Chapter 3

When Tristan woke up early in the morning, he realized that Leticia wasn't lying next to him. Panic seized his heart immediately. He rushed out of the room without even bothering to put on a jacket. After searching the manor, Tristan finally found Leticia all alone in the garden. She was spacing out while sitting on the garden swing. When Leticia heard the barrage of noises coming from behind her, she slowly turned her head to see Tristan. It appeared that he had suffered from a fall earlier. He was a germaphobe, yet he was tolerant toward the dirt and grime coating his pajamas at the moment. Panic and worry clouded his expression. Ever since Leticia had gotten kidnapped, Tristan became clingier to her than before. If he couldn't spot her the moment he woke up, he'd be alarmed. Upon realizing that Leticia was safe and sound, Tristan rushed toward her and pulled her into his arms tightly. "Letty, don't leave my line of sight this abruptly from now on. I'll get worried about you…" As Leticia rested her head on Tristan's shoulder, she heard his thoughts booming out loud. [Thank goodness Letty is fine. If anything happens to her again, I won't have the will to live anymore…] Her heart skipped a beat at the silent confession. She slowly raised her head before finally speaking up. "What's up with the red marks on your neck?" Tristan subconsciously raised a hand to caress the spot where the love bites were printed on, clearly startled for a moment. Then, he explained, "Maybe the mosquitoes got to me last night." Leticia just smiled bitterly in return. "It's already fall. Do you think there are still mosquitoes out and about?" The sight of Leticia's hollow gaze finally pulled Tristan out of his trance. "So, the reason why you've been so unhappy these days is out of fear that I'll…" Tristan hugged Leticia tightly before he finished his sentence. "Letty, I swear that you're the only woman I love in this lifetime. If I end up falling in love with another woman, I'm willing to face a fate worse than death—" Leticia didn't have the heart to listen to Tristan making such a ruthless vow, so she was quick to cover his mouth. "Stop it. I trust you," she said while gazing at him firmly, a sincere glint present in her eyes. She continued, "Tristan, if you do end up falling in love with another woman, you have to tell me. I won't badger you at all. "But if you lie to me, you can forget about seeing me ever again for the rest of your life." Tristan stiffened up instantly. He responded by tightening his arms around Leticia. "No way, Letty! You're the only one I love! I can't lose you! You must never leave me!" Leticia pressed her ear against Tristan's chest tightly in hopes of divulging more of his thoughts. But that was the only sentence she could hear. She let out a silent sigh. Perhaps she really was overthinking it. Alas, peaceful days never lasted long. The next day, Tristan actually brought Chelsea home with him. He kept an arm around Leticia while saying casually, "Letty, Chelsea's apartment lease has expired. She hasn't found a new place to live yet, so she'll be spending a few days with us. I promised her brother that I'd take care of her—I can't just let her live out on the streets, right?" Leticia was starting to feel cold from apprehension. Her gaze subconsciously landed on Chelsea's necklace, which was the exact replica of the one she was wearing. There was only one such necklace in this world. That was why its price had gone all the way up to a 100 million dollars at the auction. Since Leticia and Chelsea were both wearing identical necklaces, that meant one of them was wearing a fake replica. Obviously, Tristan noticed the same thing. His expression darkened instantly. Chelsea took the initiative to explain everything. "Leticia, please don't misunderstand me. I noticed how beautiful the necklace looked on your neck when your picture was published in the newspapers, so I bought a replica for myself." Leticia still felt quite stuffy on the inside even after hearing Chelsea's explanation. The stuffiness made it quite difficult for her to breathe. However, Chelsea chose to direct a half-serious, half-joking question to Tristan at that moment. "Tristan, who do you think wears the necklace better? Me or Leticia?" Stunned, Tristan quickly pulled Leticia into a one-armed hug before smiling at her. "My darling Letty looks the best, of course!" Chelsea let out a short rasp of bitter laughter before lowering her head. Clearly, she looked a little disappointed. Although Leticia was leaning against Tristan's chest, she could still hear his thoughts ringing out loud and clear. [Chels, be good now. Don't feel upset, alright? I can only say such things because Letty is here with us.] Leticia froze up instantly when she heard Tristan's thoughts. She raised her head to see Tristan looking at Chelsea. Chelsea seemed to have sensed Tristan's gaze, for she smiled at him sweetly. At that moment, Tristan's thoughts boomed once again. [You're wearing the real necklace, after all. Of course, you look the best, Chels.]