“Linsey, you’ve really changed,” he said, his voice tinged with disappointment. “The Linsey I knew would never act this way. If you insist on behaving like this-“
Linsey cut him off before he could finish, her voice sharp and biting.
“Of course I’ve changed. I must have been out of my mind before, putting up with you. But not anymore. I’ve wised up. Only an idiot would keep humiliating themselves like I did. Felix, let me make this crystal clear-we’re done. Completely done!”
Without another word, Linsey grabbed her suitcase and turned away, her face set in stone.
Felix stood frozen, the finality in her words hitting him like a punch to the gut. He had never seen her like this before.
As she walked out of the room, dragging her suitcase behind her, an overwhelming sense of panic gripped his chest, suffocating him with its intensity.
For reasons he couldn’t quite understand, a heavy feeling of impending loss weighed on him, as though the most important part of his life was slipping through his fingers.
“Linsey!” he called out, his voice desperate, moving instinctively as if to chase after her.
Joanna’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected Felix to react this way. Without thinking, she placed a hand over her cheek, letting out a soft, melodramatic sob.
“Felix, my face… it hurts so much. Do you think it’s bleeding?”
Felix froze, his heart tightening at the sound of her distress. He reluctantly turned back to her.
Joanna’s cheek was marked with faint red streaks, a handprint visible beneath her skin, and Felix’s chest ached at the sight.
“Joanna, don’t cry,” he murmured, his voice full of concern. “I’ll take you to the hospital. We’ll get you some ointment-it’s going to be fine.”
Joanna sniffled loudly, her tears almost theatrical. She hesitated for a moment, before her voice softened, laced with feigned concern.
“Felix, Linsey’s really leaving… maybe you should go after her instead of worrying about me. I’ll be fine.”
Felix bit down on his lip, his expression torn.
“Linsey’s crossed a line this time. I won’t indulge her anymore. Let her stew for a bit-she’ll come crawling back. When she does, I’ll make her apologize to you.”
Joanna’s heart swelled with satisfaction, and she leaned into Felix’s embrace, her voice dripping with sweetness.
“Felix, you’re so good to me.”
Her plan was working perfectly.
The smugness bubbled within her as she felt in control. Linsey was nothing but a fool, thinking she could win Felix back.
But as Felix held her, the warmth of her affection did nothing to settle the unease gnawing at him. A strange discomfort tugged at his chest.
Why did he feel so unsettled?
He pushed the unease down, attempting to smile at Joanna with forced patience. But no matter how hard he tried, his gaze kept drifting toward the direction Linsey had gone.
Linsey had nowhere to go. She would be back eventually. He was sure of it.
On the other side, after Collin returned to Vista Villa, he made his way straight to the study.
Seen as disabled and worthless by society, he now stood tall, his former despondency entirely gone. He faced the floor-to-ceiling window, his expression cold and unreadable as he watched the world below. Just then, his phone rang. It was Dustin Wade, his childhood friend.
“Hey, Collin,” Dustin said, his voice casual. “I’ve looked into your wife. There’s nothing shady about her. Her background checks out. On the day of the wedding, she married you because her fiance left her standing at the altar.”
Dustin’s tone shifted, a playful edge creeping in.
“You know, all the rich young women in town avoid you like the plague. They think you’re disabled, and you’re cut off from your family-just the perfect picture of an outcast. But Linsey? She had the guts to walk right up to you and marry you. I gotta say, that’s some serious courage.”
After a brief pause, Dustin added with a thoughtful sigh, “I do wonder, though… when she finds out the truth, how will she take it?”
Collin’s voice was steady and emotionless as he answered,
“She won’t get the chance. As soon as she realized who I really am, she came up with an excuse and left. She’s probably gone for good.”
He wasn’t surprised. After the accident, rejection and scorn had become part of his life. His low position in the Riley family only added to his isolation, making him numb to it all.
People often said that marrying a man like him-someone with no future-was like throwing away a woman’s life.
But Dustin didn’t agree with Collin.
“I don’t think she’s like that,” Dustin retorted with a grin. “Think about it-how many women would dare to swap grooms at their own wedding? My gut tells me Linsey’s not the type to run. Since she’s already married you, I don’t think she’d just disappear.”
As Dustin spoke, his interest visibly grew, his excitement clear in his voice.
“You don’t believe me? Let’s make a bet then. I bet Linsey will be back soon. If I win, you hand over that plot of land on the outskirts of town. Deal?”
Collin raised an eyebrow, his tone calm but calculating.
“And if you lose?”
Dustin let out a dismissive scoff.
“I’m not going to lose, okay?”
But before he could say more, Collin’s icy aura seemed to seep through the phone, sending a chill down Dustin’s spine. Dustin quickly backpedaled.
“Fine, fine. If I lose, you can make any request of similar value. Deal?”
Collin didn’t believe for a second that Linsey would return. A cold snort escaped him, which Dustin took as tacit agreement.
Just as Collin was about to hang up, a knock echoed at the door. The housekeeper’s voice came through.
“Mr. Riley, Mrs. Riley is here.”
Dragging her suitcase behind her, Linsey stepped into the villa, her eyes scanning the surroundings. The place was eerily silent, the air feeling sterile and devoid of any warmth or comfort.
She looked around, quickly noticing the sparse furniture. It was simple, almost bare-a far cry from the lavish home one would expect from the young man of a wealthy family.
Linsey’s gaze hardened. Since she was married to Collin now, she felt justified in making some alterations to this place.
One thing was clear-she wasn’t going to live in such a cold, lifeless space. She would make it her own, no matter what.
As she mentally mapped out how to redecorate, Collin suddenly appeared, rolling himself into view.
His gaze fixed on her, his eyes dark and unreadable. He hadn’t expected Dustin to be right-Linsey had actually come back.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.