Chapter 4

For seven straight days, Ronan didn't return to the territory residence.

I didn't ask. I just started having someone draft divorce papers and organizing my personal belongings.

Ronan and I had several properties. I usually lived in the one on the outskirts.

But I had some things stored at the house Ronan and I shared in the city center.

I decided to go there to retrieve them, but on the way, I suddenly felt pain.

I knew—Ronan was having another affair.

When I reached the city center house, I heard a woman's delicate laughter and a man's suppressed panting inside.

Through the crack in the door, Vivian's performance outfit was scattered on the floor. Ronan had her pinned against the wall, thrusting violently.

The hand gripping her waist still wore our wedding ring on the ring finger.

I clenched my palms so hard they ached, slowly exhaled, and closed the door.

I didn't go in.

What would be the point of barging in?

To tear and claw like a hysterical woman? Or to cry and recount all these years of devotion like a resentful wife?

It was meaningless.

A man who'd already replaced me in his heart—even if I won him back, it would only be an empty shell.

I hurried downstairs, but Ronan, who'd chased after me, grabbed my wrist.

His breathing was still unsteady, his collar askew.

"What are you doing here?"

I pulled my hand back, face calm: "Passing by, wanted to get some things. The door wasn't open, so I left."

He stiffly made an excuse: "Vivian said she wanted a place to practice piano. I just lent her the key... Don't overthink it."

I didn't bother exposing this clumsy excuse and turned to leave.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass came from inside the house, followed by flames shooting up!

Ronan's expression changed drastically. He clamped my chin, frightening fury burning in his eyes:

"You did this?! Nyla, I thought you'd really come to your senses. Didn't expect you to use this kind of tactic!"

"Let me make this clear—I'm the one who let Vivian stay here! If anything happens to her, I absolutely won't forgive you!"

He roughly shoved me aside and rushed into the fire.

I was about to leave, but suddenly remembered—the marriage certificate and the belongings of my parents that the Beta secretary had brought me were still locked in the old safe in that house.

I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the hallway, smashed the glass, and climbed through the window into the heat wave.

Inside, thick smoke billowed. Ronan was carrying Vivian out.

Seeing me, his eyes turned cold: "What are you doing adding to the chaos?!"

I ignored him and headed straight for the bedroom.

Flames had already climbed up the curtains. The safe was next to the burning wardrobe.

"Nyla! Are you crazy?! Get out!" Ronan roared from the doorway.

I lunged toward the safe and turned the combination.

The moment the door popped open, the burning chandelier overhead crashed down with a thunderous crash!

Ronan instinctively shielded Vivian beneath him and retreated quickly.

I was thrown by the blast. Glass shards cut my skin, blood instantly soaking my clothes.

I gritted my teeth and pulled out the document pouch, clutching it tightly to my chest.

Smoke choked into my lungs, my vision gradually blurring.

Before consciousness sank into darkness, I heard Ronan's footsteps carrying Vivian out, and the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

When I woke again, I was lying in a hospital room.

Ronan was opening the document pouch I'd risked my life to protect. Inside was the marriage certificate.

"The marriage certificate? You risked your life for this?"

I reached out and took the pouch back.

Good thing Ronan hadn't seen my parents' belongings in the document pouch.

As for his question—without the marriage certificate, how could I process the divorce?

Ronan looked at me clutching the document pouch tightly, his brows furrowed: "All three of us would have been fine. You had to do this absurd thing to make me choose between you, to prove whether you're the most important?"

"I saved Vivian first because she was closer to me."

I stared at the hospital room's white ceiling and murmured a faint "Mm."

"Nyla." His tone softened, trying to explain. "Since I've already decided to return to our family, I won't have any more entanglements with Vivian. Vivian... her family's struggling. I'm just giving her some help, temporarily arranging housing."

Vivian wasn't doing well, so he helped her right into bed to have sex.

I finally lifted my eyes to look at him.

My eyes were like stagnant water, without a ripple, abnormally calm.

"I know. I understand."