to the bar...”

“And while we were drinking, he managed to slip something on my glass. His hands then began to wander over my body, and before I knew it, I had lost consciousness.” She sobbed, tightening her hug on her husband’s torso, “Because of that incident, I wasn’t able to close the deal as planned.”

“What?!” Jarred’s eyes widened before he touched Celene’s shoulder and pushed her a bit so he could see her face. Her entire body trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She wasn’t feeling well, but she still pushed herself to go home. Noah was even frustrated with her stubbornness and refusal to let him take her home.

He claimed it was dangerous for her, given her condition. While Celene knew he was just looking out for her, she couldn’t help but feel guilty about being at a man’s house and his presence. She felt like she was cheating when she knew she wasn’t, so despite Noah’s kind gesture, she stood firm in her decision to go home alone.

“What do you mean you didn’t secure the deal?” Celene’s tears abruptly halted at the sound of Jarred’s question. Part of her wondered if she was imagining things, but the disappointed expression on his face confirmed her fears and her heart sank at the harsh reality.

“W-wait, that’s what you’re worried about? Haven’t you been listening to me? Mr. Nakamura drugged me.” she said, her voice shaking with mixed emotions. She never thought he would brush off the fact that she had almost been raped.

Celene was well aware that the deal was crucial, but did it hold more importance to him than his own wife?

“It’s inconceivable that Mr. Nakamura would be capable of such a heinous act; he was a highly regarded and prominent figure in the business world, Celene. You know that.” Jarred let out a frustrated sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose, causing Celene’s stomach to churn while looking at him in disbelief.

“I’ll arrange for another meeting with him, so apologize sincerely, and ask for a second chance to close the deal.”

4: Shattered Heart

“NO,” Celene said firmly, her voice turning serious. No matter how she looked at it, he was wrong for making her apologize to someone who had just sexually assaulted her.

“What?” Jarred’s expression hardened as his wife went against his command for the first time, which surprised him.

“I just explained how Mr. Nakamura drugged me and sexually assaulted me. Are you seriously considering making me confront that predator again?” she questioned, not caring anymore about his potential anger or disappointment toward her. This incident was not something she could simply brush under the rug. “Do you not believe my words? Do you think I’m just making up a story because I failed to secure the deal?”

“Even if what you said was true, can’t you just forget about it? You claim to have lost consciousness, but from my perspective, you seemed completely fine. That indicates that nothing actually happened.” Celene’s heart shattered at the sound of his nonchalant tone about her situation. He didn’t even seem concerned at the slightest and that made her mad and sad at the same time.

“Are you kidding me? If it weren’t for my acquaintance who happened to be there, I could have been raped while unconscious.” She scowled at the memory, “How could you tell me to let it go like it wasn’t a big deal? Do you even care about me?”

“If you’re so desperate to close the deal, go ahead and do it yourself. I have no intention of seeing that pervert again, let alone apologizing when I’m the one who was wronged.” Jarred was taken aback by the intense glare Celene gave him as she stormed past him. This behavior was completely unlike her, even in the most heated arguments they had in the past, she never walked out from him.

Her determination and defiance only served to further enrage him. It was a direct blow to his pride and masculinity as her husband.

“Celene! Come back, we’re still not done talking!” He called out to her, but she remained silent, leaving him alone to simmer in anger. Jarred clenched his jaw in frustration and chased after her, forcefully grabbing her arm to prevent her from opening the door to their room. However, she shook off his grip and stubbornly refused to listen to anything he had to say.

“Let me go,” she said coldly, not even bothering to glance at him. Jarred fumed and tugged on her arm forcefully, causing her to wince in discomfort.

“Don’t give me that attitude,” he scolded, “You know how important that deal—”

“Was it more important than me?!” Jarred paused in confusion as Celene suddenly shouted, catching him off guard. He then gave her a puzzled look when she went on with her outburst. “Do you even consider my feelings? I’ve had a rough day, but you didn’t seem to care at all. All that mattered to you was the deal. How do you think that made me feel?”

Jarred was taken aback by the raw and pained tone in her voice before their intense disagreement was interrupted by the sound of the guest room door opening. They both looked over to see Agnes stepping out of the room.

“Ah, I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, and Celene simply let out a frustrated sigh before pulling her arm out of Jarred’s grip and storming off inside their room. “Are you guys fight—”

Agnes bit her nail in frustration as Jarred mindlessly followed his wife inside, leaving her alone in the corridor. When she overheard them arguing, she saw it as an opportunity to escalate things and ruin their marriage, but it proved more difficult than she anticipated.

Defeated, she returned to her room and began brainstorming new ways to break them up and win Jarred back.

THE NEXT DAY, the tension between Celene and Jarred remained thick and uncomfortable. They barely exchanged words during breakfast, and the rest of the day was even more strained. At work, they avoided each other’s eyes, and when they returned home, they barely acknowledged each other’s presence, which gave Agnes another opportunity to drive a wedge between them before they could reconcile.

“Uhm, are you okay?” Agnes approached Celene, who was reading a document in the living room and pointedly avoiding Jarred’s presence. When she didn’t answer, Agnes furrowed her brows but still managed to look friendly while holding a glass of juice. Her gaze then drifted to the papers on the center table before a smirk formed on her lips. “Celene, I made you a juice—ah!”

With a calculated move, she let the glass slip from her fingers and crash onto the table, mimicking a clumsy stumble. The sharp sound jolted Celene out of her intense concentration, her once focused gaze now wide with surprise. She couldn’t help but feel her head throbbed as she took in the sight of the important documents, now drenched and stained with sticky orange juice.

“What have you done?” she asked, her voice calm despite the frustration. She already had a lot on her plate, and now the reports and proposals that she hadn’t yet reviewed were no longer legible.

“I-I’m sorry, I was just trying to give you the juice, but I tripped on the carpet.” Agnes reasoned before crawling over to pick up the shattered shards of glass, wincing as they pricked her sensitive fingertips. “Aw!”

Blood trickled from Agnes’s fingers, and Celene’s initial frustration quickly shifted to concern as she noticed. She reached her hand to help her but before she could even touch her, the door creaked open, and Agnes immediately lowered her head while still kneeling in front of Celene.

“I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me.” She apologized frantically, causing Celene to furrow her brow in confusion. She wondered if something had triggered her past trauma from her abusive husband. But that thought quickly disappeared when she noticed a faint smirk on Agnes’ face. Before she could question it, Martha’s voice thundered through the house as she entered.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She walked over to Agnes, dropping to a crouch as soon as she noticed the blood on her fingers. With a disapproving look, she directed it towards her daughter-in-law.

“I swear, I didn’t do anything! She just tripped on the carpet and knocked over the glass of juice,” Celene explained before she turned her head at the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, her heart sank when she saw Jarred’s concerned expression while looking at Agnes, who was still on her knees with blood staining her fingers. The sight made Celene’s heart shattered, especially when he immediately rushed over to his ex.

“What happened?” Jarred asked as he took Agnes’ hand.

“I stumbled and accidentally knocked over the glass, so it was my mistake. I already apologized, but could you please talk to your wife? Even though I said sorry, she still seemed mad at me for spilling juice all over the documents on the table.” she explained, her voice shaky while her teary eyes locked onto Jarred, causing him to shoot a glare at Celene who flinched in surprise.

“I wasn’t even mad, I simply asked her what she had done—”

“It was just paperwork, and it was clearly unintentional. Did you force her to clean up the shattered glass?” Jarred accused which made his wife frown in disbelief.

“Of course not! And what do you mean just paperwork? Those were all important documents.”

“I witnessed her trying to hit Agnes. What kind of person are you to harm someone who has already been a victim of abuse?” Martha chimed in, earning a surprise from Celene.

“What? Please, don’t fabricate stories about what happened. I was merely trying to help her in getting up, but she just started begging me not to hurt—”

“Enough!” Jarred’s loud voice filled the room, causing everyone to stop talking, including Celene. She couldn't understand why she was being treated like a villain, with all eyes on her as if she were the worst person in the world. “You’re being unnecessarily harsh. I never thought you were capable of such a cruel action. I explicitly stated that her ex-husband was abusive, and yet you still went ahead and tried to hurt her?”

“I didn’t—” Celene didn’t even bother finishing her sentence because she could already tell it would be a waste of breath. She let out a heavy sigh and glanced down at Agnes, “I’ve never tried to slap you, and you know that. So tell them the truth.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Agnes’ tears continued to flow down her cheeks as she finally crumbled, weeping uncontrollably while trembling. All eyes were on her, filled with sympathy and concern, causing Celene’s mouth to drop open in shock, especially when Jarred offered a hand to help his ex get back on her feet. The gentle way he placed his hand on Agnes’ waist made her heart skip a beat.

“We’ll talk later,” He glared at her before his eyes softened when he guided Agnes away from the living room, with Martha trailing behind.

Left alone, Celene felt a rush of emotions—hurt and stunned by the sudden turn of events. Yet, she blinked to hold back tears, then let out a deep sigh. Not sure what was happening anymore. She doesn’t even have the will to prove her innocence because she was exhausted, physically and emotionally.

After gathering her composure, she picked up the ruined documents and cleaned up the mess that Agnes had made.

5: Reversed Roles

“SIR, we already found him. I brought him to the warehouse as instructed. What should we do with him now?” Percival asked, his gaze shifting between the unconscious Japanese man, who had a handkerchief covering his eyes and was tied to the chair with thick ropes around his wrists and ankles. He was waiting for a response, but it seemed unlikely from this captive.

“Don’t do anything yet, I’ll deal with the pervert myself, so just make sure he doesn’t get away until I get there. I’m on my way,” Noah took a long drag from his cigarette, savoring the bitter taste before exhaling a cloud of smoke. He then stubbed out the butt in the ashtray, the gentle afternoon breeze ruffled his hair.

“Understood, sir.” his secretary replied, and he simply made a humming noise before hanging up the call. He then returned his phone to his pocket and pulled out a mint candy, placing it in his mouth.

He wasn’t even involved in any gangs or mafia organizations, yet he was acting like one. However, that didn’t bother him because he was willing to do whatever it took to protect the woman, he had rejected years ago.

“You sure are insane,” Noah muttered to himself as he made his way out of the rooftop of his company and headed towards the warehouse where Celene’s harasser was being held captive. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t allow that scumbag to get away with what he had done, and he had to take matters into his own hands because her husband surely wouldn’t do anything to bring justice to the situation.

As he drove, he caught sight of Celene walking to the sidewalk. Her complexion was pale and dark circles under her eyes indicated a lack of sleep. His grip on the steering wheel tightened as he saw her condition, but still, he was grateful to see her again sooner than expected. So, without hesitating, he parked the car in front of the cafe she had just entered and got off.

Meanwhile, Celene found herself in a daze as she ordered her regular coffee. It had been three days since her argument with Jarred, and things were still tense between them. Especially after Agnes, had pulled a stunt to make her look like the villain. That evening, she had another heated exchange with her husband, and every time he hurled insults at her, it felt like a sharp knife piercing her heart.

Since then, they haven’t talked to each other unless it was business related. Their interactions were short but harsh, with neither of them willing to apologize first. For the first time in their almost three years of marriage, she didn’t have the desire to make amends and move on. After all, she had been hurt and wronged deeply, enough to question if Jarred still loved her at all.

“Hey,” The sound of a familiar voice and the knock on the table jolted her back to reality. She looked up to find Noah sitting across from her, triggering a sense of Deja vu as she recalled their previous encounters at the restaurant.

“Why are you here?” She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, trying to figure out why he kept appearing wherever she went. First, at the restaurant, then at the bar, and now even at the cafe she visited often.

“I was driving when I saw you,” Noah admitted without trying to deceive or fabricate any excuses. “You looked unwell; what happened after that night? Were you able to make it home safely?”

“Yes,” Celene let out a sigh, feeling the pain in her head from not getting enough rest. She had to stay up all night to read through the newly printed proposals and reports since the original documents were ruined. On top of that, she couldn’t help but be bothered by the bonding between her mother-in-law and Agnes, along with Jarred joining in on their closeness.

Every time they would eat breakfast and dinner together, the three of them would engage in a lively conversation about their shared past while she sat quietly by herself. It was a constant reminder that she didn’t belong, almost as if Agnes was the wife and daughter-in-law instead of her.

It was impossible for her to tell if Jarred’s behavior was a deliberate punishment for her recent disobedience or if he genuinely enjoyed talking to his ex. Regardless, she had to take action before Agnes stole her spot in the household.

“And? Did you tell your husband what happened?” Noah’s question brought up a painful memory for Celene. She hesitated, unsure of how much to share with him. They may have known each other, but they weren’t in the type of relationship where they would confide in each other about their problems. Especially not after what had happened seven years ago.

“Why are you asking?” she responded with a calm and curious tone, before thanking the waiter who brought the coffee and cake she had ordered earlier. “Did my father tell you to spy on me or something?”

“No. You’ve already severed all your connections with your family. Do you honestly think I would be willing to spy on you for them? I am a busy man, Celene.” Noah scoffed, recalling the shock he felt when he heard the news that Celene had rejected their arranged marriage. And in order to prevent it from ever happening, she completely cut ties with her family.

Honestly, he couldn’t deny feeling hurt by her decision, but at the same time, guilty that she had to give up her lavish lifestyle just to avoid marrying him.

“So, did you ever end up telling your husband about what happened to you?” he asked the question again, causing Celene to release a deep breath. She had no desire to share her issue with him because it would make her seem pitiful. Worse, he might even see it as karma for marrying someone else instead of him.

Still, for someone who lost friends, because she distanced herself, she had no one to turn to and share the bottled feelings she had been keeping inside for the past few days. For a moment, she debated whether or not to reveal the full truth to him, but ultimately decided against it.

“Sorry, but I am not obligated to share details about my personal life with you.” she said before pushing the chair back and taking her coffee as she stood up, “You can have the cake, I haven’t touched it yet.”

With that, she walked out and went back to the office, leaving Noah who shook his head as he watched her go. She had built walls around herself, just like he used to have, but somehow, she had broken through them. Now, it’s his turn to break hers.

“This is what happens when you’re a fucking idiot,” Noah let out a deep sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair, filled with regret for all the mistakes he had made in the past. Celene used to chase after him, but now their roles were reversed.

However, Noah refused to give up because he was certain that she would leave her husband eventually. And when that time came, he would stop at nothing to win her heart once again.

When Celene approached the office, she could hear murmurs of voices coming from inside. Her heart then started racing and she felt a knot form in her stomach. Not knowing why, she took a deep breath and entered the room, wondering what was causing all the commotion. Then, she spotted Jarred standing at the front of the crowd with his ex-girlfriend by his side, dressed in professional attire.

“She would be our new assistant manager,” Celene’s grip on her coffee tightened as she heard Jarred introduce Agnes to the employees around them, her eyes widening in shock.

In that moment, it felt as though time stood still for Celene. Her mind went blank as she tried to process the uttered nonsense she had just heard. Why hadn’t her husband mentioned anything about Agnes joining the company?

‘What the hell was happening?’

“Oh! You’re here?” With a jolt, Celene snapped out of her daze and refocused her attention on Jarred. He motioned for her to come closer, and she hesitated, gripping tightly onto the cup of coffee in her hand.

When the employees turned their heads at her, she smiled and shifted into her professional mode before approaching him. As she did, she caught a glimpse of a faint but victorious grin on Agnes’ face, aimed at her. It made Celene want to splash the hot coffee in her face, but she managed to restrain herself when Jarred tapped her shoulder.

“I will entrust Agnes to you, guide her in her tasks, and assign her some work to help her get acclimate to the work environment.”

6: Battle of Words

“ARE YOU LISTENING?” Celene furrowed her brow as she observed Agnes. She had been talking constantly, giving an overview of the company’s operations, employees, and necessary knowledge, but it seemed like Agnes wasn’t paying attention to a single word she said.

“To be completely honest, no. I don’t see the need to listen to you as if you were above me. I am fully aware of how to—”

“I hold a higher position than you, as I am a general manager. So, watch your mouth and behave professionally. If you are unable to do so, perhaps it is best for you to quit.” Celene interrupted her mid-sentence, causing them both to stop walking in the empty hallway. They then turned to face each other, each raising an eyebrow in a challenge. “Where do you even get the audacity to ask my husband to give you a position in his company?”

Agnes chuckled; her expression filled with a hint of condescending amusement. She folded her arms and took a step closer to Celene, leaning in towards her face.

“I didn’t ask him, I just seduced him a little and acted pitiful, saying I wanted to work.” she sneered, “I wasn’t even expecting him to give me work, but he did it anyway because he was still into me,”

Despite being stressed and sleep-deprived, Celene held her jaw tightly as she struggled to restrain herself from slapping the wench right in her stupid smirk. She didn’t want to give in to the provocation, knowing that Agnes was trying to paint her as a villain again and play the victim.

“And you’re proud of how lowly of a woman you are?” she retorted and scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she stepped forward to mimic Agnes’ earlier actions. But being taller than her, she made sure to loom over her. “I pity your parents to have a shameless daughter like you who would proudly leech off a married man.”

Agnes couldn’t help but flinch, her face contorting with anger as Celene’s words hit a sensitive nerve. After all, her parents had abandoned her when she was 14, saying they couldn’t take care of her anymore because she was hard to handle. The memories of begging them not to leave her flooded back, causing her to tremble with fury. But she quickly regained composure, determined not to lose in this battle of words with Celene.

“You should pity yourself instead since you were an orphan. You grew up without a family, maybe that was the reason why you’ve become a gold digger.” Agnes snorted, “Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you? You were the waitress at the restaurant where I dumped Jarred four years ago, weren’t you?”

“So, what if I was?” Celene challenged, ignoring the insult thrown at her. “How was that relevant to this conversation?”

“Because you were the one leeching off Jarred first. You’re a cunning woman who exploited his emotional state during our breakup.” Agnes replied, but her comeback just made Celene laugh mockingly.

“Are you dumb? What would I leech off him when he wasn’t even successful that time?” She snickered, “I am the one who helped him achieve his success today. If there was a gold digger here, it was clearly you.”

“How can you be so cruel?” Agnes’ behavior shifted abruptly, and at that moment, Celene could sense that she was plotting something again. She turned her head to the side and saw Jarred approaching, his eyes narrowing at her as if warning her to stop harassing his ex.

‘Since when he was standing there?’

“She called me a gold digger first—”

“I don’t need your explanation,” He replied shortly, shooting a disapproving look toward Celene, “Are you seriously going to harass her even in the company? Don’t you have any shame or conscience?”

“I knew it, I shouldn’t have accepted the job you offered.” Agnes’ voice cracked slightly as she dabbed her crocodile tears.

“Don’t say that; I offered you the job because I know you need it.” Jarred’s hand moved in soothing circles on her back, as if they were alone and not facing his wife. Celene’s fist tightened, the intense emotions of pain and anger pushing her toward a breaking point. She longed to stand up for herself, but she knew it would be pointless; her husband had chosen sides, and it wasn’t hers.

Agnes had already taken control over him so quickly, and if this pattern continued, their marriage would become a complete disaster.

“Choose,” Celene abruptly broke their moment, causing Jarred to turn to her with a puzzled expression.

“What?”

“I said choose,” she repeated, her expression unreadable. “I know our relationship wasn’t on good terms lately, but how can you keep favoring your ex and act like I am not your wife?”

“What? When did I—”

“Don’t play dumb, Jarred. You knew exactly what you were doing. Did you really think I would let this go on? I agreed to have that conniving woman stay with us because of your promises and my trust in you. But seeing you siding with her without even listening to my side of things, was not something I can tolerate.” Celene steeled herself, trying her best not to shed any tears, “So, choose, kick her out of the house, or divorce me,”

Jarred’s eyes widened in shock when Celene uttered the word ‘divorce’. He gazed at her closely, noticing her pale complexion. For a moment, he was speechless as he pondered how to respond. Then, his gaze shifted to Agnes, who was standing behind him watching the exchange with tears in her eyes.

“Is that your answer?” Celene’s smile turned bitter, and she turned away, eager to leave. But her eyes widened in surprise when Jarred reached out and took her hand, preventing her from leaving. Agnes gritted her teeth with frustration; she was sure that Jarred would choose her over Celene and their marriage would crumble, but it seemed she needed to put in more effort to completely ruin their relationship.

“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t realize what I was doing, let’s go to my office and talk there,” he said, and Celene nodded.

“What? What about me?” Agnes complained, causing Jarred to turn to her.

“Go back inside the office and ask someone to show you around,” he answered before pulling Celene gently along with their hands intertwined.

At that moment, she felt a sense of relief, and when she turned to see Agnes glaring at them, she couldn’t help but smirk. It was as though she had won this battle, but in the back of her mind, she worried that her victory would only be temporary, and she would soon be pushed aside again.

As the married couple walked into the office, a tense silence hung between them, but after several seconds, Jarred cleared his throat and turned to face his wife. Honestly, he was still taken aback when she brought up the topic of divorce over something that happened in the past few days. It was unexpected, and his immediate thought was that he couldn’t let go of Celene just yet. Not when he was planning to make a proposal deal with De Laruente Corporation, one of the country’s largest companies.

He knew his plan would not go smoothly without his wife’s top-notch business skills, which is why he decided to choose her instead of Agnes and apologize first.

“Why is it so easy for you to mention divorce? Have your feelings for me changed?” he asked, pulling her closer by the waist as he stared into her eyes deeply.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that? Are your feelings for me still there? Do I even matter to you anymore?” Tears began to fall from Celene’s eyes as she turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze.

Seeing his wife in such a vulnerable state, Jarred took the opportunity to regain her trust. He smiled and gently lifted her chin with two fingers, making her look at him before speaking in a soft tone.

“Of course, you do matter to me. I’m sorry for how I acted the past few days; losing the deal with Mr. Nakamura really affected me. But I won’t let it bother me anymore, and I’ll make sure he pays for what he did to you.” He rubbed her cheeks with his thumb and wiped away her tears that fell freely, “If you’re willing to give it another chance, then please forgive me. I will do anything to make amends.”

“If having Agnes around is causing you distress, I can arrange for her to stay at the hotel instead of our home. And if you feel like I’m always taking her side, I’ll stop doing so for the sake of our relationship and your peace of mind.” His smile seemed genuine as he spoke, and his determination was clear.

However, Celene couldn’t help but feel unsure about whether she could truly trust what he said. After careful consideration, she allowed her foolishness to override her judgment and forgave him. But she made a promise to herself that he broke his word, she would never forgive him again.

“All right, just make sure to get your scheming ex out of the house tonight.” She conceded, nodding her head. Jarred’s relief was evident as he pulled her into a hug, grateful that Celene was easily fooled. He knew she only brought up the idea of divorce to threaten him, but he also knew she would never actually go through with it because she was deeply in love with him.

Since that day, their relationship slowly but steadily improved. Agnes didn’t even protest when leaving the house, which surprised Celene and made her feel that something was wrong. However, she didn’t dwell on it too much. At least, until she came back from her business trip and saw Agnes’ suitcase outside their bedroom.

To make matters worse, Celene could hear Agnes’ moans echoing through the door as she called out Jarred’s name, causing her heart to break at the realization of what was happening inside.

7: Mere Coincidence

“LOVE, where are you?” Jarred asked through the phone call as Celene walked toward the jet bridge with her luggage in tow.

“I’m about to board the plane. My flight will be nine hours and I have a meeting scheduled as soon as I land. It might be best for me to stay at the hotel later and return home tomorrow.”

She wearily explained, exhausted from her hectic schedule. The never-ending meetings on this business trip left her with little time to rest and recharge, but at least she could catch up on some much-needed rest during the trip.

“You sound exhausted, are you okay? Should I pick you up at the airport?” Celene’s heart warmed at the sound of her husband’s sweet and gentle voice. It was a reassuring reminder that their relationship was back to normal and continuously improving.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll just catch a cab. I don’t want to interrupt your busy schedule trying to make up for the deal that fell through because of me.” she said, knowing how hard Jarred was working to land another international project, especially after their previous attempt with Nakamura Group failed.

“Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t because of you. Let’s move past it, okay? Anyway, just let me know when you’re about to land and I’ll come get you.” He insisted which caused Celene’s heart to flutter.

“Okay, I love you.” She smiled.

“Yeah, I love you, too,” He ended the call and Celene boarded the plane. Jarred then placed his phone on the table before turning to see Agnes who had just stood up from her seat on the couch and make her way towards his desk.

“Really? You love her?” She perched on the edge of the table, her tone dripping with jealousy as she crossed her legs in front of him. “Honestly, you’re a bad guy. You claim to love your wife but you continuously have sex with me behind her back.”

He chuckled at her remark.

“You’re just as bad as I am, and I already explained to you that I need to woo Celene because I need her help with the deal I was gearing up.” He loosened his necktie and leaned back on his swivel chair.

As he had promised Celene, he kicked Agnes out of their house and kept his distance from her at work. He even went above and beyond to regain his wife’s trust, and it was surprisingly effortless as expected. A small amount of affection and reassurance from him had made her forget all the hurtful words and actions he had done since Agnes came into the picture.

When Celene was away on a business trip to Dubai last week, he took the opportunity to continue his affair with Agnes. For the entire week that his wife was gone, he spent all of his free time with his mistress and felt no sense of guilt about it.

“You should leave now before someone tells Celene that you’ve been in my office for too long when you were only delivering a document,” he said as he ran his hand on her thigh and squeezed it. “We can’t let out our affair to the public now, can we?”

“All right, I guessed we won’t be able to spend time with each other again now that your wife’s coming back.” Agnes gave a bitter smile and stepped off the table to kiss him on the lips. “Just contact me when you need me to satisfy you, I’ll miss you.”

A seductive smirk danced across her lips as she walked out of the office, leaving Jarred unable to resist biting his lip while watching her sexy back. He was pleased with how Agnes was vying for his attention, and he knew that all he needed now was to secure a deal with the Laruente and he could finally leave Celene and marry his mistress.

“UGH!” Celene groaned as she patted her back, feeling every inch of her back was burning. In the end, Jarred had messaged her apologizing that he wouldn’t be able to pick her up due to an emergency at work. He had to pull an overtime shift, and she simply responded with understanding and let him know she was heading to the hotel where her business meeting was being held.

After arriving, she went to the reception desk to check in and changed her clothes in the room before heading to the rooftop where the luxurious restaurant was located. As soon as she walked in, her eyes landed on the general manager of the hotel, whom she was scheduled to meet with regarding their upcoming advertising campaign set to launch tomorrow.

The meeting dragged on, and even after it was over, she lingered at the restaurant while the hotel’s general manager had already left. She took a sip of her coffee and gazed at the beautiful view of the city at night, but her peaceful moment was cut short when she heard someone calling her name. Looking in front of her, her mouth parted in shock when she saw Noah, pulling the chair.

“W-what the hell? Why are you here?” she stammered, caught off guard when he showed up once again. It was not only the fourth time, but it was also quite late at night, making it hard to believe it was just a mere coincidence. “Are you a stalker or something?”

“A CEO of a big company like me couldn’t possibly be a stalker, could I?” he quipped in amusement. “Besides, where can you find a handsome stalker?”

“Well, there’s one in front of me.” Celene raised an eyebrow, prompting Noah to lean in closer and rest his arms on the table.

“Oh, so you found me handsome, huh?” He said with a self-satisfied air, causing Celene to stare at him in disbelief. She couldn’t believe how friendly he was being now, compared to his previously cold and guarded demeanor.

“Stop acting like a kid, why are you here?” She crossed her arms over her chest as she did not wish to waste any more time talking to him.

“I was staying at this hotel and caught sight of you while heading to the bar for a drink.” He explained as he recalled the report, he had received only an hour ago about Agnes visiting their house. His finger then drummed a rhythmic beat on the table as he hummed in thought. “How about you? It’s late, why aren’t you home?”

“I just had a meeting and I’m going to stay here for tonight,” Celene replied as she set the cup of coffee down on the table. “By the way, have you heard anything about my parents? How are they doing these days?”

She wasn’t supposed to be asking these questions, but when she realized that her father’s 60th birthday was getting closer, she couldn’t help but remember and missed them.

“You try to appear strong, but deep down you still care about them huh?” Noah’s smirk grew, pleased that she showed some longing emotion when it came to her parents instead of being completely indifferent.

“Obviously, since I was their only daughter.” She pursed her lips, still feeling the guilt of cutting ties with her family. It was a difficult decision, and there were times when she missed them terribly. But she knew that reaching out to them was not an option, no matter how strong the temptation. She couldn’t bear to face their disappointment and anger over her selfish actions, which had caused them to cut off contact with her for years.

“Forget it, I’m going back to my room. I’m too exhausted to continue this conversation.” She pushed her chair back and was about to leave but she felt a shiver down her spine when Noah’s large hand held her hand to stop her. The mere contact made her feel like there was an electricity running through her body, causing her to pull her hand back. “W-what?”

Noah looked down at his hand and felt a twinge of pain as he witnessed how repulsed Celene was by his touch. He closed his fist and met her gaze, determined to find a way to send her home so she could catch her husband in the act of cheating. After all, he had already discovered the immoral behavior of her husband for several days now by having someone follow him and his mistress around.

Yet rather than revealing this information, he decided to let her uncover it herself to avoid suspicion on how he knew about it.

“I heard your husband got into an accident on the way home,” he said, which caused Celene’s eyes to widen.

“What?”

“I don’t know the details, but I think he made it home, luckily.” Celene immediately panicked and didn’t even question the validity of his statement or how he knew about it. Her only concern was checking on Jarred, so she swiftly turned around and hurried back home.

Noah sighed, doubting his chances of winning Celene’s heart when she was clearly devoted to her shitty husband to the point where she never questioned anything and just rushed home to check on him.

As Celene sat in the cab, she tried to call Jarred multiple times but couldn’t get through. She immediately assumed that the reason he couldn’t pick her up at the airport earlier was not because of work but because he got into an accident. She was so worried that when she arrived home, she quickly dashed up the stairs. But when she saw a familiar suitcase outside their room, her heart started racing and her adrenaline spiked, sending nerves coursing through her body.

It didn’t take her long to figure out who it belonged to, especially after she heard Agnes’ moans of pleasure coming from their room.