Chapter 3

I was so overwhelmed with excitement that tears almost spilled from my eyes. This time, I was certain I hadn't gotten it wrong.

For Hunter, someone as unhinged as him, to talk about "washing his hands of everything," the woman he was referring to had to be the most important person in his life.

As the minutes ticked by, my heart rate quickened, and anticipation built with each passing second. Then, the chime rang.

A graceful figure stepped through the door. The moment their eyes met, they collided into a passionate embrace, their lips meeting without hesitation.

I was stirred up even more than Hunter himself.

Unable to resist, I leaned forward, desperate to get a clear look at her face. But as I did, my foot slipped.

In an instant, Hunter whipped out his gun and aimed it directly at me.

"Who's there?" he barked. "Get out of here!"

One of his men grabbed me by the collar and threw me down in front of them. As I looked up, despair hit me like a freight train. How could it be… Christy?

Hunter's expression darkened, his voice cold as ice.

"I told you to do what I asked," he said. "Instead, you followed me? You want to die?"

Christy, just having accepted a $50 million ring, smiled so broadly she could barely keep her mouth closed. Yet, she was still in the mood to plead for me.

"Hunter, darling, it's okay," she said sweetly. "Let's just forget this. Maybe there's been some misunderstanding."

"Thank you for the surprise," she added, her voice lowering coyly. "I thought you'd forgotten my birthday…"

Then, with a dramatic pause, she added, "I'm pregnant!"

The fierceness in Hunter's face vanished instantly.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead softly.

"I'll never forget your birthday," he whispered. "You're the most important person in my life. Thank you for the surprise. I'm so happy."

I shut my eyes in despair, unable to stomach another word. Making up an excuse about having something to do, I quickly fled the scene.

Back in the car, I replayed everything in my mind. Following him like this was far too risky, so I arranged for someone to buy a small listening device with GPS tracking.

While Hunter wasn't paying attention, I slipped it into the clothes he planned to wear the next day. He was leaving the country in just two days. This was my last chance.

Before Hunter came out, I had already sneaked into the guest bedroom and pretended to be asleep. Five years of marriage, and we'd never once shared a bed. He didn't suspect a thing.

The night passed, and the next day, the listening device finally caught some activity.

"I'm just playing along with them," his voice came through softly. "How could you not know who's in my heart?"

He continued, "I promise, once the child is born, I'll hand over my business. We'll travel the world together, and I'll fulfill all the promises I made to you, okay?"

"You're jealous of Christy?" he chuckled lightly. "That ring of hers is fake. I swapped it out for the real one. I'll give it to you when I see you tomorrow. If she hadn't gotten pregnant at the same time, I'd have really worried about our enemies targeting you. But now it's perfect—a ready-made scapegoat."

Hearing the tenderness in his voice when he spoke to the woman on the phone, so different from how he treated Christy, made my blood boil. I jumped out of bed, every instinct telling me: This time, I would finally get my answer.

Hunter skipped breakfast and left the house. I immediately followed, monitoring his location on my phone all the way to a seaside villa. When he parked, I quickly contacted my subordinates and instructed them to stand by.

At the same time, I hired ten maternity nannies, paying a hefty sum.

Since Hunter valued her that highly and I had died twice for her, I believed everything would go smoothly this time.

The villa's entrance was too far away for me to see clearly, but through the listening device, Hunter's voice came through distinctly, low, intimate, and brimming with barely restrained excitement.

"Is the baby okay?" he asked urgently, his breath uneven. "Did the people Lily sent to protect you arrive?"

There was a brief pause, as if he were listening to her answer.

Then his tone softened. "I'll be gone for half a year. If anything happens, listen to her. She's not very capable, but she'll protect you with everything she's got."

His voice dropped even lower, tender enough to make my fingers curl. "Be good. When I get back, I'll divorce her and be with you, openly and properly."

At the end, his words turned almost into a sigh, heavy with longing.

"Trish… I miss you so much."