Chapter 4
I knew her name—Lena Whitmore. Julian had just hired her, supposedly as his new assistant.
But the moment he saw her standing at the gate, his entire expression shifted.
Without saying a word to me, Julian stepped down from the altar, ignored the stares from guests, and pulled her out of the venue like I didn’t even exist.
Not a single explanation. Not even a glance my way.
The guests whispered. Their looks of sympathy burned worse than any slap.
I forced myself to smile through the rest of the ceremony. My fingers trembled as I signed our second set of vows. Then I slipped out quietly and followed the direction Julian had taken her.
I was almost there when the System buzzed in my head:
[Warning: Host advised not to proceed.]
Screw that.
I kept walking.
I spotted them at the edge of the garden path, half-hidden behind the palms. Her voice was soft, syrupy sweet, almost trembling with excitement.
“Don’t be mad, okay? I have good news. I’m pregnant.”
Boom. Just like that, my world cracked.
Everything inside me froze, then rang like I’d just taken a baseball bat to the skull.
But then I heard his voice—cold, cutting.
“I’ll give you money. Take care of it.”
There was silence.
Then Julian’s voice again, sharper now:
“I told you before—my wife is the line you don’t cross. Don’t show up in front of me again.”
Lena’s breath caught. I could almost hear her trying to compute what he’d just said.
“But… you told me you loved me.”
Julian’s reply came like a slap:
“Get over yourself. You think I’d look at you twice if you didn’t remind me of her?”
Lena shut up instantly.
And I—I nearly laughed.
So that’s what I was now. A blueprint. A mold.
Even when I was still beside him, breathing the same air, sleeping in the same bed, he needed a knock-off version of me just to keep things interesting.
Because he was bored. That’s all this was.
Lena disappeared down the hall, and Julian turned around.
When he saw me, panic flashed through his eyes. “Isla, she was here for work. Something urgent.”
I stared at him. My throat felt like it was full of glass. “Don’t lie to me, Julian.”
He opened his arms and pulled me in. “I’m not lying…”
I closed my eyes.
Same script, different night.
I took a breath. “I don’t care anymore. Just stay with me these next two days. Like you promised.”
He exhaled slowly. “Okay.”
Back in the hotel room, he held me tighter than usual. His kisses landed along my jawline, down my neck, trailing lower. Every move was practiced, familiar.
It’d been a long time since we’d been like this.
His hands knew exactly where to touch, how to draw a reaction.
He wasn’t gentle. Not really.
I winced. “Julian… slower, please.”
He froze—then laughed, low and cruel.
“You weren’t this delicate before. Stop pretending.”
Then he took me harder.
I buried my face into the pillow, bit back every cry. Let the tears fall in silence.
My body was already giving out. The System was failing. My lifeline had always been his love—his real love. The more it faded, the sicker I became.
Afterward, he pulled me close, frowning.
“You really need to eat more. You’re getting bony.”
That frown told me everything—he hadn’t been satisfied. My body wasn’t good enough anymore.
“Okay,” I whispered.
My meekness annoyed him. “Jesus, Isla. What is it now? You mad? Huh? Did I not fuck you good enough?”
“I didn’t mean anything…”
He was already done with the conversation. Tossed the covers aside and stood up. “I’m going out for a smoke. Go to sleep.”
He left without looking back.
Sleep? I couldn’t even close my eyes.
I got up, threw on a jacket, and went looking for him.
The beach was wide and dark, waves crashing under a moon that looked way too romantic for how shitty I felt.
I couldn’t find him.
My legs eventually gave out. I dropped onto one of the beach loungers and sat there, staring out at the water.
That’s when a guy walked up—young, cocky, and way too confident.
“Hey there. You okay? You look like you could use a drink… or some company.”
I gave him a half-smile. “Sorry. You’re not my type.”
He grinned, unfazed. “Then tell me what your type is. I can be flexible.”
There was something about his eyes. For a second, I saw a flash of the Julian I’d first fallen for. That stupid cocky charm. The confidence.
And I actually smiled.
But of course, that’s exactly when I heard Julian’s voice behind me.
“She’s taken.”
He grabbed my wrist without another word, ignoring the guy’s awkward face and pulling me away.
He was pissed. Boiling.
I tried to speak. “Julian, wait—”
But he didn’t let me.
Back in the hotel room, he slammed the door behind us and threw me down on the couch like I weighed nothing.
He loomed over me, eyes sharp with rage.
His hand clamped around my chin. “You mope around me like a goddamn ghost. But you’re out there grinning at some stranger like a goddamn tease?”
