Chapter 4 Corrine's Visit

The doctor had advised Leyla to remain hospitalized for two full days, yet she insisted on checking out the very next morning and returned home immediately.

Driving back to the house, she saw that Shawn still had not come back.

Two days had passed without a word from him, not even a brief message.

Strangely, she did not feel shocked or even particularly hurt. Over the course of their two-year marriage, this pattern had repeated itself so often. Shawn never informed her of his plans or whereabouts.

Under the same roof, they existed more like distant tenants than husband and wife.

After stepping inside, Leyla prepared a simple meal for herself and took her medication as instructed. After that, she stretched out on the sofa, and drifted into sleep.

The sudden ring of the doorbell startled her awake. It took her a few seconds to gather herself. She pushed herself upright, walked slowly to the entrance, and opened the door.

There stood Corrine. The same woman who had been in the entertainment headline from earlier.

Leyla had previously only seen Corrine on television screens, renowned as an accomplished dancer. Seeing her in person was different. Corrine was even more striking up close.

She carried herself with the grace of a swan. Her features were refined and soft, yet beneath that gentleness lay a faint, almost undetectable edge of unfriendliness.

"Ms. Carter, hello. I'm Corrine Evans, Shawn's friend," Corrine said.

"I know," Leyla answered, looking up at Corrine. Her voice remained calm, revealing neither agitation nor submission.

"Please, come in, Miss Evans," Leyla added. It would have been discourteous to leave a visitor standing at the door.

Corrine accepted the invitation without hesitation and stepped inside.

Once they were in the living room, Leyla poured her a glass of water.

"I stopped by to return Shawn's watch. He left it at my apartment the other night. I tried reaching him earlier today, but he didn't pick up. Since he lives close by and I was already in the area, I figured I'd bring it over myself," Corrine explained.

She retrieved the watch from her handbag and set it gently on the coffee table. Her expression remained composed, her voice warm and polite. Yet each sentence felt deliberate.

Leyla had already guessed that Shawn had spent the night with Corrine. Still, without tangible evidence, she had been able to cling to a fragile sense of denial.

But Corrine's appearance at her doorstep, combined with those carefully chosen words, felt like an unmistakable challenge.

Leyla reached out and picked up the watch. She ran her fingers lightly over its surface. When she looked up again, she spoke even more calmly. "Thank you for bringing it over, Miss Evans. Shawn has always been absentminded. I've reminded him about it many times. He usually tells me that as long as I'm here, he won't lose anything permanently, so he never feels the need to be more careful."

Pausing for a second, she added, "It seems now he's caused inconvenience to someone outside the family. When he comes home, I'll make sure to speak with him so he doesn't trouble you again."

Corrine's smile almost froze. She clearly had not anticipated Leyla responding in that manner.

Before Corrine could recover and continue, Leyla gently signaled that the visit should end. "My stomach hasn't been great today, and I'm not feeling very well. I'm afraid I can't host you any longer, Miss Evans."

"That's fine. Please take care of yourself. I will take my leave now," Corrine replied as she stood up, flashing a composed smile once again.

Leyla escorted her to the door and watched as she walked away from the villa.

Only after she was a good distance from the house did Corrine wipe off the smile on her face.

Jealousy churned within her. In her mind, that mansion should have belonged to her. Instead, it was occupied by that useless housewife.

Of course, Shawn had gone to the airport to meet her for information about his parents' deaths. But throughout their encounter, his focus had remained entirely on the clues. He had shown no interest in how she had lived during the two years they had been apart.

After their conversation, he had driven her back to her apartment and prepared to leave immediately.

Refusing to let him walk away so easily, Corrine had intentionally spilled water on his hand. Forced to deal with it, Shawn had removed his watch and gone to the restroom to dry off. When he returned, he pressed her again for more details about his parents before leaving in haste, forgetting his watch behind.

Corrine found it difficult to accept that Shawn had truly married someone else. She could not reconcile the idea that a man like him would impulsively wed another woman simply because she had left the country.

Yet he actually had a wife now-the fragile, soft-spoken woman living in that mansion.

She had also heard that the marriage had been arranged personally by Garrett.

Regardless of who had arranged the union, Corrine was determined that Shawn would ultimately belong to her.

Her injured leg had ended her dancing career. Without Shawn, she would have no path back into the Evans family's favor.

After Corrine's departure, Leyla remained seated on the sofa, staring at the watch on her palm. It really was Shawn's. So he truly had been with Corrine.

Without warning, tears slid down her face. The sharp discomfort in her stomach, combined with the lingering soreness from the car accident, left her thoughts tangled and unfocused.

The doctor had cautioned her to rest and avoid emotional strain, yet her mind refused to quiet down.

She kept replaying the image of Shawn and Corrine together-how, in everyone's eyes, they seemed perfectly matched. In comparison, she felt like an intruder who had stepped into a place that was never meant to be hers. And soon, even the formal agreement that bound her to Shawn would come to an end.

Heartbroken, Leyla eventually drifted back to sleep. In her dream, her grandfather appeared before her, reminding her gently that no matter what life brought, she should always try to protect her happiness.