Chapter 3

"This woman beside me is my wife," said Keith. As soon as he pulled Natalie tightly into his arms, his cold tone softened. "This is Ariel Levine, the daughter of the Levine family and the real Mrs. Ford. "As for her…" Ignoring the shocked stares around him, Keith paused and glanced at Ariel's pale face. "She's just my secretary, Natalie Green. A stand-in who happens to resemble my wife. "She's just someone I keep around for fun. Easy on the eyes, that's all." The crowd erupted in gasps. As if to drive his point home, Keith suddenly kissed Natalie passionately in full view of the reporters. Their lips locked, and a thin strand of saliva glistened between them. Ariel froze in place, as if struck by lightning. Unfortunately, her mutism relapsed. She couldn't speak or defend herself, couldn't even question Keith. Natalie shot her a provoking and triumphant glance. "Keith, it's windy out here. Let's go back," she said, blushing. Then, she coyly wrapped herself around Keith's arm. "You kept me up half the night and even cleaned me up afterward. You haven't slept, so I don't want you to catch a cold now…" There was an unmistakable pride hidden in her tone. Before Keith and Natalie left, Ariel's eyes met Keith's for a brief second. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but she could've sworn she saw a flicker of guilt in his dark eyes. Having lost their excitement, the crowd dispersed. Someone even sneered loudly on purpose. "Who knows if she had plastic surgery to look like Mrs. Ford. She's probably slept her way up the ladder. How shameless and disgusting…" Dozens of contemptuous stares pierced Ariel like needles, stabbing at her already broken heart. Her eyes reddened as she smiled bitterly and self-mockingly. After her abduction, Keith had sworn that he would always treat her like before, openly and sincerely. But now, to stage his so-called protection, he twisted the truth. He let baseless accusations fall squarely on her shoulders. Suddenly, a bang shattered the air. One of the hydrogen balloons from the wedding decorations nearby exploded. A burst of flame shot up without warning. The searing heat licked across Ariel's arms, blistering her skin. "Fire! Run!" Panic broke out instantly. People screamed, shoved, and scrambled to escape. Ariel was knocked to the ground in the chaos. Her injured hand scraped against the pavement, raw and bleeding. The panicked crowd trampled over her fragile body. Through her teary vision, Ariel saw Keith glancing back several times from a short distance away. She tried to call out to him, but no sound came out. Her voice was caught in her throat. Her vocal chords throbbed painfully, but the only sound she could make was a faint rasp of air. Natalie deliberately clutched her ankle and whimpered, "Keith, I twisted my ankle! It hurts so bad!" Her cry immediately stole all of his attention. Keith rushed over and scooped Natalie into his arms, his eyes filled with panic and tenderness. It was the same look he had when he rescued Ariel from abduction back then, the same desperate, protective urgency. "Make way! She's hurt!" Pain spread through Ariel's body. Her heart ached like a thousand invisible insects were eating away at it. Her gaze locked onto Keith's retreating figure. In her daze, his silhouette overlapped with that of the boy who used to shield her from the world. Back in high school, Keith broke his left arm fighting off a gang that had been bullying her. She scolded him for his recklessness, but he only smiled and wiped away her tears. "Don't cry, Ariel. I'm fine." Five years ago, he stormed the kidnappers' hideout alone. Ignoring his own injuries, he carried her on his back and said, "Don't be scared. I'll never leave you." However, Keith broke his promise. From beginning to end, he never even noticed that she was hurt. Not once did his eyes drift toward her. Stumbling out of the chaotic crowd, Ariel managed to stop a passerby and frantically signed for them to call an ambulance. But in the next second, the person shoved her hard. "Ew, you're filthy! Get away from me!" Catching sight of her reflection in a nearby glass window, Ariel finally saw her face streaked with soot. Even her once-expensive clothes were torn and dirty. She bit her lips hard and started crying uncontrollably. The humiliation and helplessness all came crashing down. Everyone bullied her just because she couldn't speak. Suddenly, behind her, she heard Keith's urgent voice calling out to her. "Ariel!" Ariel ignored him and flagged down a cab. With a sharp screech of brakes, a black Maybach with a vanity plate reading K8888 stopped smoothly in front of her. Keith stepped out of the car and draped his suit jacket over her shoulders. "Get into the car. I have something to tell you."