Chapter 3

Early the next morning, Joanna pulled herself out of bed, her face pale and strained. She wanted to pack everything ahead of time so that when the helicopter arrived, she could leave without hesitation. Just as she opened the door, she nearly collided with Rowan, who was carrying a cup of chamomile tea. Rowan's brows furrowed as he set the cup down on the table. "Darling, why are you up? You should be resting a little longer." Joanna stared at him coldly. "Weren't you supposed to be on a business trip? Why are you still here?" Rowan always had some excuse to go on a business trip at least once a month. For years, she had believed he was truly busy with business. But now, she knew the truth. He was busy, but not with work. He had someone else to see—Hattie. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently tapping the bridge of her nose. "You're not feeling great, and you think I'd still leave? No way. "I'm not going anywhere today. I'm staying right here with you." His voice was soft, filled with warmth and tenderness. In the past, words like that would have made her cry from joy. She had loved Rowan so much that even a scrap of affection from him had felt like a blessing. But now, even as he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world, all she felt was a sharp ache in her chest. She parted her lips to speak, but before a sound could escape, his phone began to buzz in his pocket. When he saw the caller ID, Rowan instinctively glanced at her. "Darling, it's Xavier. I need to take this." He didn't wait for her response. Instead, he turned and strode into the study. The soft click of the lock echoed loudly in her ears. Joanna stood still, her gaze hollow. She didn't even know when Xavier had changed his name to Hattie. She didn't touch the chamomile tea. Instead, she turned and stepped out of the room. A few minutes later, the study door opened again. Rowan emerged, now dressed in fresh clothes. There was a lightness in his step and excitement on his face. At that moment, he had completely forgotten Joanna was even there. He reached the front door before her voice cut through the air. "Where are you going? I thought you said you were staying home with me." Maybe he was just too thrilled to notice the sharp edge of sarcasm in Joanna's voice. He pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. "Darling, it's a huge deal. It finally closed, but I have to be there to sign. I'll be back soon. I'll even bring you your favorite cheesecake, okay?" Joanna forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. As soon as Rowan left, she followed quietly behind. Unsurprisingly, Rowan hadn't gone to sign an important contract. He drove straight to the Andarre International Airport. Not long after, Joanna saw him emerge from the terminal with his arm wrapped around a woman with a noticeable baby bump. He handed her a bouquet of fresh tulips, obviously prearranged. And that face… Joanna knew it far too well. It was Hattie, the woman who had spent two years in a "coma". Her heart clenched tight. So, Hattie hadn't just woken up long ago… she was also carrying Rowan's child. Joanna stood frozen, her body trembling. A dull ache spread through her chest, like her heart was tearing apart. Hattie giggled and tucked herself deeper into Rowan's embrace. Rowan took off his sunglasses and tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger. Not far away, Joanna's eyes narrowed sharply. That gesture… Rowan used to do it whenever he was being tender with her. Hattie couldn't hold herself back. She leaned in, urging Rowan to kiss her. At first, Rowan glanced around, clearly uneasy about being seen. But as she rose on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck, persistently seeking his lips, he gave in. The way she pouted and teased—he used to love that about her. His body reacted before he could stop it. Without hesitation, he bent down, scooped Hattie into his arms, and carried her toward a quiet corner of the airport. Joanna followed, her steps mechanical and her breath shallow. But she couldn't keep up with them. By the time she reached the hallway, they had already disappeared into a room, one marked as the nursing room. The door was locked. Behind it, the unmistakable sound of wet, intimate kisses echoed softly through the silence. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming? Where's Linda? You really came all this way alone? Do you know how worried I was?" Rowan's voice filtered through the locked door. Joanna recognized it instantly. He sounded like he always did when he got flustered, rattling off questions at Hattie without even giving her a second to respond. Seeing Rowan getting flustered, Hattie just giggled and tilted her head playfully. "You're asking too many questions. Which one should I answer first?" "All of them. I want to hear everything," Rowan said. Suddenly, Hattie planted a kiss on his lips. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she grinned at him. "Fine, then I'll give you one answer for all of them. Darling, I missed you." Rowan's breath hitched, his gaze burning with intensity. In the next moment, he grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her hard, like he was trying to claim her all over again. "You little temptress, I swear I won't let you walk out of this room standing up," he growled. "Ah! Not there… darling, please… I was wrong!" "Oh, now you realize it? Too late." His voice was thick with desire, but every word pierced Joanna like a blade. Inside, Hattie's breathy moans and soft gasps blended with the quiet sound of water running from the sink. Joanna's eyes were blank, stripped of life. Her chest ached, as if something had been carved out and left hollow. She moved in the opposite direction, her limbs numb. But those sounds clung to her. No matter how far she went, she couldn't shake them off.