“I’m sorry,” Max said, looking his wife in the eye. “I am indeed guilty. I shouldn’t have left you with that bastard in my room.”
Gabriella’s lips trembled violently against the arid air in her lungs. The husband’s apology had lifted a little burden in her heart. But, it didn’t change the facts about Roberto’s treatment towards her.
“He touched me, Max. He has taken advantage of me,” Gabriella said in a thin and low voice. The furrow of her brows slowly carved more wounds in Max’s heart, forcing the man to bow in regret.
“Forgive me. I promise I won’t let that man come to you again.”
“It’s all your fault, Max. Your fault,” the woman sighed, hitting her husband’s chest since she didn’t know how to handle the anger.
Realizing that his wife was very fragile, Max finally embraced her gently. His lips kept saying sorry, while his hands continued to caress the trembling back.
For Gabriella, the husband’s attitude was just a charade to calm the anxiety. However, for Max, it was the most honest night of his life. He never expressed that much remorse and concern for anyone. Gabriella had removed the veil that had covered his heart for a long time.
***
When Gabriella opened her eyes, she was immediately greeted by the dancing Snowy. Once consciousness was fully gathered, the woman’s brows furrowed.
“I’m curious. What makes you like this bear so much, regardless it’s a gift from your parents?”
Gabriella suddenly looked up to the man who asked. A sweet smile instantly engraved beautifully in front of her.
“Is it because you feel the same as polar bears? Threatened by evil humans who are destroying their home?”
The woman’s eyebrows automatically furrowed deeper. She was completely disturbed by the random talk of her husband.
Realizing that, Max quickly changed the subject. “How do you feel? Is it better?”
After a small snort, Gabriella finally got up from the man’s arms. “You don’t have to worry about my feelings. I don’t want to be called a burden anymore.”
The guilt weighed on Max’s heart again. After swallowing hard, he sat down on the bed. “Do you still not understand? Last night, I said that out of emotion. No intention to offend you.”
“You don’t have to pretend,” the woman muttered, shaking her head faintly. “You never really cared about me.”
“I’m not pretending. I really don’t want my wife to be touched by another man.”
Seeing that desperate gaze, Gabriella was pensive. She wondered why not a single lie had been detected. Even so, her head was still moving in disbelief. “Isn’t our relationship just a responsibility? Since when did you feel like you belonged to me?”
Max spontaneously snorted. He was getting sick of Gabriella’s notion of their status.
“I am your husband and you are my wife. That means, only I can touch you. Even though our marriage is different from other people’s, I still don’t accept it when other men harass my wife.”
Again, the woman fell silent. She couldn’t deny that her heart was slightly touched by the CEO’s words. However, the longer she contemplated, the clearer the thought of the man making her as a doll.
“Are you angry because there’s another man who can treat me arbitrarily?” Gabriella said coldly. “Or are you afraid that people will find out that Mrs Evans has been harassed? Worried that your family’s reputation will be tarnished because of me?”
An incredulous sigh escaped Max’s mouth. How could Gabriella not understand his feeling as a husband? Slowly, disappointment creeped in and ensnared his heart.
“It’s good that you understand,” Max said emphatically. “Therefore, your body must be free from any marks that might arouse the suspicion of others.”
A second later, the man kissed the bruise Roberto had given. His wife gasped and pushed him away.
“What are you doing?” Gabriella asked with a confused frown. Again, she was caught between confusion and annoyance.
Instead of answering, Max deepened the attack. Although Gabriella grimaced and refused, he did not hesitate to continue.
“Are you going to kill me? Stop! I don’t want my blood vessels to burst,” the woman who had difficulty speaking insisted. Her beating heart had constricted the throat.
A few seconds passed, Max finally stopped. Still with a hateful gaze, he surveyed the freshly made bruise.
“There’s no trace of that bastard on your body now. I’ve deleted it. Understand?”
Gabriella’s brows suddenly turned into a high arch, while her eyes blinked slowly, waiting for the brain to finish processing the situation. What’s really going on in Max’s mind? She couldn’t guess at all.
“How can that be? Your mark doesn’t erase the fact that he touched me.”
“Why not? Look in the mirror! No more traces of Roberto around your neck. I’ve covered it with a new one.”
The woman began to shake her head in disbelief. “This man must be crazy,” she thought before shifting to the edge of the bed.
Unexpectedly, Max followed her movement. “Did he leave other traces on your body?” asked the man who had grabbed his wife’s arm.
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
Gabriella let out a quick breath and looked up with an even face. “Please don’t make me remember it again.”
A second later, the woman rushed to the bathroom. When she stood in front of the mirror, her eyes opened almost as big as her mouth.
“Gosh! Why did he make it this big? People can think I have a skin disease because of it.”
In a flash, Gabriella opened the medicine box and took the ointment. While rubbing her neck, she continued to grumble. “What should I wear to cover this bruise? Tsk, that man is really annoying.”
After pondering for a while, Gabriella suddenly snorted and closed her eyes. The turmoil in the chest had burned her emotions.
“This can’t be tolerated. I can’t be weak anymore. No one can bully me,” the woman murmured for she was tired of facing her husband. “That’s right! I should be brave to confront him.”
***
Gabriella’s plate was just empty. However, a piece of apple had returned to fill it. An exasperated gasp was suddenly heard.
“Why do you keep giving me food? I’m full,” the woman said, jaw clenched.
“Because I need your power to make mockups,” Max replied casually. He was not intimidated at all by the sharp glare of his wife.
After gathering courage, Gabriella put down her fork and folded arms across the chest. “Didn’t you see yesterday’s disappointing result of my work? I don’t want to be scolded again.”
“That’s why you must correct the mistake. Isn’t your hand getting better? The proof is how well you can eat by yourself.”
The woman was silent. She kept her eyeballs on the empty side of the table.
“If you’re afraid to meet Roberto, don’t worry. I just terminated my contract with him,” Max said, raising an eyebrow.
Although her heart had softened, Gabriella continued to show a stiff expression. “Still, I don’t want you to do it. I’m neither your puppet nor doll.”
“Of course not. You’ve agreed to help me keep my job. That means you are my co-worker, unless … you are no longer interested in revealing the identity of the person who destroyed your house.”
Gabriella’s blink spontaneously changed its meaning. However, after one breath, the woman returned her fierce look.
“You can hire someone else who is more professional. Why are you asking me?” she grumbled with pursed lips.
“Because I only believe in you.”
Gabriella’s heart suddenly throbbed. Her defenses nearly collapsed.
“Others could have stabbed me in the back. But, you … I doubt you can do that,” Max explained, shrugging for a moment.
In a sudden, the woman’s gaze was fixed on her husband. “Why not? I could have hacked into your computer, or cracked a secret document in your room.”
“Then why didn’t you do it yesterday?” the man asked with his trademark lopsided smile.
Gabriella’s eyes immediately twitched for an excuse. Before she could answer, a servant had already interrupted.
“Excuse me, Sir. Your vitamins,” the young girl said as she held out a small transparent box of pills in front of Max, “and these are for Mrs. Evans.”
The man’s eyes automatically widened. “Didn’t I order you to give my wife the same vitamins? Then, what is this?”
In just an instant, the servant’s face had turned pale. Her lips trembled violently, at a loss for words. Through a glance, she begged her mistress for help.
“It’s not her fault. I asked Aunt Minnie to give me birth control pills,” Gabriella explained as she took her box.
When the woman was about to put the tablet in her mouth, Max swiftly restrained her hand and grabbed the pill. With a throbbing jaw, the man dropped it to the floor. A second later, the thing that resembled a shirt button crumbled under the CEO’s shoe.
“What are you doing?” Gabriella screamed in shock and confusion.
“Don’t you respect me as your husband? Why are you taking birth control pill without my consent?” Max’s rebuke suddenly made the servant rush out the door.
“Didn’t you definitely agree? You gave me that pill once.”
The man shook his head quickly. “You’re making it up.”
“No. I remember very well you forced me to take it. You even threatened to throw away my photo album if I disobeyed you.”
An incredulous sigh suddenly burst into the air. Max was completely disturbed by his wife’s strange thoughts. “Is your IQ really 142? How could you not know the difference between health supplements and birth control pills?”
Gabriella’s eyes fluttered with doubt. However, the woman’s determination to resist was unanimous. She would not lose to her husband.
With a capital of recklessness, Gabriella rushed to the kitchen. In a glance, Max was wide-eyed and followed his wife.
“What do you want?”
The woman answered through action. Her hand was holding a strip of birth control pills found in the cupboard.
“Stop it!” Max snarled while stealing the strip from his wife’s hand.
Unexpectedly, Gabriella snatched the package and tried to open it.
“I said stop!” the man rebuked with fiery red eyes.
His patience had reached its maximum limit. Roughly, he gripped Gabriella’s arm until the woman turned to face him.
“Why don’t you listen to what I say?”
A second later, Max reflexively closed his eyes. Gabriella just spat in his face. The man’s rumbling breath instantly shook the air. Emotions had exploded, burning the entire space in his heart.