Chapter 2

The studio door remained locked all night.

I sat there, watching the darkness fade into the morning light.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that Chloe finally unlocked the door.

When she saw me, a flicker of guilt crossed her face.

"Hey, babe. After the exhibition ended last night, we all went to an afterparty with Sebastian, and... well, I totally forgot to come back and unlock the door."

She walked over, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind.

"Babe, I lost my temper yesterday. I shouldn't have slapped you. Sebastian and I really have nothing going on, it’s just for art."

"Don’t be mad, okay? Tell you what, I promise I’ll keep my distance from him from now on."

The scent of her perfume filled my nose.

For a second, it reminded me of the first year we started dating.

Back then, she used to hold me just like this, her eyes full of genuine love.

Sensing that my stance was softening, Chloe quickly added, "Oh, by the way, babe. As the top student, I have to go on a rustic cabin trip to Woodstock with Sebastian tonight for a 24-hour sketching session.

Can you come with us to shoot our promotional video? That way, we can save money on hiring a professional photographer."

Hearing this, my heart turned completely cold.

No wonder she was being so sweet and apologizing. She wanted something from me!

I forcefully peeled her hands off my waist and turned around to look her dead in the eye.

"You just promised me you would keep your distance from him!"

Chloe’s warm expression instantly vanished.

"Can you stop being so petty?! How many times do I have to tell you? Sebastian and I are completely platonic!"

I let out a self-deprecating laugh at her usual excuse.

"I’m not stupid enough to be your free photographer."

Refused, Chloe glared at me, her eyes burning with rage.

"Fine! Then I’ll go by myself. Don't you dare regret this!"

With that threat, she spun on her heel and stormed off.

I watched her leave, feeling a heavy weight in my chest.

Just then, my phone rang. It was my lawyer friend, Liam.

"Hey Ethan, I was reviewing some case files recently and saw your wife’s mentor. Turns out, Sebastian Sterling is a total fraud. He was involved in a massive scam a while back. You need to warn Chloe to stay far away from him."

Hearing this, I took a deep breath. "Thanks, Liam. Can you do a deeper background check on him for me?"

After hanging up, I fell into deep thought.

Before I married Chloe, her mother, who was dying of cancer in the hospice, had held my hand and begged me to take care of her.

She told me I would be Chloe’s only family, and asked me to love her.

Because of that promise, I had felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility and protectiveness over Chloe, letting her walk all over me time and time again.

Thinking about Liam's warning, I grabbed my coat and followed her.