Chapter 3

Shane thought she was joking. Everyone knew how much Gianna loved him. She loved him so much that barely a month into dating, she tossed her pride aside and asked him to marry her first. She loved him so much that she once stood in front of him with nothing on, face burning red, and said, "Shane, I just want to be with you. Whatever you want to do with me is fine." She loved him so much that even after being dumped 99 times, she still pushed through her fear and agreed to engagement number 100. So when he heard her say it, Shane only paused for a moment before brushing it off. "We've got an event tomorrow. Get some rest." He didn't take her words seriously at all, so he had no idea that Gianna meant every bit of it and was already treating the divorce like an actual task she intended to finish. She went straight to her parents and informed them. … The next morning, Gianna was jolted awake by noise coming from downstairs. She stood in the second-floor corridor and looked down. Stella was kneeling in the middle of the living room. She was dressed lightly, her eyes red around the edges, her expression stubborn to the point of defiance. She bit down hard on her lower lip and said, "I'm never getting married!" John raised the long whip in his hand and cracked it against the floor, the sound slicing through the room. "Stella, you're in no position to bargain with this family. Not with me." Shane's breath caught. "Grandpa, please… Don't make this harder on her." That one sentence was enough to push John over the edge. His expression darkened, and he snapped the whip toward Stella's back. The crack echoed through the room, and she let out a sharp cry as pain shot through her. Before the second strike could land, Shane lunged forward and shielded her with his body. The second strike landed square on Shane's back, and Stella trembled all over, her voice breaking. "Shane, does it hurt? I'm sorry. It's all my fault you got hit. "Don't worry. I'll never agree to what Grandpa wants. I'm not marrying anyone. I only—" John's expression shifted instantly. He barked, "That's enough!" His cane slammed down on the fresh welt on Shane's back, each word sharp as a blade. "Shane, the marriage between you and Gianna is perfectly fine. Are you planning to ruin it?" John snapped. Shane froze and lifted his head, meeting Gianna's eyes across the room. In that split second, something seemed to click. His brows slowly tightened. He called out to her. "Gianna, come down." Confused, Gianna instinctively walked toward him. Shane took her hand, his voice low and rough, as if he was whispering something intimate. "Was it you?" Gianna didn't understand what he meant until Shane spoke again. "This time, you went too far." And everything clicked. He thought she had gone to John and exposed what had happened last night. He thought she had run to John, which led to this morning's chaos and the demand that Stella marry someone. Gianna went pale with anger and denied instantly. "It wasn't me. I don't know what you're talking about—" But before she could finish, Shane leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her lips, cutting her off. Gianna froze, a flicker of confusion flashing in her eyes. It was the first time he had ever kissed her on his own since they got together. Why did he do that? She found out almost immediately. Because after that brief kiss, Shane looked past her and turned to Stella. His voice was low. "The husband Grandpa chose for you… He's a good match." Then he added, "Look at me. I'm happy, too." When he said it, his mouth tightened, and his eyes went dark, like he was holding something back. And in that moment, Gianna finally understood what that "kiss" really meant. He knew he shouldn't do it, but he did anyway. Not for her, but to keep Stella from taking another lash out of stubbornness. A bitter, almost mocking smile tugged at Gianna's lips. Right as Stella broke down again, Shane pulled Gianna into his arms, almost forcing her into another kiss. Gianna pushed at him with everything she had, but he didn't budge at all. For the first time, he wasn't gentle with her. And it was all for another woman.