Chapter 2

When Connor finished speaking, he softly kissed my cheek. I turned my face toward the window, letting out a quiet, resigned sigh. What was there to say? I'd lived like a songbird in a gilded cage for three years of marriage. The only thing I had any say over was a credit card with a monthly limit in the millions. Everything else had slipped through my fingers long ago. I forced a faint smile and gave in. "Alright. You handle it." My well-rehearsed compliance, smooth as always, seemed to please Connor. He adjusted his posture slightly, catching the bodyguard's eye in the rearview mirror. "Arthur, make sure Hannah's well taken care of at the hospital later." At the wheel, Arthur Reid held Connor's gaze in the reflection before giving a quick nod. A moment later, his eyes flicked to me, holding mine for a beat too long. I knew what it meant. It was the look of a man with a conscience, someone wrestling with something that felt like guilt. Soon, the car pulled through the gates of Jorvaska Hospital, the nation's most prestigious and exclusive medical facility. But that day, its entrance was swarmed by reporters and a restless crowd. As soon as I stepped out, reporters swarmed me like vultures circling prey. Arthur and Connor threw themselves before me, trying to shield me from the onslaught. But even their efforts were no match for the sheer force of the crowd. True to form, Arthur was quickly swallowed by the mob. The moment he went down, camera lenses were shoved in my face. "Mrs. Searle, do you think that your abduction on your birthday was because you dressed in a way that attracted the wrong attention?" "Mrs. Searle, Mr. Searle insists that the attackers didn't assault you, but those marks on your body tell a different story. Is he just lying to spare your feelings?" "Mrs. Searle, can your marriage really survive something like this?" "Mrs. Searle, if Mr. Searle still loves you after what happened, doesn't that mean that you owe him everything?" Every word cut deeper like a twisting knife. I caught sight of Connor, who struggled to hold back the tide of reporters. His words from the car echoed in my mind, and tears began streaming down my face. The bitter irony was almost too much to bear. The man I had promised my forever to had become the very reason my life was falling apart. I folded in on myself, shrinking like a wounded animal as the reporters closed in, their shoes scuffing and scraping around me. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Arthur?" Connor's voice boomed over the commotion, and finally, Arthur emerged from the crowd. Those two really knew how to put on a flawless performance together. I'd been through these media frenzies with Connor more times than I could count. I knew the drill by heart. By this point, the reporters had already gotten what they came for. Even if I'd kept my mouth shut, their headlines would've spun the story exactly how Connor wanted. The scandalous socialite and the commanding, devoted CEO were always prime material for the press. The reporters weren't about to push their luck with Connor. After his outburst, they started to scatter. Connor hurried over, pulling me to my feet and dusting off my clothes. "Don't let them get to you, darling. After everything you've been through, I only love you more," he said softly. Then, he spun around and delivered a pwoerful kick to Arthur.