“Are you threatening me, Ishara?” Drew’s voice turned into a deadly whisper.
“No, I’m just asking nicely as an old friend,” Ishara replied lightly.
Drew let out a long breath, suppressing the fury nearly erupting in his chest. “Fine... We’ll come.” He ended the call without another word.
“Jo,” Drew called to his assistant, who was focused on driving. “Find out why Ishara got divorced overseas. That woman must be hiding some dirty secret.”
“Yes, sir.” Joshep answered crisply.
“Stop at the bakery up ahead, Jo,” Drew said when he recognized the road they were on. There was a bakery a few yards away.
“Your wife’s favorite bakery, sir?”
Drew nodded. “We’ll stop for a minute.” He got out of the car and quickly bought Alea’s favorite cake.
“It’s awfully quiet. Where are Dad and Mom?” Drew asked in the family room. He handed over a box of Alea’s favorite chocolate cake, took off his tie, and sat beside her.
Alea’s eyes lit up when she opened the box. “There’s an event at Uncle’s house.” She cut the cake into several pieces and placed them on small plates. “They said they wanted to say goodbye while they were there.”
Drew nodded as he accepted the cake his wife gave him. But his gaze immediately focused on Alea’s index finger. Ignoring the plate on the table, he reached for her wrist.
He turned his wife’s palm upward and stared at the white bandage wrapped around Alea’s index finger.
“What happened to your finger?”
Alea drew a slow breath, trying to smile casually. “I accidentally pricked it on a rose thorn at the shop this afternoon. It’s just a small cut. It’s nothing.”
Drew rose from the sofa, hurried to retrieve the first-aid kit from the TV cabinet, then returned to sit beside Alea.
With patience and care, he removed the dirty old bandage, cleaned the wound with antiseptic, and replaced it with a fresh, clean one.
As he smoothed the bandage over his wife’s finger, Drew lifted his face and looked straight into Alea’s eyes with a searching expression that was difficult to read.
“Alea...” Drew spoke slowly. “Did Ishara contact you this afternoon?”
Contrary to Drew’s expectations, Alea chose not to hide the truth. His wife gave a small nod, looking straight into Drew’s eyes without hesitation.
“Yes, she sent me an invitation this afternoon,” Alea answered honestly.
Drew let out a relieved breath, though his jaw tightened again. His fingers, still holding Alea’s hand, moved gently over the back of it.
“If her presence makes you uncomfortable, just block her contact and cut off all access. Don’t worry about anything,” Drew said firmly.
Alea lowered her head for a moment, doubt passing through her mind before she looked up again. “But... won’t something bad happen if the two of you are still part of the same social circle?”
Drew slowly shook his head, his eyes sharp yet completely sincere. “To me, she’s just the past. You’re my wife. So don’t burden yourself by carrying someone else’s feelings. And don’t let yourself feel like you’re the one losing out.”
At those words, a beautiful smile curved across Alea’s lips. It felt so soothing, like a cool breeze sweeping away every worry in her chest, knowing that her husband stood by her side and understood everything perfectly.
Drew returned her smile, then glanced at the wall clock in the living room. “By the way, how long are Dad and Mom going to be out?”
“Usually around two or three hours,” Alea answered uncertainly.
Drew thought for a moment, then suddenly stood and pulled Alea to her feet. “Two hours is enough.”
Before Alea could process what he meant, Drew swept her up into his arms in one swift motion. He carried her quickly toward the bedroom and locked the door from the inside.
Several hours later, the atmosphere in the bedroom had become much calmer and warmer. On the bed, Alea lay on her side, resting her head comfortably against Drew’s broad chest. Her husband’s strong fingers continued to run through the strands of her long hair in a soothing, rhythmic motion.
Drew suddenly started a conversation. “You once told me that we went to the same high school and the same college. So... you’ve known me all along, huh?”
Alea flinched slightly in her husband’s arms. She blushed, trying to steady her pounding heart. “You were pretty famous at our school. Everyone knew you.”
Drew furrowed his brow, curious. “Had we ever actually met before?”
“We had... a few times...” Alea answered softly.
Drew fell silent for a moment, trying to remember the past. “How come I don’t remember any of it...” he murmured.
“We were in different classes. You were in the honors class upstairs, while I was in a regular class,” Alea explained.
A faint spark lit up Drew’s eyes. “Do you have any pictures from high school?”
Alea looked up at her husband in confusion. “You want to see them?”
Drew nodded without hesitation. Deep inside, an intense curiosity churned—perhaps, among those stacks of old photographs, he could find a clue about the mysterious man so deeply admired in his wife’s dusty diary.