It had been so long since he called her "darling." Hearing that stunned Olivia, and she lay still in a daze. She didn't know how much he had drunk to get to this state. He was behaving as if they hadn't argued. He pulled Olivia into his arms. Enclosed in the heat of his familiar embrace, Olivia almost could not control herself.Struggling to remain rational, she reached out to push him away but Ethan stopped her, took her hand, and brought it to his lips. His warm lips gently brushed the back of her hand as he muttered, "Where did you go? I looked for you for so long."Olivia couldn't hold back her tears. It seemed that she was set to spend all the tears she had that year. Fighting her tears, she asked, "Weren't you the one who pushed me away?""Nonsense." Ethan held her tighter, drunkenly kissing the back of her ear. "The person I love the most in my life is you. How could I bear to push you away?"Pushing him away, she said, "Ethan, take a good look at who I am."The lights we

The bathroom door forcefully flew open, startling Olivia, who was picking up the last strands of her hair. Watching him nervously, she said, "Hey—"Before she could finish, her eyes were attacked by the sight of Ethan's bare, muscular chest. Even though they had spent countless nights together in the past, it made her uncomfortable after not seeing him for over a year. She quickly averted her gaze.Soon, the shadow he cast and his unique scent enveloped her as he approached. Olivia instinctively cowered and stared at him warily. "What are you doing?"Ethan slowly bent over her, his deep, dark gaze eyes falling upon her as he asked, "You said you were sick. How sick?"Olivia didn't know how to feel meeting his inquisitive gaze. His eyes were devoid of mockery, disdain, and aloofness; he genuinely wanted to know about her illness.At this moment, Olivia was conflicted. She suddenly had a thought: if she told Ethan now, would he feel even the slightest bit guilty for what he had done

Engrossed in reading the contents of the document, Olivia was startled by Ethan's sudden appearance. She dropped the files, which scattered all over the floor.Why had he come back so early? Ethan usually only returned home late at night. Although they were married, she was a little ashamed, especially since she knew that Ethan hated it when people schemed behind his back.Olivia swallowed nervously. Her expression was stiff as she said, "Y-You're back."Ethan was clad in a suit and tie, which outlined his tall and slender figure. When his icy gaze fell upon her, Olivia felt like she was trapped in a frozen cellar.He stalked toward her, taking wide strides with his long legs as he leisurely took off his blazer. Having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he carried himself with an air of nobility.Although he was merely removing his clothes, Olivia was so frightened that she nearly lost her composure. She wanted to escape, but her legs seemed to be paralyzed.Before she w

To Olivia, her father was a kind, benevolent man. Besides sponsoring students, he also frequently donated money to charity funds. In all the reports, her father was righteous and humble. He was the perfect man. As Olivia knelt on the ground picking up the scattered documents, her face fell as she flipped through the pages.Clearly, Ethan had done thorough research. Even if those women had only been in a relationship with Jeff for a few days, the evidence was clear. In the span of a decade, Jeff had ruined the lives of multiple women, all of whom were innocent, beautiful, young women.It was not difficult to understand. Jeff was a handsome man. Despite being middle-aged, his regular workouts kept him fit. He was a refined, wealthy, and attractive fatherly figure, which seemed to be a trending archetype. Hence, it was normal that many young girls were attracted to him.However, he seemed to have a thing for those from the countryside or from poor backgrounds. Perhaps it was because

Tears streamed down Olivia's cheeks. She knew that she and Ethan could never go back to how things were before. He had betrayed her and destroyed the Fordhams, and the Fordhams owed him his sister's life.Those debts could never be settled. Trying to resolve them would only serve to tighten the knots of their relationship, suffocating them and leading to an inevitable end.Ethan held her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his cheeks. "Liv, don't love me. Hate me instead. I betrayed you, I killed our child, and I can never turn back."She sensed his inner turmoil, but amidst that, she could feel the tenderness he still had for her like a calm oasis in a turbulent desert sandstorm. However, she knew that the oasis would soon be destroyed by the raging winds.Ethan left the room, leaving Olivia behind. Olivia knew that this was their final farewell.When Olivia headed out of the study, Madam Burgess was nowhere to be seen. The kind-hearted Madam Burgess had always believ