Chapter 2

Not long after Beatrix left, I went to bed.

Half-asleep, I felt someone slide in behind me, an arm wrapping around my waist.

Annoyed, I pushed his hand away.

“Why aren’t you in your quiet room? What are you doing here?”

His breath warmed my neck. After a long silence, he asked, “Why did you cancel the Iceland tickets?”

My irritation spiked. “Maybe I just don’t feel like going,” I snapped, pushing him away. “Stay away from me.”

But when my hand pressed against his chest, Asher let out a low groan—like he was in pain.

Something felt off. I lifted his shirt.

My vision spun.

A piercing was right over his chest.

And next to it, two small letters tattooed: QZ.

I didn’t know if my eyes were red—I just felt tears threatening to spill, my voice shaking uncontrollably.

“What is this?”

Did Asher like Beatrix so much he’d do anything for her?

When Asher’s parents died and his relatives took everything—when thugs cornered him—it was me who smashed a bottle to keep him safe.

He had said he wanted to become a monk.

I stayed by him, loved him without asking for anything.

Until he let me in and agreed to marry me.

What a joke.

He wouldn’t break his vows for me.

But he’d let another woman mark him? Like some pet being claimed?

Asher wasn’t the type who could be forced.

Was this their idea of fun?

Or did Beatrix want me to see how low he’d bend for her?

Asher frowned and tugged down his shirt.

“No need to freak out. It’s just something strung—if you don’t like it, I won’t wear it.”

“As for the letters… Adele, I’ll explain later.”

Then he hesitated, stood up, and walked out.

“I’m going to copy scriptures. You should sleep early.”

His prayer beads had been replaced with white Bodhi beads—not the rosewood ones I’d climbed a mountain to get for him.

Grinding my teeth, I called the butler.

“Find out where Asher went today. And who he was with.”

“And find out what happened to his bracelet.”

Soon, surveillance footage arrived.

In the video, Asher was taking drink after drink from Beatrix, completely drunk.

Friends at the table looked stunned.

“I thought Asher was a devout Buddhist, doesn’t drink at all. Beatrix, how’d you pull that off?”

“Back in school, Asher only cared about Beatrix. Looks like her going abroad didn’t change a thing.”

“He’s married now though. I heard his wife is something else.”

Beatrix laughed, holding Asher’s hand.

“If I hadn’t gone abroad, how else would Adele have married him?”

“I told Asher not to touch Adele—and he really didn’t. What more proof do you need?”

A sharp pain stabbed my chest.

What was I to him?

I dragged him out of the mud—and he kept himself “pure” for the woman he liked?

Beatrix tapped his cheek, waking him.

“Throw that bracelet away. I bought you a new one. From now on, you only wear mine.”

He hesitated.

But pushed by Beatrix, he took off the bracelet and tossed it.

Maybe heaven felt pity.

It snapped on impact, beads scattering everywhere.

Just like my heart.

The butler handed me two beads.

“Miss, the cleaning staff took the rest. Should I retrieve them?”

I laughed bitterly.

“No.”

“What use are a few beads now?”

Asher, like those beads.

Once precious. Protected.

Now dirty, discarded.

Nothing.