Chapter 3 Crossing the Life
Chapter 3 Crossing the Line
“When did you meet her?” Eliana asked.
She propped herself up on her crutches in the dim bedroom light. Xavier hadn’t really looked at her in a long time. But now, he did and found her thinner than when they just got married.
She looked so fragile like a gust of wind could knock her over.
“You’ve been following me?” His face darkened instantly.
“Do I look like I have that kind of time? We were at the same hospital. I saw it myself.” Her voice was quiet but clear.
Just saying it out loud sent a sharp pang through her.
Meanwhile, Xavier just looked sulky.
Since the plane crash, he hadn’t asked about Eliana or said a single word of comfort. All he had was impatience, making his rejection feel so real.
Eliana felt their marriage was nothing but a dead letter.
She put up with a demanding mother–in–law and a horrible sister–in–law. At home, she was treated like a servant; at work, just a dedicated secretary.
Irene wanted a great–grandchild more than anything, and Eliana wanted to give Xavier one–something to tie them together.
Even the tiniest bit of affection from him would have made everything worthwhile.
But in all these years, he had never touched her.
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Even when they shared a room, they
Eliana fought through the pain from her injuries and met Xavier’s cold
gaze.
Then, somehow, she found the nerve to laugh. “While your mom called me barren, you got your mistress pregnant. You really did me dirty, huh?”
She lifted her chin. Even as she wobbled on her crutches, she stretched out her right hand for his collar.
Before she could touch him, he grabbed her wrist.
Xavier glared into her face. “Karina isn’t a mistress. I’ve known her for over twenty years.”
“Oh, childhood sweethearts,” Eliana mused.
She felt his grip tighten slightly.
He continued, “She was overseas for five years. We didn’t speak the whole time.”
Eliana paused, thinking. That explained why she had never found a trace of Karina before.
Karina’s pregnancy weighed on her, and she met his gaze and asked hoarsely, “So are you two… back together?”
Xavier swallowed hard. He looked like he wanted to explain, but he
didn’t.
Then his eyes darkened. “Have you forgotten why I married you?”
Of course, she hadn’t.
The Hogan Group had many branches, and plenty of people were fighting to be the heir. Irene had interviewed women in the city, hoping one would
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Chapter 3 Crossing the Line
give Xavier a child and secure the family’s future.
And Eliana, once Irene’s lifesaver, had stepped forward herself.
She had come to Xavier, promising not to interfere in his life and agreeing to a hidden marriage. Then she shut down her thriving boutique and took on the role of his secretary, handling everything for him.
Now, Xavier was telling her she had crossed the line.
She smiled, “No, I haven’t… But people always want more, don’t they?”
Her eyes gleamed, but her face was pale. Without the trace of a bitter. smile, she might have looked like something out of a horror movie.
For a moment, Xavier felt something change in her, though he couldn’t quite name it.
Then, her hand slipped free of his grasp.
The bedroom was thick with a floral scent, growing stronger by the
second.
The windows were shut, and the heat was rising fast.
He glanced at the thermostat–30 degrees Celsius.
Eliana slipped her hand under his collar, and his breath hitched.
He tried to push her away, his anger flaring, but strangely, his strength felt drained.
“What did you do?”
