Romance

The moment Alex grabbed my wrist, Jerome had stepped away from my side for barely a minute.

Panic surged through me. I struggled violently, yelling in anger, "Let go of me!"

"No way! You're worth a fortune right now. I have to call Hector and claim the reward!"

As he spoke, he dragged me into the private room next door, slammed the door shut, and locked it, dialing Hector at the same time. "Hector, I've got Louisa! Absolutely legit. I swear! Hurry up and talk to Hector."

Alex shoved the phone straight into my arms, pacing excitedly around the room.

I stared at the screen, seeing Hector's face blown up in the video call. My fear made me toss the phone aside, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps.

"Louisa Reed, pick up the phone! You're not answering calls, and you're not coming home. Where the hell are you right now?

"Say something!"

My voice shook as I spoke. "Hector… Look, we'r

After we got back, Jerome dealt with Alex immediately. He quietly caused the entire Wington family to be in ruins in one move. As for Alex, he would never walk out of prison for the rest of his life.

After that incident, Jerome refused to let me out of his sight. No matter where he went, he made sure I tagged along. He never let me out of his sight. Sometimes, he was so over-the-top that even when he went to the bathroom at home, he wanted me to go in with him.

I couldn't help laughing. "There should be boundaries between men and women."

He grabbed my hand and pressed it against his solid chest, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. "But kissing is allowed."

Speechless, I yanked my hand back, shut the door without hesitation, and escaped. I rushed to the kitchen and splashed cold water on my burning face.

Jerome had been getting bolder lately—and I wasn't ready for any of it.

While w

It wasn't until we'd been in the car for a long while that my head finally cleared.

Jerome sat beside me in silence.

I glanced over quietly. The left side of his face was a bit swollen.

Feeling guilty, I rubbed my nose. "Are you… okay?"

The man who'd been staring out the window turned his head all of a sudden, looking aggrieved. "No. My face hurts."

Yeah. I'd hit him.

I caught the driver's eyes widen out of the corner of my eye before he quickly looked back at the road, clearly trying not to watch.

I had a feeling he had a lot to say.

Jerome frowned and gently turned my face toward him. "Don't look at the front."

"Okay."

We held each other's gaze for a long moment before I broke the silence. "I'm sorry… I don't even know what came over me. I just snapped."

There was sympathy in Jerome's eyes as he patted my head. "This one's actually on me. I remembered you really liked cinnamon rolls in high school, so I thought I'd bring you some when we met. I didn't expect it to trigger such a bad memory.

"I just found out that jerk used cinnamon rolls to manipulate you into marrying him. I brought other food, too. Do you want to start with a croissant?"

He said this croissant was his favorite back when he was in high school in Haytavia. He tried a bite and mentioned it tasted exactly the same. "Do you want to give it a try?"

The driver seemed to understand. With one hand on the wheel, he handed the croissant from the passenger seat back to me.

I opened the package. The smell of butter filled the air. I ate it slowly, finishing the whole thing, genuinely satisfied, before asking, "Where are we going?"

Jerome rested his head on my shoulder, sounding a little tired. "My place, for now."

I thought we'd arrive soon. I didn't expect the drive to last four full hours, crossing provincial lines straight to the heart of Silverlake City.

Honestly, I hadn't traveled much outside my city since college. This city was completely different from Haytavia, its streets lined with tall, leafy trees that made everything feel alive.

After spending the night in the guest room he'd prepared, I spoke up on my own. "Can you take me to see a therapist?"

If I was really going to be with him, I couldn't keep hurting him over Hector.

That wouldn't be fair.

Jerome paused mid-motion as he served the pasta, looking almost in disbelief. "I was actually wondering how to bring it up. I was afraid you'd keep living trapped in all that pain."

I was surprised. So there really were people who genuinely cared.

…

After we ate, he took me to a therapist he'd booked long ago.

The doctor had a warm, gentle smile. "So, you're the one he's been booking appointments for over the past month, huh?"

I blushed, a little confused.

Jerome laughed and explained he hadn't known when he'd be bringing me, so he'd booked every available session.

I whispered thanks, and he got up and left.

Since I cooperated fully, the doctor said I had no serious psychological issues. As long as I avoided triggers and focused on positive experiences, I wouldn't mistake anyone again like that night.

I thanked the doctor and walked out, waving at Jerome. "I'm fine now!"

He strode toward me, then stopped himself short.

I reached out first and hugged him. "Thank you."

Jerome wasn't like Hector. He didn't choose to lock me away at home. Instead, he gave me the option to go out and work.

Having been isolated from the world for so long, I honestly didn't know what to do, so he suggested, "How about being my assistant? I just happen to need one. I don't trust anyone else."

I thought about it for a moment, then agreed without hesitation. 

…

The next day, I started working with him.

At my very first business dinner with him, I ran into one of Hector's friends, Alex Wington. He was so shocked when he saw me, he nearly dropped his glass. "Louisa, what are you doing here?"

The moment Alex grabbed my wrist, Jerome had stepped away from my side for barely a minute.

Panic surged through me. I struggled violently, yelling in anger, "Let go of me!"

"No way! You're worth a fortune right now. I have to call Hector and claim the reward!"

As he spoke, he dragged me into the private room next door, slammed the door shut, and locked it, dialing Hector at the same time. "Hector, I've got Louisa! Absolutely legit. I swear! Hurry up and talk to Hector."

Alex shoved the phone straight into my arms, pacing excitedly around the room.

I stared at the screen, seeing Hector's face blown up in the video call. My fear made me toss the phone aside, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps.

"Louisa Reed, pick up the phone! You're not answering calls, and you're not coming home. Where the hell are you right now?

"Say something!"

My voice shook as I spoke. "Hector… Look, we're divorced now. Can't we just go our separate ways?"

There was a brief silence on the other end. 



Chapter 5