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Book 2–Chapter 1
For the nth time, I tried to seduce my husband, Troy Green, but failed once again to consummate the marriage, so I decided to call my brother.
The divorce papers lay untouched on the desk as I held the phone to my ear with trembling fingers.
“Brother,” I said softly, “I’m going to divorce him.”
There was a beat of silence. Then, Nathan’s voice came through, calm and unsurprised. “Thalia, I warned you, didn’t I? That man… he’s ice. Emotionally constipated. Sexually apathetic. A walking void in an expensive suit.”
A small, broken laugh escaped my lips. “I thought I could fix him. I really thought if I loved him hard enough, he’d love me back.”
“You’re not a repair shop, Thalia. You don’t fix people like him. Listen, come to New Zealand. The beaches are beautiful, the men actually know how to touch a woman. Let Troy Green rot in his glass mansion, untouched and unloved.”
I leaned my head back against the wall, breathing through the burn in my chest. “I’ll book the flight once the papers are signed.”
“Good,” Nathan said, his voice softer now. “You deserve better. You always have.”
When the call ended, I didn’t move for a long time.
Then I stood. The corridor was quiet, the marble floors cold beneath my bare feet. I passed the guest wing, the lounge, then paused outside the room at the far end of the hallway. That was Troy’s private sanctuary. A room he always kept locked. A room I was never allowed to enter.
Tonight, it wasn’t locked. And from inside, I heard a sound. A low groan. Drawn out. Suppressed.
I froze. My fingers brushed the edge of the door, hesitating. A line of warm light spilled through the crack.
My heart thudded painfully in my chest. I looked. And what I saw broke something in me l didn’t even know was still whole.
Troy was on his knees, shirtless. His sculpted back glistened with sweat. His body moved in a slow, rhythmic grind.
At first, I thought there was someone beneath him. A woman?
But no. It was a doll. A disturbingly realistic, life–sized silicone doll–nude and eerily lifelike. Long brown hair. Glassy hazel eyes. A small beauty mark beneath the left eye. She looked exactly like his stepsister.
I clamped a hand over my mouth, choking on a sound that didn’t quite become a scream. My stomach turned. My knees went weak.
Chapter 25
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This wasn’t the first time. The first time I caught him touching that thing, I thought I was dreaming. The second time, I stayed silent and tried to erase it from memory.
But the third time…
The third time, I felt nothing.
Just a heavy, suffocating numbness. A silence that roared in my ears.
I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.
The first time I met Troy was at a yacht party Nathan hosted–an event filled with champagne flutes, backless dresses, and people who loved the sound of their own names.
And there he was. While others indulged in gossip and alcohol, he stood at the edge of the deck, sipping sparkling water like it was a statement. He didn’t smile. Didn’t flirt. Just stood there, every inch of him carved like stone.
I couldn’t look away. He was nothing like the men I’d dated before–he was mystery. And I fell. So hard. So fast. So stupid.
begged Nathan to introduce me. I made sure we crossed paths again and again. Eventually, he agreed to marry me.
No proposal. No ring. Just a quiet, emotionless: “Marriage works for me. If you want it, I
don’t mind.”
I should’ve known then. Our wedding night was a disaster. I waited in a red silk slip, candles lit, my body practically humming with nerves.
He never came to the room. He slept in his study. And every night after that was a variation of the same rejection.
I tried everything. Lingerie, weekend getaways, wine, massages, midnight kisses. He wouldn’t touch me.
Once, I slipped into his bed and curled against him, whispering his name. He stood up and left without a word. Another time, I walked into his shower, hoping maybe proximity would break the spell.
He calmly handed me a towel and left. The worst was when I got drunk and told him I wanted a baby.
He looked me in the eyes and said, “I’m not designed for emotional reproduction.”
What the hell did that even mean?
For two years, I’d been nothing but a ghost in this marriage. A pretty shadow that cooked his meals, smiled at galas, and went to bed cold every single night.
But tonight made everything clear.
He didn’t reject me because he didn’t feel desire. He rejected me because his desire had nothing to do with me.
He moaned her name.
“Bianca…” he whispered into that doll’s ear. “Only you…”
My soul cracked open. My vision blurred with tears, my heart pounding so loud I couldn’t
Book 2–Chapter 1
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CIVICU…
པལ་ཅ་
་དས་ སཔ་་པ ངས… Vi“) Jཔu…
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My soul cracked open. My vision blurred with tears, my heart pounding so loud I couldn’t hear anything else. I locked myself in my room and crumpled onto the floor.
When I woke up, Troy was already dressed and ready to go out.
“Wait a minute!” I called him.
“I have a board meeting,” he said without looking at me. “Don’t disturb me. I don’t have time for you.”
“No, that’s not it.” I smiled a bit. I want you to give me the keys to the Maybach. You can drive another car, since I’m used to driving the Maybach.”
He looked at me, still cold. “Are you going out today?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“What are you going to do?” He raised his brow as he took out the key directly for his pocket then handed it to me, “Nevermind. Do something that will make you happy.”
I smirked. Yes, that would be to leave him… forever.
Book 2.Chapter 1
