Chapter 3

I stared at Chase in utter disbelief.

It wasn't until I saw Chloe's name printed on the property title that my heart finally turned to ash.

This villa was our marital home.

Years ago, because Chase had no money, my parents fiercely opposed our marriage.

So, I handed the very first profits I earned from my startup directly to Chase.

He used my money to purchase this house as our marital sanctuary.

And now, to please his ex, he had signed over our home to her and was kicking me to the curb.

My breath caught in my throat. My eyes burned as I screamed at him.

"Chase! This is our home! It was bought with my money! Who the hell gave you the right to give it to her?!"

He smirked, looking like he finally held all the cards.

"Regretting it now? If you hadn't refused to apologize to Chloe, it wouldn't have come to this."

"Tell you what: apologize to Chloe right now, and maybe I'll let you stay a little longer."

The fury boiling inside me reached its breaking point.

SLAP!

I swung my arm and struck him hard across the face.

His head whipped to the side, a bright red handprint rising instantly on his cheek.

Chloe rushed forward in panic, cradling his face with tears in her eyes.

"Chase! Oh my god, are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Then she spun around, glaring at me with theatrical outrage.

"Elena! You've gone way too far! I can give the house back to you! Why did you have to hit him?!"

Watching them play Romeo and Juliet made my mind flash back to three years ago.

Back then, Chase and I were sitting at a late-night outdoor patio bar.

A group of drunk, burly men had walked over and started harassing me with crude remarks.

Chase had thrown himself in front of me without hesitation, yelling at the top of his lungs:

"Back off! Leave her alone!"

The men sneered and tried to grab my arm. Chase threw a punch straight into one guy's jaw.

Enraged, the man called over his buddies.

Four huge guys tackled Chase to the ground.

It wasn't a fight; it was a brutal beatdown.

Thankfully, a bystander called 911, and the police arrived quickly to arrest them.

Back home, as I dabbed ointment on his bruised face and split lip, I choked back tears.

"Does it hurt? It's all my fault. I'm so sorry."

He had forced a grin, ruffling my hair softly to comfort me.

"I'm your man. Protecting you is my job."

That was the exact moment I had decided he was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Snapping back to the present, Chase was now gently stroking Chloe's hair with that exact same tenderness.

"I'm fine. She's crazy. Don't waste your breath on her."

In that instant, I knew with brutal clarity that the man I loved was completely dead.

Chase stepped toward me, his face cold and ruthless.

"Since you want to be stubborn, pack your bags. This place belongs to Chloe now."

He grabbed my wrist with a iron grip, violently dragging me toward the exit.

When we reached the top of the stairs, I wrenched my arm free and glared at him.

"I'm not leaving! I paid for this house, and you know it!"

Chloe walked up, clinging sweetly to Chase's arm, looking innocent.

"Elena, since Chase already made his decision, why make a scene? Just leave."

"Don't worry, I know this was your marital home. I'll take wonderful care of it."

A victorious smirk flashed across her face.

Blinded by rage, I screamed at her, "You home-wrecking bitch, shut your mouth!"

I lunged forward, raising my hand to slap her smug face.

Chase caught my wrist in mid-air.

With a brutal shove, he threw me backward, shouting, "Elena, you're an absolute psycho!"

I stumbled backward, completely forgetting that behind me was a steep flight of stairs.

My foot caught the edge, and I tumbled down the staircase.

Chloe froze at the top of the stairs, letting out a blood-curdling scream.

"Chase... look! She's... she's bleeding everywhere!"