Chapter 4 Yara's POV

Morning came, and I was woken up by the sound of Jason whimpering like a puppy.

He was still asleep, but he was covered in sweat and kept repeating, "Mum, wake up," in a low, broken voice.

I touched his forehead-he was burning up. Panic surged through me, and I quickly woke him up.

He jumped out of bed and held me tightly, shaking all over, rubbing his sweat all over my body.

"You're safe now," I reminded him gently, patting his back softly. It took twenty minutes for him to calm down.

That was when I realized-it wasn't just a nightmare. It was either a phobia or a trauma.

I pulled him from my arms after noticing he was calmer. "What did you see? Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's my mum..." he muttered.

"Your mum? Why is your mum a scary dream?" I held his hands in surprise.

"My brother's mother-my stepmother-killed my mother, and I was there when it happened," he replied, his voice shaky.

"What?! How? No, don't talk. I don't want to open old wounds." I hugged him again.

He pulled away from my arms. "No. I want to talk. I had to pretend like I was okay since I was fourteen. Now that I have someone to talk to, I won't let the opportunity slide." He exhaled deeply.

"My stepmother poisoned my mother out of jealousy, and I walked in while my mother was vomiting blood, with my stepmother standing there laughing and enjoying the scene." He paused, and I rushed to get him a glass of water.

"You don't have to talk about it if it's too hard," I told him.

"I want to tell you." He held my hands and continued.

"I ran in and begged my mom to stay alive while my stepmother stood there laughing. And then my mother started growing cold... colder... By the time the ambulance arrived, my mother was gone. My stepmother was arrested before she could escape, and my father chased my stepbrother out of the house." He looked at me, his eyes glassy with tears.

I hugged him tightly. "It must have been so hard for you." Tears welled in my eyes. I sympathized with him deeply.

I thought I was the only one who had it tough in life-but clearly, no one has it easy. Life isn't fair to anyone.

"It was so bad that every day, I'm afraid to eat, fearing it might be poisoned."

I offered him my shoulder for a while as he cried out his pain. Life must have been really cruel to him.

He pulled away and looked into my face. "Thank you for coming into my life."

His life? What exactly am I doing with a stranger? Shouldn't it have ended as a one-night stand? Why am I still here?

I smiled faintly and stood up as he laid down. "Let me get you a wet towel to bring your temperature down." I turned and walked into the bathroom.

As I turned on the tap, his words echoed in my head-Thank you for coming into my life.

Life was already complicated enough for both of us. It was better to stay away. This wouldn't last-we barely even knew each other.

I'd wait until he relaxed and fell asleep. Then I'd leave-before things got too complicated. But why did my heart beat so fast when I was with him?

I picked up a towel, turned off the tap, and went back to the room.

A few minutes later, Jason drifted off to sleep.

It was time to leave-without getting noticed.

I went into the bathroom to freshen up.

Standing under the shower, tears streamed down my face. My heart ached deeply. I knew exactly what I was giving up on to return to Nathan.

Jason was undeniably amazing. But I needed to return to my father's empire. I couldn't give it up so easily.

I stepped out of the bathroom and began dressing.

"Where are you going, damsel?" Jason asked, his eyes following me as I moved around the room.

He wasn't sleeping.

"Home, of course," I snapped.

"Why? Can't we just stay in bed all day?"

"No, I can't. I'm going back to fix my home. I miss my husband," I said, exhaling slowly.

"Husband? How?" He was surprised but I needed to give him a bitter goodbye so he wouldn't miss or want me back.

"Yes. Husband." I repeated after him.

"Oh really? Now you want your husband-after making me so comfortable with you that I even showed you my vulnerable side?" His voice rose in anger. "Don't tell me you're going back to the jerk who slept with your best friend."

"Well, yes. I'm getting back with the jerk who slept with my best friend and got her pregnant-because I love him. I'm not losing my marriage over this, Jason."

"What exactly are you trying to protect? The disrespect? The night he lied about being busy while he was screwing your so-called best friend? Or their unborn child? Answer me!" he shouted.

My voice rose too. "My father's empire! Everything my father built with his sweat-it's now under my husband's name." I paused to catch my breath.

"If I divorce him, I'll be left with nothing and no one while he splurges my father's money with my best friend. And if I try to fight for my father's property, a scandal will do more harm than good to the company-and it'll be beyond my control." I gripped my bag like it was my lifeline, tears streaming down my face.

"So you're choosing your father's company over yourself? You're sacrificing your happiness for the company?" he roared.

"Why are you acting like you know me? Why are you being so overprotective? You expect me to leave my husband and settle with some random man I met in a club? That's not happening, Jason. Snap out of it," I hissed, buckling my shoes and picking up my bag.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I love you. I've never felt this way about a woman. It's more than just sex. I don't even know your name, yet my heart races at the sight of you."

I stared at him for a long second, my heart pounding in my chest.

I scoffed, masking the storm within. "Let's not cross paths again, young man."

Then I turned around, gripped the doorknob with trembling fingers, and walked out-slamming the door shut behind me.