Chapter 1

Everyone in Flarora deemed Trina Shepherd the city's most beautiful red rose. She was gorgeous, confident, and unrestrained.

She was having the time of her life abroad when her father summoned her home with a telegram. It had only one cold message. "Come back immediately. Marry Julian."

Julian Hauser was the youngest and most promising officer in the unit. He was cool and disciplined—her polar opposite.

She loved noise and crowds, but he preferred silence.

She did whatever she wanted and pulled plenty of outrageous stunts, while he followed every rule, his discipline unshakeable.

She was bright and free, changing boyfriends as easily as she changed clothes, while he kept his distance from women and had never so much as touched a female soldier's hand.

Just imagining being married to someone that uptight made Trina feel like she couldn't breathe. So, she did everything she could to break the engagement.

She spent three days and three nights dancing and partying, thinking Julian would give up on her. Yet he walked in wearing a crisp uniform, ignored every stare in the room, and carried her home on his back.

She deliberately crashed into the commander's garden fence, hoping Julian would decide she was a lost cause. But he apologized in person, paid for the damages, arranged the repairs, and settled everything without making a fuss.

She made a mess of things without a care, but he was always right behind her, quietly setting things right.

This time, she had been detained for fighting. He had just finished a three-day emergency mission and was still in uniform, red veins spiderwebbing his eyes as he rushed over to bail her out.

Looking at his tired yet upright figure, Trina felt a rare urge to explain herself.

She wanted to say that she wasn't causing trouble this time. The guy had reached for her first just because she was pretty.

But before she could get a word out, Julian had already walked up to her and quietly taken her hand.

There was a thin cut on the tip of her finger. She hadn't noticed it at all, but he had.

He pulled a small first-aid kit from his pocket. Then, he disinfected the cut and gently pressed a band-aid over it.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

At that moment, all the explanations Trina had prepared caught in her throat.

He lifted his gaze, his eyes calm and steady. "I don't care how big a mess you make or how much trouble you stir up. I can handle all of that. What matters to me is whether you're hurt."

Trina felt her whole world jolt. It was as if something had slammed into the softest part of her heart, shattering every defense she had built.

Whenever she caused trouble, her father only snapped at her for being a disgrace. Her stepmother only put on a fake smile and told her to act like a lady. No one had ever asked her if she was hurt or upset.

Her voice came out hoarse as she heard herself say, "Julian, we can get married."

She thought she saw a flash of light in his dark eyes.

"But before that, I need to ask you something," she said, her tone full of pride and possessiveness. "Do you have someone you once loved but couldn't have? My man must belong to me completely. There can't be anyone else in his heart. It can only be me."

Julian's gaze locked onto hers, unwavering. "No. There's only you."

So, Trina married Julian.

Flarora's brightest red rose married the coldest, most ascetic officer in the military.

After the wedding, a saying spread through the city's inner circle—no one in their right mind provoked Julian's wife, Trina.

No matter how big of a mess Trina made, Julian was always behind her and took care of everything.

Trina genuinely believed her warmth had thawed Julian's frostiness—until the day she went to the military base to drop off some documents Julian had left at home.

Just as she reached the training ground, she saw a group of officers gathered together. They seemed to be at some kind of mixer. The mood was lively and upbeat.

Julian was surrounded by a few fellow officers. They had clearly roped him into some game, and he had lost, so they were heckling him into answering a "truth" question.

Someone called out, "General Hauser, come on, tell us. What's the biggest lie you've told in your life?"

The noisy scene quieted a little. Everyone looked over, curious what the strict and honest commanding officer would say.

Julian stayed silent for a few seconds. His side profile was obscured in the shadows, making it impossible to read him.

He picked up the cup of tea in front of him, took a sip, then finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to Trina's ears as she stepped into the doorway.

"Someone asked me if I had someone I loved but couldn't have. I lied and told her I didn't."

The shock cracked through her like lightning, stopping her cold. She froze in place, every drop of blood in her body turning to ice.

He had lied? He did have someone he couldn't have? Then why had he told her he didn't? Why had he married her?

A chill spread all the way up from the soles of her feet as though she had been thrown into an ice cellar. Even her bones felt cold.

She was just about to storm over and demand answers from Julian when a guard suddenly ran up to him and whispered a few urgent words in his ear.

Julian's expression shifted in an instant.

He shot to his feet, grabbed the uniform jacket off the back of his chair, and strode off without even pausing to explain. His movements were so fast they stirred the air around him.

He didn't even notice Trina standing at the door. His shoulder hit her hard as he passed, but he didn't seem to feel it. It was as if every bit of his attention had narrowed into the need to rush forward.

Trina staggered from the impact, pain shooting through her shoulder. But her heart hurt even more.

She swallowed the ache and the storm of questions racing through her mind and, almost without thinking, followed him.

She watched Julian jump into a jeep. The engine roared, and the vehicle shot out like an arrow.

Trina immediately flagged down a cab and told the driver to follow close behind.

The jeep finally stopped at an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Julian rushed inside with the guard at his heels. Trina slipped in after them and stayed in the shadows.

Inside, a kidnapper with a twisted face was holding a woman at knifepoint.

The woman wore a plain, modest dress. She was crying so hard that she looked like she might pass out any second.

The instant Julian saw her, his expression turned stormy. His voice carried the faintest hint of a tremble as he said, "Let her go!"

The kidnapper let out a cold laugh. "I knew I grabbed the right person. Julian, everyone thinks you spoil your reckless wife, Trina. But I know the woman you really care about is Sienna Blake!"

Sienna Blake?

Trina's heart sank.

The kidnapper kept shouting, "On that last border mission, you got my brothers killed or crippled! Today, I'm going to make you feel what it's like to lose the one you love!"

The veins on the back of Julian's hand stood out, but he forced himself to stay calm. "I'm the one you want revenge on! Let her go and take it out on me!"

"Let her go? Sure!" The kidnapper kicked a knife across the floor. It clattered to a stop at Julian's feet. "Stab yourself in the heart! Then, I'll consider letting her go!"

"No! Julian, don't!" Sienna sobbed and shook her head, tears streaming uncontrollably.

Julian looked at her for a long moment. His eyes held a depth of feeling Trina had never once seen in them.

Then, he bent down, picked up the knife, and drove it hard toward his own heart.

Hidden in the back, Trina dug her nails into her palms to keep from crying out.

Julian was actually willing to kill himself for another woman without a second thought.

Chapter 2

"Now, can you let her go?" Julian's face was paper-white, cold sweat beading on his forehead, but he still forced himself to stand straight.

"You let her go and come at me. Do whatever you want to me... Even if you want my life, that's fine..."

The kidnapper burst into wild laughter. "It looks like you really are madly in love with her. That makes me want to kill her even more so you will feel what real despair is!"

Just as he raised the knife toward Sienna, the guards who had been lying in wait rushed out from all sides and took him down in seconds.

Sienna broke free and stumbled into Julian's arms, sobbing so hard that she could barely breathe. "Julian! Are you insane? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could've died!"

Julian lifted a shaking hand and gently wiped the tears from her face, his voice low. "Don't cry... It doesn't hurt..."

Sienna was furious and terrified. "You're bleeding everywhere, and yet you say it doesn't hurt?"

She suddenly snatched the bloody knife off the floor and slashed it across her own arm. Blood burst from the wound immediately.

"What are you doing?" Julian's expression changed instantly. He grabbed her wrist hard.

Sienna's tears obscured her vision as she stared at him, her voice breaking. "Does it hurt now? Julian, do you understand? When I see you get hurt..."

She paused and pointed at her heart. "It hurts right here just as much! So from now on, don't ever do something that reckless, not even for me!"

Julian stared at the wound on her arm and the stubborn determination in her eyes. His eyes turned red.

He pulled her tightly into his arms, his voice hoarse. "Alright. I get it. I'll take care of myself."

The ambulance arrived quickly. The paramedics loaded Julian onto a stretcher and carried him out.

From beginning to end, no one noticed Trina standing in the shadows at the back of the warehouse, her face drained of color.

It felt like every bit of strength had been sucked out of her. Her whole body was freezing.

What exactly was going on between Julian and Sienna?

The way he looked at her, the way he hurt himself for her, and the way she slashed herself to stop him—all of it made clear a bond so unbreakable that no one else could ever get between them.

Countless questions and speculations spun through Trina's mind so fast that she thought she might lose it.

Just then, a shadow suddenly fell across her.

Trina looked up and realized Sienna was standing right in front of her.

Without warning, Sienna raised her hand and slapped Trina hard across the face.

Trina's head jerked to the side, heat burning across her cheek.

Rage shot straight to her head. Trina had never been the type to swallow an insult. If someone hit her, she would hit back. She raised her hand, ready to return the slap twice as hard.

"Go ahead! Hit me! Beat me to death if you want!" Sienna lifted her chin and closed her eyes like she was facing an execution.

Her voice shook with tears and hatred. "It doesn't matter anyway. The Shepherd family already ruined both my life and Julian's! If we can't be together in this lifetime, I don't want to live either!"

Trina's raised hand trembled and froze in midair.

She forced herself to swallow the pain in her cheek and the sharper one in her chest. Staring at Sienna, she squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. "What's going on between you and Julian?"

Sienna looked at Trina with a twisted, sorrowful smile. Then, she laid out the truth.

Two years ago, Sienna and Julian had been in love. They were already planning to get married.

Then, Sienna was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that required an extremely expensive imported specific drug to keep her alive.

And across all of Flarora, only Trina's father, Wayne Shepherd, had the connections to obtain that drug.

To save Sienna, Julian went to beg Wayne.

Wayne made his condition clear. He wanted Julian to marry Trina, who was spoiled and reckless. If Julian agreed to marry Trina and make sure she had his child, Wayne would give him the medicine.

So, Julian married Trina and completely cut ties with Sienna.

When the truth hit, Trina felt like she had been struck by lightning. Her teeth clamped down on her lower lip until the taste of blood spread through her mouth.

It was no wonder Julian had never backed out of the engagement and never let her go, no matter how she acted out or how hard she pushed him away.

No wonder that after the wedding, he had given in to her on everything—except in bed, where he became obsessively intense. He went to her almost every night, over and over. Even when she was drained and pleaded for him to stop, he still wasn't satisfied.

What she had taken for love and devotion was really just him forcing himself. He had been doing whatever it took to keep another woman alive.

The humiliation and heartbreak were so sharp that it felt like they were tearing her apart.

Trina looked straight at Sienna, her eyes as cold as a blade. "If what you just said is a lie, I swear I'll make you wish you were dead!"

She paused, her voice rough with a kind of broken resolve. "If it's true... I'll give you and Julian an answer."

She didn't look at Sienna again. She turned around and walked straight back to the Shepherd residence.

When she walked in, her father was at the dining table with her stepmother, Jessica Reed, and the pampered illegitimate children they adored.

They were all laughing over dinner, the picture of a happy family.

"Wayne Shepherd!" Trina called his full name, her voice icy. "I have something to ask you!"

Wayne's face darkened. He set his cutlery down with a clang. "You have no manners at all. You married Julian and still haven't learned to be even a little mature? What, you can't even call me 'Dad' now? You're getting more and more out of line!"

Trina stared at him with reddened eyes and said nothing.

The next second, she strode forward, grabbed the heavy tablecloth with both hands, and yanked it.

Dishes and cups crashed to the floor. Soup and food splattered everywhere. Jessica and the children screamed.

"Now, can you talk to me properly?" Trina asked, standing in the middle of the wreckage, her eyes locked on Wayne.

Chapter 3

Everyone at the table stared at Trina in shock.

"You! You ungrateful brat!" Wayne snapped.

Jessica snapped out of it first and hurried over, trying to smooth things over. "Trina, if you have something to say, say it calmly. Don't make your father angry..."

"It is not your place to speak here!" Trina cut her off sharply. "You were the mistress who clawed your way in. And you think you get to lecture me in this house?"

Jessica's face went pale, then flushed, her eyes filling with tears as she looked helplessly at Wayne.

Wayne was furious, but when he saw the way Trina looked like she might burn the whole place down, he held back his anger and waved a hand, sending Jessica and the frightened children upstairs.

"What are you making a scene about this time?" he asked furiously.

Trina met his eyes and asked coldly, "Did you use that specific drug to force Julian into marrying me?"

A flicker of guilt flashed through Wayne's eyes. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"You know very well whether it's nonsense." Trina stepped closer, refusing to back down. "Wayne Shepherd, answer me! Did you or did you not do that?"

Seeing Trina on the verge of breaking, Wayne knew he couldn't hide from it any longer. Irritated, he gave in and admitted it.

"Yes, I did it. So what? I was thinking about you! Julian is capable and has a bright future! He's the kind of man other families would dream of marrying their daughters off to! I got you a perfect match! How is that wrong?

"You're my daughter. You think I would hurt you? A man like Julian is the only one who can keep you in line! You will only be happy with him!"

"Happy?" Trina let out a bitter laugh. "You want to use a deal and a lie to build a marriage and call that happiness? Let me tell you something, Wayne Shepherd. Men line up for me! I don't need to stoop to cheap tricks to keep a man!"

She took a deep breath and stripped away the last shreds of his façade. "And stop pretending this was all for my sake! You just got tired of me fighting you over Mom all these years! You wanted me married off as fast as possible so you could have some peace!

"You know I have high standards and don't look twice at most men, so you picked Julian. You made sure I would fall for him, marry him, and have his child.

"Then, once I settled down, you could get him to persuade me to stop fighting over the inheritance. That way, you could leave every last cent to the woman you love and the kids she gave you. Isn't that your plan?"

Wayne's face shifted through several shades, but he still tried to brazen it out. "You! You're talking nonsense!"

"Nonsense?" Trina laughed until tears pricked her eyes, but her pride held. "Fine! Whether that was your exact plan or not, I'm officially telling you right now—I don't want the inheritance!"

Wayne froze for a second. A flash of relief and something close to joy flickered in his eyes before he could hide it.

Trina caught his reaction and felt her heart sink all the way to the bottom. Everything inside her went cold.

"But I have two conditions," she said firmly. "First, you have to give Julian the drug. Second, use every connection you have to push our divorce through as fast as possible."

Wayne was still angry, but once he heard her give up any claim to the inheritance, his expression eased almost instantly. He even pretended to care about her like a father. "Fine. A relationship can't be forced. If you want a divorce, then go ahead. I only want you to be happy."

He paused for a moment, then added, "But I can't give Julian the medicine just yet."

He told the maid to bring paper and a pen, then sat down and wrote out an agreement on the spot. When he finished, he slid it across the table to her.

"Once the divorce is finalized, you'll go back overseas and stay there. Don't come back and stir things up again. And you'll have it clearly written that you voluntarily give up all rights to the inheritance. Once that's done, I'll give Julian the medicine."

Trina stared at the cold lines of the agreement. It felt like someone was slicing her chest open.

This man was her father, but she couldn't find a shred of fatherly warmth anywhere in him. Every calculation he made was for himself and his new family.

Her hand trembled as she picked up the pen, but she still pressed it to the paper and signed her name.

"Handle the divorce as soon as possible," she said, setting the pen down. Her gaze was icy as she looked at Wayne. "And if I find out you didn't give him the drug..."

She paused, her tone turning cold enough to kill. "I'm not as restrained as Julian. I'll blow this place up myself. You, that woman, and those kids won't make it out!"

She didn't bother watching the way fury and panic tangled on Wayne's face. She turned, straightened her back, and walked out of the house that made her sick.

She didn't go back to the Hauser residence. Instead, she went straight to the club she used to haunt.

For three straight days, she lived there, drinking and dancing, trying to drown everything in alcohol and noise. But the more she tried, the emptier and colder her chest felt.

A few close friends rushed over as soon as they heard about it. They eventually couldn't bear to watch any longer and grabbed her when her eyes had gone glassy from alcohol.

"Trin, what on earth happened?" one of them asked.

Trina's gaze was hazy. She forced a crooked smile that looked worse than crying. "What could've happened? Same as always. Let's drink! Have fun..."

"But you haven't partied like this since you got married," another friend said, worried. "Isn't Julian always… you know… all over you in bed?"

"All over me? Do you even know why he's all over me in bed?"

The pain in Trina's chest felt like it might split her open. She tossed back the liquor in her glass. The burn scorched its way down her throat and fanned the flames in her heart.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She told them everything.

By the time she finished, her friends were furious on her behalf, cursing Julian for being blind and Wayne for being shameless.

Trina only laughed. There was nothing but exhaustion and bitterness in her smile. "Look at me. I'm beautiful. If I want a man, I have more choices than I can count. I don't need a man whose heart belongs to someone else."

"Exactly! You've got the looks, and you've got your family background. Men who want to marry you could line up from Flarora all the way to Pevora! And Julian still didn't appreciate you!"

"Right! With your personality, there is no way you're going back to him! Even if he ends up on his knees begging you one day, it won't matter!"

Trina smiled again, but there was only bitterness in her eyes.

Beg her? He would never beg her.

After she left the country and Wayne gave him the drug, Julian would be celebrating that Sienna could be saved. Why would he ever look for her?

Her chest throbbed so hard that it almost hurt to breathe. She excused herself to the restroom, needing a moment alone.

She had just stepped out of the restroom when a man reeking of alcohol blocked her path and slid a hand toward her waist.

"You're alone? You look incredible! How about a dance with me?"

Trina's mood was already at rock bottom. Her eyes turned cold as she drew in a breath, ready to strike back.

Before she could move, there was a sickening crack, followed by a scream that tore through the music.

The drunk man let out a wail sharp enough to make teeth ache.

Trina looked up and froze. The cold face glaring back at her was one she knew all too well—Julian.

Chapter 4

Julian was dressed in casual clothes, but his commanding presence was still overwhelming.

He glanced at the drunk man clutching his arm in pain, his voice cold as ice. "Get out. If I ever see you lay a hand on her again, I'll break both your arms."

The man finally registered who Julian was and paled instantly. He mumbled apologies in a panic and fled.

"Quite the hero, General Hauser." Trina shoved down the shock and turmoil inside her and managed a thin, mocking smile. "What brings you here?"

Julian frowned slightly and looked at her. "I was out on an emergency mission for a few days. I got back and heard you've been here for three nights straight. There's a limit to how far you can push it. It's time to go home."

An emergency mission?

Trina's heart gave a sharp twist.

A mission where he took a knife for the woman he actually loved?

She didn't say it out loud. She simply turned her head away. "I'm not going back."

With that, she stepped around him to leave.

Julian grabbed her wrist and, without warning, bent down and swept her off her feet.

"Julian! What are you doing? Put me down!" Trina's shock flared into anger as she struggled in his arms.

He ignored the way she kicked and twisted in his arms, carrying her in long strides toward a dim corner at the back of the club. He pinned her against the cold wall, and his mouth came down over hers in a hard kiss that brooked no argument, laced with a hint of urgency he didn't quite manage to hide.

"Mm... You jerk! Let go!" Trina turned her face away, pushing both hands against his chest.

Julian caught her wrists with one hand and pressed them above her head. His other hand slid to the back of her neck as he deepened the kiss, his mouth and tongue taking what they wanted.

"Trin..." His voice was hoarse as he murmured her nickname, his breath coming rough. "Do you know how many days it's been since we last made love?"

His lips trailed from her jaw to her throat, leaving a line of hot, damp kisses. "If you won't go home, then we'll do it here..."

"No! I don't want to! Julian, if you touch me today, I'll hate you for the rest of my life!"

She was flushed with anger and humiliation, but under that, the pain in her chest was so intense that it felt like it was being torn open.

Was he so desperate to get Sienna that medicine that he couldn't even wait to go home?

Julian only thought she was nervous. He leaned close to her ear, trying to soothe her. "Don't be scared. It's dark here. No one will see us..."

"You jerk!" Tears of rage burned in Trina's eyes. She suddenly ducked her head and bit down on his shoulder hard.

Julian let out a muffled groan, his body jerking. Then, he gave a low, helpless laugh. "You really are a wildcat..."

He didn't give her another chance to fight him off. He forced past her resistance and took what he wanted.

The dry, tearing pain made Trina's whole body go rigid. A strangled cry slipped from her throat.

"Just bear with it," Julian muttered, fighting to keep his voice level as he moved against her. "If you can't handle a little pain, how are you going to get through having a baby?"

A baby...

Those words felt like a poisoned blade driven straight into her heart.

Trina jerked her head up and stared at the face so close to hers, speaking each word carefully. "What if I told you my mother died giving birth to a second child on the day she found out my father was cheating? What if I said I never want to have a baby?"

Julian's body went still. In the dark, she thought she caught a flash of something complicated in his eyes.

But it vanished almost immediately.

"Trin, I can promise you anything except that. Give me a child. A child who looks like you. With me here, and the best medical team in the country watching over you, nothing will happen to you."

The words would have sounded devoted, even moving, to anyone else. But to Trina, every syllable felt like another slice of a blade.

Julian couldn't see her despair or how much this was tearing her up. All he cared about was keeping Sienna alive.

A wave of nausea and shame surged through her. She fought him with everything she had, shoving at him, twisting to get away. "Let go of me! Julian, let me go!"

But her strength was no match for his. Her resistance barely moved him.

Just as her last shred of hope was about to give way, a shocked scream rang out nearby.

They both froze.

Trina turned her head and saw Sienna standing a short distance away, tears streaming down her chalk-white face as she stared at them.

Chapter 5

The next second, Sienna seemed to snap under the shock. She spun around and ran, sobbing as she fled.

Julian's expression changed in an instant. He pulled away from Trina so quickly that she barely had time to react. He told her to wait, then sprinted after Sienna without a second's hesitation.

Trina slid down the cold wall until she was sitting on the floor. There was still a sticky, raw ache between her legs.

How ironic. The woman he really loved had only caught a glimpse of them, and he had abandoned her in an instant to chase Sienna down.

What did he think she was? Some cheap prostitute he had picked up for the night?

Trina forced herself to stand and smoothed down her twisted dress. Having lost her usual spark, she moved step by step out of that disgusting corner like a puppet with its strings cut.

She had just stepped out the back door of the club when a shout rang out overhead. "Somebody jumped!"

Trina looked up just in time to see a dark figure plunging from the upper floor, dropping straight toward her.

There was a sickening thud as the body hit her full on.

Pain exploded through her entire body. Something warm and thick splashed across her face and clothes.

Right before the darkness swallowed her, she caught a blurred glimpse of the face that had crashed into her.

It was Sienna, her face still streaked with tears.

...

When Trina woke up again, the world smelled like antiseptic.

She drifted in and out as people rushed her down a hallway. The lights above her blurred, and a nurse's urgent voice cut through the fog in her head.

"Both of them are in critical condition! They're bleeding from the head, and they have multiple fractures. But we just took in a bunch of highway collision victims. The blood bank is nearly empty and there's only one operating room left. If we delay surgery for one of them, she might not make it. General Hauser, who do we operate on first?"

The next thing Trina heard was Julian's voice, rough and strained. "Save them both. Can't we transfer one of them to another hospital?"

"No, General Hauser! In their condition, they can't be moved! You have to make a decision!"

Silence fell, so heavy that it hurt to breathe.

Trina forced her eyes open a crack and saw Julian at the doors of the operating room, his jaw clenched hard. He looked utterly conflicted in a way she had never seen him before.

At last, as if using every ounce of his strength, he forced the words out, one by one. "Operate on... Sienna first."

Trina already knew the truth. She had told herself not to expect anything, but hearing him say it out loud with her own ears still made her feel like her heart was being crushed into dust.

And somehow, she laughed. Her lips curled under the oxygen mask into the faintest, coldest hint of a smile.

So, in the end, he chose Sienna.

Then, the darkness took Trina again.

She had no idea how long she was out before she slowly woke up a second time. When her vision cleared, she saw Julian sitting beside her bed.

The moment he saw her eyes open, he leaned over her. "You're awake? How do you feel? Are you hurting anywhere?"

Trina turned her head away, dodging his hand. "Didn't you already decide my life didn't matter when you chose to save Sienna first outside the operating room? Why pretend you're worried now?"

Julian clearly hadn't expected her to have heard any of that. His body went rigid.

He stayed quiet for a very long time—long enough that Trina almost believed he wasn't going to answer at all.

"Sienna used to be attached to the unit with the performing arts troupe," he finally said.

"Then, she got seriously ill. Her body's been weak ever since. In that situation, if she hadn't gone into surgery immediately, she would've died on the table. That's why I chose to save her first."

He paused, then looked back at Trina. "After that, I called other hospitals and tried to find an available operating room so you could go into surgery in time too. Trin, I didn't abandon you."

She listened to his explanation, her face utterly calm. Inside, everything felt like a frozen wasteland.

She let out a short, humorless laugh. "If she was just someone from your unit, just a fragile subordinate who needed looking after, then why did she fall apart when she saw us together? Why would she jump?"

Julian fell silent again.

She saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, and only after a long while did he speak in a low, deep voice.

"Sienna once had someone she loved, but they couldn't be together. She never recovered from it, and her emotions have been unstable ever since. Seeing us that night must have overwhelmed her."

Trina watched him quietly, studying the hard cut of his jaw and his calm, unreadable eyes.

She hadn't realized until then how good he was at lying.

Trina clearly remembered how, not long after they got married, she had been curled up against his chest, toying with the buttons on his uniform as she said, "Julian, I can't stand liars. My mother spent her whole life drowning in my father's lies and it killed her in the end. If you ever lie to me, I'll walk away without looking back."

He had kissed the top of her head and said hoarsely, "I won't lie to you."

But now, it was one lie after another.

For Trina, love had always been something extra—nice to have, but never something she couldn't live without.

If it worked, they would stay together. If it didn't, she would move on. And if moving on didn't work, she could still live a beautiful life on her own.

So, the moment she knew for certain that Julian had lied to her, he was already gone from her world.