Chapter 2

Lorna gave a soft hum and slipped her phone into her pocket.

Rhett stepped into the hospital room, his gaze settling on Tommy's noticeably thinner face. He let out a quiet sigh. "This was a complete accident. Thankfully, Tommy only has minor injuries. If Ruby had been left there, who knows what those kidnappers would've done to her."

He added, "I checked with the doctor. It's normal for kids to run a fever after a scare. No need to worry too much."

Lorna let out a cold scoff and fixed him with an icy stare.

Rhett shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I'm going out for a smoke."

He stood and left the room.

Lorna knew he was heading to Ruby Clark again.

In the past, she didn't care. Now, she cared even less.

While grabbing clothes for Tommy from home, she burned all the photos she had cherished over the years-pictures of Rhett, their couple shots, and their wedding photos.

On the fourth day of Tommy's hospital stay, his fever finally broke.

Rhett arrived at Tommy's room with Ruby.

Ruby put on a show of concern for Tommy, but before leaving, she nestled into Rhett's arms, kissed him, and playfully demanded a kiss in return.

Rhett eagerly complied.

The sight stung Lorna's eyes.

That night, she returned to the villa and quietly copied Flynn Enterprises' business files onto a USB drive.

A week later, Tommy's temperature stabilized, and he was discharged.

After dropping Tommy off at her parents' house, Lorna returned to the villa. Rhett arrived shortly after with Ruby in tow.

"Lorna, Ruby's leg is still healing. She needs proper care. Staying here is the best way for me to look after her."

Lorna looked at him with a pained expression. "Rhett, have you forgotten our agreement?"

He could do whatever he wanted outside, but he could never hurt their child or damage Tommy's young heart.

That was the final boundary Lorna set for Rhett.

Since Tommy's birth, Rhett had respected that boundary, never crossing it.

But now, he disregarded it entirely.

His brows furrowed with impatience. "Lorna, Ruby needs careful attention to recover quickly. Her whole film crew is waiting for her. Can't you be reasonable?"

Before she could respond, he added, "I promise you, she won't threaten your place as Mrs. Flynn."

"I won't agree to this!" Lorna said firmly. "I can't live under the same roof as another woman, and I won't let Tommy see his father betray our family!"

Rhett's eyes turned cold and sharp. "If you can't handle it, move out."

He grabbed her arm and shoved her toward the door. "Don't forget, this is a contract marriage. We agreed to stay out of each other's business."

The door slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.

In that moment, Lorna caught a glimpse of Ruby's smug face.

That night, heavy snow fell over the city.

Lorna stood outside, shivering as large, cold snowflakes pelted her body. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Glancing up, she noticed the bedroom window upstairs, its light glowing, curtains left open. Rhett and Ruby were entangled on the bed, their passionate embrace fully visible.

Seeing his tender, devoted expression, Lorna's heart felt as though it were being sliced by a dull knife, sinking deeper into despair.

Intimacy between her and Rhett was rare. Each time, he turned off the lights, closed his eyes, and rushed through it.

It never felt like love between a husband and wife-more like emotionless instinct.

Lorna preferred keeping the lights on, wanting to lose herself in a warm, intimate moment with him.

But he always switched off the light without discussion.

Each time he stiffly pinned her beneath him, she struggled to speak in the darkness. "Rhett, if you don't want this, you don't have to force yourself..."

But Rhett acted as if he couldn't hear her, pressing on with even fiercer intensity.

Over time, she grew silent, assuming that was just his way.

Yet now, as she watched a passionate, vibrant Rhett in bed with another woman, she realized he was capable of passion.

It just depended on who he was with.