The next morning, Lina was awakened bright and early by her brother. She groaned at her sore neck and body that ached from the uncomfortable position.

  "You have a perfectly good bed next to you, but choose to sleep on the chair," Milo snorted, crossing his arms in disapproval.

  "It's not like you were kicked out by your wife or something. Why are you complaining about your body hurting when it's your fault?" Milo added on, shaking his head.

  "You're so responsible, it makes me wonder if you're the oldest or if I am," Lina tiredly said, stretching out her muscles.

  Lina had difficulties turning her neck and knew she needed to do some yoga later. Though, her body could never bend in the positions that the instructors online could. Sometimes she wondered if they removed a rib or two.

  "Besides, why are you waking me up early? It's been three days in a row that I've been interrupted by someone," Lina grumbled, continuing to do her stretches in front of her brother. She noticed he was wearing his best pants and socks. What was going on?

  "Grandmother suddenly invited us over and you know mother is always stressed when that happens," Milo grunted.

  As much as Milo loved his Grandmother, he hated getting all dressed up. Milo enjoyed wearing comfortable jeans, but today, he was shoved into hard khaki pants and uncomfortable socks that went all the way up to his shin. The material was bothering his skin.

  "Invited us over for what?" Lina asked.

  Lina realized he was wearing a salmon polo shirt with an infamous white logo on it. The color was her Grandmother's favorite, which only meant their mother picked it out.

  Milo wouldn't be caught dead wearing a color that didn't compliment his skin. Unfortunately, his mother had ambushed him this morning and even threatened to take away the tickets Kaden gave him.

  "I don't know," Milo admitted with a shrug. "Though, the chauffeur is waiting outside for us. So you should get dressed as soon as possible. Well, maybe you have time, since mother is doing her makeup and changing her outfit for the tenth time this morning."

  Lina slowly nodded her head. She supposed her grandparents heard the news from William, her Uncle. Word of her marriage to Kaden would soon spread like wildfire. She needed to prepare herself, so another ambush like last time didn't happen.

  "By the way," Milo said. "Did you see the news? The media company that targeted you the most is going through a crisis right now!"

  Lina paused. She was suddenly reminded of what Kaden said.

  "Is it about an executive's wife who's cheating on him with two men?" Lina asked, heading straight to her bathroom.

  "Yeah! How did you know?" Milo said with an energetic voice, even though he already figured out who it was.

  "Let's just say, I have a protective hound guarding me," Lina dryly commented.

  Lina knew this wasn't the end of Kaden's wrath. All of the companies that exposed her in the media had a target on their back. This executive was the domino that started the chain of downfalls——

  The drive to the Yang Main Mansion was nerve-wracking. For Lina, who hadn't stepped foot in this place since her childhood, she was rubbing her fingers together. Whenever their grandparents wanted to see the family, they'd go directly to the Second Main Mansion.

  Not everyone had the privilege to set foot in the prestigious Main Mansion. Land in Ritan was scarce and every square inch was extremely expensive. Not to mention, it was difficult to secure even a house in the city.

  Despite that, the Yang Main Mansion had a zip code of its own, with land that spanned for acres beyond. Although they had deep ties in the neighboring city, two generations ago, the Yang Clan moved to Ritan, which caused their already high net-worth to skyrocket far into the skies.

  "Now, make sure to greet your grandmother with your biggest smiles. Mind your manners, even to the servants. They serve as your grandparents' ears and eyes," Evelyn said.

  The children didn't respond.

  "Also, don't forget to bow at a ninety-degree angle when you see them. Make sure to not overstep any boundaries or do anything to embarrass me," Evelyn instructed.

  Evelyn couldn't remember the last time she had even stepped through these gates. After her shot-gun wedding with Linden twenty-two years ago, the matriarch practically shunned her.

  Evelyn thought this was the main reason and had always viewed herself as the victim of this affair.

  Everyone knew otherwise.

  "You're stressing the children out," Linden muttered.

  Linden had grown up in this house, thus didn't really feel as anxious as his wife. Though, he didn't forget the lack of invitation extended to her.

  Linden should've expected her behavior when she got into the car, smelling like she took a bath in expensive perfumes with scents that the matriarch liked.

  Everyone believed Lawrence ruled over the Yang Clan. There wasn't a single person in the world who'd go against Lawrence's order. Everyone, except a formidable woman—his wife.

  "I'm stressing myself out. Look at them, Linden, they're always glued to their phones! They never listen to what we say. Don't you think you should reprimand them?" Evelyn complained, her voice rising with fervor.

  Lina continued to tap through her phone, checking her notifications for the day, responding to a text from Isabelle. Her finger paused. She received a good morning text from Kaden.

  "Let the children be," Linden pacified his wife.

  [My beloved hubby: Good morning. Did you have a wet dream about me?]

  Lina's face went red. She glanced at Milo who was seated next to her. Luckily, he was too engrossed in his mobile game to say something.

  Lina's fingers trembled as she tried to change his contact name.

  [My beloved hubby: Don't try to change my contact name. We should at least act the part of a married couple, no?]

  Lina became paranoid. Was he watching her?

  [My beloved hubby: And no, I'm not watching you. Your behavior is too predictable. Now smile for the men guarding you.]

  Lina's eyes went wide. So he was watching her! Her head snapped to the window, only to realize the car had passed through the Yang Main Mansion gates. It was impossible for Kaden to guard her. But with a man like him, you'd never know…


  [My beloved hubby: I know you looked. Stop worrying, I really didn't track you yet. Now, answer my question.]

  Lina was flustered by him. And he wasn't even here! She glared at her phone screen, wondering how he managed to read her so well. Was he spying on her through the phone camera? This man and his tricks.

  "Lina, who are you texting?" Evelyn asked. She was seated besides Milo and couldn't look.

  "N-no one," Lina responded, her eyes glued to the phone.

  [Lina: You're crazy. The only dream I have of you are nightmares.]

  [My beloved hubby: Ah, so you admit to dreaming of me.]

  [Lina: Nightmares.]

  [My beloved hubby: Still dreams.]

  Aggravated by his arrogance, Lina shut off her phone and tossed it onto her lap. Just then, she saw the car had finally driven up the long, winding path leading to the Main Mansion.

  Her Grandfather complained of the alleviation of the Second Mansion, but the Main House was perched proudly on a hill on the outskirts of Ritan with land worth millions.

  Talk about an exaggeration. Lina fondly smiled to herself. Her Grandfather always had something to nitpick.

  Just then, her phone dinged again.

  "It doesn't seem like no one," Evelyn said, attempting to peer at her daughter's phone.

  "It must be her husband, let her be," Linden responded for his daughter who had picked up the phone again.

  [My beloved hubby: Besides dreaming about me, think of me throughout the day.]

  [Lina: You need to deflate your enormous ego.]

  [My beloved hubby: Now, now You shouldn't give a man such a great opportunity to allude to something else.]

  Lina's face grew redder. This man was insufferable!

  Even so, Lina couldn't help but wonder about his length and thickness. The warmth of his skin against hers, his rough hands caressing her thighs, his low groan when he pressed their bodies together. From the eight ridges of his large, muscular body that lowered into sharp lines…


  Instantly, Lina shook her head, deleting the dirty thought from her mind. Maybe she was losing her sanity from the lack of food.

  Yeah, that definitely had to be it. And not the desire for his hands to touch her body, for his lips to mark her skin again, and to see the devious tilt of his mouth.

  It was definitely not that.