Chapter 4

"I'm sorry, Natalie got hurt. I panicked and forgot you were there too," Keith explained softly. He wrapped his arms tightly around Ariel's waist. His hands were warm against her skin. It felt like an act of comfort or perhaps a reflex of possession. He carefully checked her from head to toe, just as he always used to. "Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" he asked. "I'll send you home." Ariel quietly hid her injured arm and shook her head, her eyes red. They were standing so close, yet it was the first time she felt their hearts were miles apart. When she reached to open the front passenger door, Natalie was already sitting inside. "Oh no, have I accidentally taken Mrs. Ford's exclusive seat? But since she rarely leaves the house, she probably won't mind, right?" Natalie stuck her tongue out playfully, yet she had no intention of moving. "It's fine, she doesn't mind," Keith said before Ariel could respond. Then, he opened the back door and coaxed gently, "Natalie is used to being pampered. Besides, she's sprained her ankle, so it's inconvenient for her to move." Ariel said nothing and got into the backseat. "Ariel, she and I are just putting on an act. You don't have to be jealous." Keith held the steering wheel absentmindedly and kept glancing at Ariel in the rearview mirror. "Too many people out there are eyeing you, so I'm worried about you. It's better to let her be your shield." His assurance only made Ariel's heart ache even more. She didn't respond in sign language as she used to and only remained silent. Natalie chimed in, her tone light, "Exactly. As a healthy and able-bodied woman, I can take the bullets from outsiders for Ariel." She leaned in closer to Keith and wrapped an arm around his shoulder in mock intimacy. "I spend every day with Mr. Ford. I even know what color boxers he wears on which day of the week. How could I possibly have bad intentions? We're just friends. "Once, Mr. Ford accidentally drank some bad liquor at a business dinner, and I was the one who rushed him to the hospital. Ariel, since you stay at home all the time, did you even know about that?" Natalie's tone dripped with smugness and feigned innocence. Keith cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Ariel, don't listen to her nonsense. She's just careless and doesn't understand boundaries between men and women." Ariel clenched her fists so tightly that the wound on her arm split open again and started to bleed. If she hadn't felt that lacy underwear wedged in the seat gap when she first got into the car, she might have believed their lies. But now, there was even a flicker of guilt in Keith's eyes. "Mr. Ford, we have an urgent company document to discuss," Natalie said. She held her phone with one hand and placed the other on Keith's thigh, brushing past a sensitive spot. Then she deliberately hesitated, glancing toward Ariel in the backseat. "With Ariel here, it's a bit inconvenient… It's a confidential document, after all…" "Ariel, could you step out for a moment?" Keith's Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke. His expression shifted slightly, but his tone remained calm and steady. "It won't take long." Ariel nodded and obediently opened the car door. But the moment she stepped out, the Maybach began to rock in a steady rhythm. Then, a woman's groan and a man's heavy breathing sounded faintly from inside. Ariel lowered her gaze and smiled bitterly. She hadn't seen it wrong. The content on Natalie's phone wasn't a document, but a seductive photo of her dressed in a bunny costume. "Natalie, keep your voice down. My wife is still outside…" Keith murmured, his voice low and restrained. The tone he used to call Natalie was the same as the way he used to call Ariel. He was calling another woman with that same intimate tone. A sharp pain shot through Ariel's chest. Her eyes were burning red. She bit her lip hard to swallow the bitterness rising in her throat while gently caressing the ring on her ring finger. Over the past five years, she had never taken off her wedding ring. The mark it left on her skin had already turned into a deep red groove. "Keith, be more gentle… Not there…" Natalie's breathy moans floated through the air, thick with desire. Ariel wanted to escape, but they were on a long sea bridge with no cabs in sight. Since there was nowhere to go, she could only wait for the absurd act inside the car to end. She thought of Keith's once strict family rules: no intimacy before marriage. He had never crossed that line back then. He had kept his word and waited until their wedding night. But that unexpected kidnapping had delayed their wedding. They had never consummated their marriage. Ever since that day, Ariel would tremble in fear whenever things got intimate. Even when passion burned between them, all she could manage was faint whimpers. Keith always felt bad for her and cooled his desire with cold showers. He said he wouldn't force and would wait until she was ready. However, he had broken that promise too. To make things worse, he was even doing it with another woman in her presence. Perhaps in Keith's eyes, Natalie was a perfect substitute. She shared Ariel's face, carried the same innocence, and had a soft and gentle voice. In every way, she resembled the woman Ariel used to be. No wonder he cheated with her. After what felt like an eternity, Natalie slowly rolled down the car window. Her flushed face was still glowing with satisfaction. "Ariel, we're done. You can get back in now." As soon as Ariel entered the car, she was overwhelmed by nausea from the amorous scent lingering inside. Nausea churned in her stomach, and her heartbreak had numbed her completely. On the way to send Natalie to the hospital, Keith just remained silent. When they returned to the castle, he instantly scooped Ariel into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. His gaze darkened as he leaned over her, slowly tracing his slender fingers along her lips. "Ariel, I won't hold it against you for sneaking out to my company today," he said. Then, he raised his phone, showing her the "evidence". "But why did you contact my biggest rival? Give me a reason." Ariel's face turned pale. Fighting the urge to speak, she signed with trembling hands. "You've been monitoring my calls?" "You're the one who misbehaved first," Keith replied. He slid his hand beneath her clothes and caressed her sensitive parts. "I told you that I don't like you showing yourself in public," he added. "I'm afraid someone will take you away from me again." As he spoke, he tore away the thin barrier and thrust into her without hesitation. His movements were anything but gentle. Ariel whimpered and struggled, pressing her hands against his chest to push him away. But her resistance only seemed to fuel his primal possessiveness. Out of the corner of his eyes, Keith suddenly noticed a small stain of red on the white sheets. He was stunned, abruptly stopping his intense movements. His voice came out rough and trembling with disbelief. "Why is there blood on the sheets? Are you still… a virgin?"