Chapter 2
690 Words
After hanging up, Mira glanced absentmindedly at the rearview mirror.
Her eyes met the driver's.
He was secretly watching her.
Something about him felt off.
Her expression remained calm, but inwardly, she heightened her guard.
The taxi finally stopped outside the grand entrance of the villa district.
As soon as she got out, the driver exited as well and followed closely behind her.
He even reached out toward her shoulder.
Mira's eyes sharpened instantly.
Twisting sideways, she seized his wrist with precision, lowered her center of gravity, and executed a clean shoulder throw.
The man crashed to the ground.
Looking down at him coldly, Mira let out a silent scoff.
Julian had personally taught her self-defense.
Back then, he'd smiled and said, "Mira, honestly, you don't even need to learn this. I'll protect you."
Thinking about it now, she was glad she hadn't listened. Depending on others was never as reliable as depending on herself.
Applause suddenly sounded from behind.
Mira spun around immediately. A man stepped slowly out of the shadows.
"As expected of Miss Blake," he said with a smile. "Impressive skills."
Mira recognized him at once. She had seen him at the banquet.
Oscar West. Her so-called fiancé.
"Were you following me?"
"Escorting my fiancée home doesn't count as stalking, does it?" Oscar chuckled.
"I'm not your fiancée."
Oscar paid no attention to her protest.
Grabbing the driver by the collar, he casually lifted him from the ground.
"Leave him to me. I promise he'll regret tonight."
"Do whatever you want. I don't care." Mira had no interest in continuing the conversation. She turned and headed inside.
Meanwhile, the banquet was drawing to a close.
Julian's phone suddenly vibrated.
A text message.
Attached were several photos taken from suspiciously intimate angles.
The images showed Mira standing near the villa entrance with a man before entering together.
The photographer had deliberately chosen angles that made the two appear far closer than they actually were.
Julian's expression darkened instantly. Shoving Clara's hand off his arm, he left the banquet and sped back to the villa.
When he burst into Mira's room, she had just finished showering. Droplets of water still clung to her collarbone.
"Who is that man?"
He thrust his phone toward her face. The screen displayed the photos.
The driver had fled the moment he realized he couldn't overpower her. She had been debating whether to call the police. What she hadn't expected was for someone to frame her so quickly.
Nor had she expected Julian to fall for it so easily.
To trust her so little.
Calmly, she replied, "Just a taxi driver. He tried to take advantage of me, so I threw him."
Julian stepped closer, the suspicion in his voice was barely concealed. "A taxi driver harassing you outside a luxury estate? Do you really expect me to believe someone could be that stupid?"
Mira let out a cold laugh and said nothing more.
The truth could be verified easily, all it would take was checking the security footage at the entrance.
She had told him the truth.
He chose not to believe her.
Fine.
Let him guess.
Let him doubt.
Let him suffer.
Seeing her stubborn silence and the thorns she now wore around herself, Julian felt an overwhelming sense of unease rising from deep within.
Suddenly, he grabbed her and pulled her tightly into his arms.
"Mira..." His voice was hoarse, almost pleading. "Don't be like this. I really do love you."
After a brief pause, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. His breath was scorching hot.
"Don't leave me."
At that moment, he was no longer the elegant and untouchable heir of the Blake family. He was simply a man consumed by jealousy and fear.
The vulnerability in his voice made Mira's heart ache.
After all, this was the man she had loved for thirteen years.
But the moment she remembered how he had hidden the marriage alliance from her, her heart turned cold again.
Softly, she said, "But Julian... It's not me who's leaving you. You're the one who pushed me into someone else's arms first."
- Writer
