Nina Thorne groaned in pain, pushing him away. "It hurts."
The pain reddened the rims of her eyes, and they misted over as she looked at him resentfully. Her muffled voice was laced with hurt.
"Justin Kane, it hurts."
’I didn’t actually hire an escort, so why is he this mad?’
Justin Kane’s brow remained tightly furrowed. He resud his assault on her mouth, his kiss brutal and domineering.
The mory of what happened at the bar fueled his unquenchable anger, and the kiss was filled with possessiveness.
"You wanted to try sothing new, didn’t you? Then just take it."
Justin Kane’s large hands began to pull off her clothes. His actions had none of their usual gentleness; it was more like a punishnt.
It was an awful feeling.
Nina Thorne struggled, hamring his chest with her fists. He seed so cold and terrifying, like a complete stranger to her.
’Or maybe... this is who he really is.’
Overwheld with a sense of injustice, Nina Thorne began to cry. Tears stread from the corners of her eyes, disappearing into her hairline.
Justin Kane froze. The sight of her tears stung him, and he asked nervously, "Why are you crying?"
He shouldn’t have asked. At his question, Nina Thorne’s crying intensified, as if she’d suffered the ultimate injustice and was trying to cry herself dry.
Justin Kane’s expression faltered, a tense look clouding his dark eyes. He pushed himself off her.
"I’m sorry."
He lifted a hand to rub his brow, a shadow of lancholy in his eyes.
’I was just so furious. That’s why I lost control and did that.’
Nina Thorne was still crying, looking at him through a blur of tears as she hiccuped through her sobs. "I didn’t really hire anyone... Why won’t you listen to ?"
It felt like a boulder was crushing Justin Kane’s chest. Seeing her in such a state, most of his anger evaporated, and his expression softened. "I’m sorry. I was being impulsive."
Justin Kane took a breath and stood tall by the bed. Through his open shirt, his well-defined abs were clearly visible.
He buttoned his shirt, one button at a ti. With his eyes lowered, he said in a low, hoarse voice, "If you really want a divorce, I’ll make the arrangents."
Nina Thorne froze, then sat up.
But he had already turned and was walking toward the door.
A tremor went through Nina Thorne’s heart. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but he was already gone, the bedroom door clicking shut behind him.
In an instant, Nina Thorne felt as if a large hand had seized her heart. Her chest felt heavy and constricted, an unbearable sensation.
This feeling was all too familiar.
Nina Thorne raised her hands to cover her face, curled up her legs, and buried her face deep in her knees. A feeling of powerlessness washed over her.
’Looks like I’ll be the first person to break an engagent, have a flash marriage, and then get a divorce.’
Justin Kane didn’t return to the bedroom all night. Nina Thorne tossed and turned, only falling asleep around three or four in the morning.
She didn’t wake up until the afternoon, roused by a call from Macy Lynch. "Babe, were you the one who brought ho last night?"
"No, it must have been Justin’s friend, Seth Lawson."
Nina Thorne briefly recounted the events of last night, deliberately leaving out the part where they argued, afraid Macy Lynch would read too much into it.
When she heard the story, Macy Lynch’s jaw nearly hit the floor. "I can’t believe I did sothing that ssed up!"
"So are you and Justin Kane okay? Did he get angry?"
Nina Thorne sat up. She’d been thinking it over all night and had figured things out. "He’s probably not mad. Besides, our marriage isn’t based on feelings, so it wouldn’t matter if he got angry and wanted a divorce."
「anwhile.」
Justin Kane, who was standing outside the door about to open it, froze. His dark eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of his lip curled into a self-mocking smile.
He turned and went downstairs.
"Are you kidding? You’ve got a great man like that. What’s this talk about divorce?"
Macy Lynch had a pretty good impression of Justin Kane. She laughed. "Who knows? Maybe after last night, your relationship will deepen."
"Anyway, Justin Kane is a good man. If you like him, don’t let him go."
Macy had never liked Cole Kane. She felt he wasn’t good enough for Nina, especially with that Serena Kane figure who was always around him, acting like a sister but not quite.
Justin Kane, on the other hand, was different. He put Nina first, plus he was handso and rich.
In terms of looks, family background, and his attitude toward Nina, Macy felt he was a perfect catch.
In her opinion, Nina was a much better match for Justin Kane.
Nina Thorne was stunned to hear this.
Like?
’She’d been so miserable last night. Had she actually started to like Justin Kane?’
...
When Nina Thorne went downstairs, her head ached a little, probably from going to bed so late last night.
She gently rubbed her temples, walked to the sofa, and sat down. "Miss King, do you have any headache dicine?"
"Yes." Miss King’s voice ca from the kitchen. "I’ll get it for you."
Soon, Miss King ca back with the dicine and a glass of warm water, handing them to her.
After taking it, Nina Thorne felt much better.
"Thank you."
She closed her eyes and leaned back, her brows slightly furrowed. She tilted her neck back a little, finding it more comfortable that way.
Suddenly, a pair of hands landed on her temples and began to gently massage them.
The technique was quite good. Nina Thorne felt much more comfortable and let out a faint smile. "Thank you, Miss King. Sorry to trouble you."
The person didn’t speak and just continued the gentle massage.
Nina Thorne couldn’t help but feel that Miss King was being a bit aloof today, which was strange. Then, she suddenly caught a faint, woody scent of cedar.
She froze and snapped her eyes open.
There was Justin Kane, standing behind her. His handso face was exquisitely sculpted, and he possessed an innate, noble air. His dark eyes were deep and inscrutable.
His expression was cold and indifferent, yet his actions held a hint of tenderness.
Nina Thorne’s breath caught in her chest. Snapping back to her senses, she asked, "Why are you ho? Didn’t you go to the office?"
She had thought he had already left for the office.
"About to."
Justin Kane’s expression was cold, his reply clipped.
A pang shot through Nina Thorne’s heart, heavy and suffocating. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to say.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words ca out.
Seeing her silence, the light in Justin Kane’s eyes dimd. His thin lips parted coolly. "If you’re not feeling well, just rest at ho. Eat sothing and get so sleep."
After speaking, before Nina Thorne could reply, he had already turned and left.
A mont later, the sound of an engine starting up ca from the yard, then gradually faded into the distance.
This was the first ti Nina Thorne had seen him act so cold toward her, and she couldn’t help the sting she felt in her nose.
Growing up, she had rarely been wronged.
Except when it ca to Cole Kane.
Maybe after two months with Justin Kane, she’d gotten used to his gentle side. Now, her chest felt tight and heavy.
The feeling was suffocating, almost unbearably so.
-
Perhaps because of the dicine, Nina Thorne slept until past seven in the evening.
She still felt drowsy after waking up and had no appetite, so she went back to sleep, not waking again until midnight.
When she got up, she found that Justin Kane wasn’t ho. She checked her WeChat.
Her WeChat was quiet. No ssages from Justin Kane.
A wave of disappointnt washed over Nina Thorne. Finally feeling hungry, she went downstairs to raid the fridge for sothing to eat.
Miss King heard the noise and ca out, walking over with a smile. "You must be hungry, Ma’am. There’s so bird’s nest soup in the stear. It’s still warm. I’ll go get it for you. Please, have a seat."
Nina Thorne didn’t say much and just sat at the dining table to wait.
A mont later, Miss King ca from the kitchen with a bowl of bird’s nest soup and placed it in front of her, saying with a smile:
"Thankfully, Mr. Kane had the foresight. He was afraid you’d be hungry when you woke up, so he instructed to prepare this in advance. See? Mr. Kane really cares for you."
Nina Thorne took a bite of the soup and looked up at her. "Where is he?"
"He ca back around seven or eight. Said he was going on a business trip for a few days, grabbed so clothes, and left."
’A business trip?’
A strange feeling stirred in Nina Thorne’s heart. It was the feeling of disappointnt.
’He used to tell whenever he was going sowhere.’
’Now he doesn’t even tell when he’s going on a business trip.’
"Mr. Kane said that if you weren’t feeling well, you should get more rest, and that you two could talk about anything when he gets back."
’Talk?’
’Talk about a divorce?’
Nina Thorne instantly lost her appetite. She gave a soft "mhm" and distractedly picked at the bird’s nest soup.
’Looks like a divorce is inevitable after all.’
’Oh well. Better to get it over with sooner. That way, I won’t develop feelings, and I can avoid another round of heartbreak.’
’Besides, our relationship is ultimately just a source of trouble for Justin Kane.’
’My past with Cole Kane was a city-wide scandal. Everyone knew.’
’Could it be... that I’ve already started to worry about Justin Kane?’
-
But for three consecutive days, Justin Kane didn’t contact her.
No calls, no WeChat ssages.
It was as if he had suddenly vanished from her world.
The fourth day was the release date for her show.
On its first day, the view count broke ten million. The director and producer both called one after another to praise her.
Nina Thorne had been in low spirits for the past three days and wasn’t in the mood. She gave a few perfunctory replies and hung up.
When the third call ca in, she answered it without even looking at the caller ID.
Cole Kane’s deep, cheerful voice ca through the phone. "Nina Thorne, congratulations. The show is a huge hit. You’re going to be famous."
Hearing his voice, Nina Thorne’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she’d been instantly jolted awake.
’I wasn’t paying attention. I shouldn’t have answered an unknown number.’
"Did you call just to spout nonsense? If so, you can hang up now." Nina Thorne had no desire to speak with him and moved to end the call.
"Wait, Nina Thorne! I have sothing to tell you."
Cole Kane stopped her. Afraid she wouldn’t believe him, he quickly added, "It’s about my older brother."
Nina Thorne paused, her lovely brows knitting together slightly. "What trick are you trying to pull now?"
Seeing that she was indeed particularly concerned about matters involving Justin Kane, Cole Kane’s expression darkened. He quickly said in a low voice, "Nina Thorne, no matter what your relationship with Justin Kane is right now, I have to warn you: don’t let him fool you."
"He’s had a woman he’s been in love with for a long ti. If you fall for him, you’ll only end up getting badly hurt."
Cole Kane said this thinking it would make Nina Thorne back off.
’Even if they had sothing going on, they were still just in the early stages of getting to know each other.’
’He was confident that with a little effort, Nina would definitely co back to him.’
Nina Thorne froze at his words.
’She couldn’t help but think of the watch Justin Kane never gave away—and the woman he was in love with.’
Even though she knew from the beginning that he had soone in his heart, hearing Cole Kane say it still left a sour taste in her mouth.
But she didn’t want to show it. She retorted coldly, "And you’re any better? Five years with you nearly shattered to pieces."
With that, she decisively hung up the phone.
After a mont’s thought, she opened her WeChat chat with Justin Kane. The last ssages were still from their conversation a few days ago.
Nina Thorne hesitated again and again, but in the end, decided against sending a ssage.
That night, Nina Thorne tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and a tall, slender figure walked in, carrying the weary air of a long journey.
He looked like he had just returned from out of town.
Catching sight of him, Nina Thorne sat up abruptly. "You’re back."
Her heart was beating fast, her emotions a mix of gravity and a sliver of happiness.
"Yeah. Why are you still awake?"
Justin Kane walked to the side of the bed, the soft light casting a layer of shadow over him.
"I can’t sleep," Nina Thorne said softly, her hands unconsciously gripping the bedsheets as she watched him quietly.
Justin Kane stared at her with his deep eyes, his low voice cool and detached. "Afraid I wouldn’t co back to divorce you?"
’This was the first ti since they got married that he’d been so cold to her.’
’The past few days had been agonizing.’
Nina Thorne’s heart sank. She got up to face him directly. "A lot has happened recently. If you want a divorce, I’ll agree."
’Besides, Justin Kane might have soone he likes.’
Justin Kane stared straight into her eyes, his face weary. A cold sneer touched his thin lips. "Didn’t you say that since your marriage isn’t based on feelings, a divorce wouldn’t matter?"
A ROAR filled Nina Thorne’s head, and her mind went blank.
’He’d heard her phone call that morning?’
Nina Thorne wanted to explain. She parted her lips, but found she didn’t know where to begin.
’It was true she’d ordered the escort, and it was true she’d said those words.’
Nina Thorne lowered her face and sighed softly. "So... are you going to divorce ?"
She stood straight, her legs together and her head bowed. Her voice was quiet and sounded detached, yet it was tinged with a deep sense of hurt.
Justin Kane’s brow furrowed tightly.
’She was clearly the one in the wrong, but sohow it seed like he was the guilty party.’
He sighed softly, his expression softening slightly. "I never thought about divorce."
Nina Thorne’s head snapped up. Her fair face looked at him in pleasant surprise. "Then just now you..."
From the way he’d just spoken, she had really thought he was going to divorce her.
Seeing her at a loss for words, Justin Kane’s dark eyes grew deep and inscrutable. He shot her a look. "Then you tell . Do you want a divorce?"
Nina Thorne looked at Justin Kane in silence. ’A loveless marriage is bound to fall apart, especially when you’re in love with soone else.
’I suffered for three years with Cole Kane. In his eyes, Serena Locke was the only one that mattered.
’Justin Kane... I don’t want to go down that road again.’
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