Chapter 6 Kallie Fainted

Tears welled up in Kallie's eyes, yet she steeled herself against the urge to let them fall. She raised her hand, attempting to reach out to Jake, but he had already turned his back on her and walked away, his tall figure exuding an air of icy determination.

"Wait for me!" Sarah called out, hurrying to catch up. She reached out and grabbed Jake's hand, their fingers weaving together seamlessly.

"Why is she even at this hotel? Either she's here to stir up trouble, or she's meeting someone else. Gee!" Sarah murmured, her voice barely audible. Jake slowed his pace, momentarily caught off guard by her words.

Yet, rather than stopping, Jake abruptly pulled his hand away from Sarah's grasp. "Stop spouting nonsense!" he snapped.

As Jake settled into his car, a distant rumble of thunder echoed, soon followed by a downpour.

Sarah, just a few steps behind him, was immediately soaked as she left the shelter of the hotel. Her hair, once meticulously styled, now clung to her head as she sprinted toward Jake's car, her hand reaching for the door handle.

To Sarah's surprise, it was locked. "Jake, open the door..." she pleaded, knocking on the window.

Then, from behind Sarah, a scornful voice called out, "Bitch!"

Sarah turned around to see Linsey standing in the hotel entrance, arms folded, a smug look on her face.

"She attacked me earlier, and now she's here causing more trouble..." Sarah's eyes glinted with malice, yet she swiftly masked it with a look of sorrowful innocence as she tapped on the car window.

"Quit the act. Why don't you just review the surveillance footage?" Linsey's voice escalated, piercing the tense air. "Jake, be a decent man. Live well with your wife and avoid fooling around and contracting illnesses from shameless women. It's not just about you. Think about Kallie!"

"You!" Fury washed over Sarah. Linsey's words were a clear jab at her. She turned to confront Linsey, but at that moment, Jake's car behind her roared to life. Jake left.

"Kallie, we should leave," Linsey said sharply, shooting Sarah one last disdainful look before shepherding Kallie back to the hotel to wrap up their work.

However, when it was time to clock out, the relentless downpour hadn't stopped.

"I'll drive you home," Linsey remarked, assisting Kallie with her raincoat.

Kallie hesitated, shaking her head. She didn't want to impose the journey on Linsey since her home was too far away.

"Then take a cab. Don't skimp to save that jerk's money!" Linsey huffed.

Kallie managed a wry smile and nodded.

Despite her intentions, no taxi would venture so far in the storm. By the time Kallie reached home by subway, her legs and clothes were caked in mud, her lips tinged blue from the cold.

Trembling, Kallie tried to unlock the fingerprint lock, only to find the door stubbornly shut. Jake had locked her out.

"Sir..." The butler, who had come to serve drinks, glanced at the rain pouring outside. Yet, under the imposing presence of Jake, he refrained from speaking further.

The study was cloaked in darkness, with Jake seated in the shadows, his expression severe. He scrutinized the video feed on his computer screen, his emotions churning as violently as the storm outside. What was Kallie doing at the hotel?

Jake meticulously watched every frame of the surveillance footage, tracing Kallie's and Linsey's arrival at the hotel, their interaction with Sarah, and Kallie's departure. It turned out Kallie had merely gone to drop off some books.

"How long has she been back?" Jake asked, his voice easing slightly after viewing the last segment of the footage.

"It's been an hour..." the butler muttered, not daring to lift his gaze. "Your wife has been at the door this entire time."

Just then, thunder cracked again, lightning streaking across the sky while the wind howled and rain lashed against the villa's expansive windows.

Kallie had always been terrified of thunder. As a child, she would hide under the covers whenever it stormed. Now, she had been standing alone in the pouring rain for an hour.

Jake remained silent, his demeanor unyielding as he moved past the butler and descended the stairs. Peering through the rain-streaked windows, he assumed Kallie had left.

However, upon opening the front door, Jake found Kallie collapsed on the ground, her eyes tightly closed, oblivious to how long she had been there.