Chapter 2

Rumor had it that he canceled all his meetings for an entire week, solely to care for her sick kitten;

Rumor had it that he let the girl doodle on his priceless contracts, and even halted a meeting with long-standing business partners because she claimed it "wasn't fun" anymore…

My first reaction upon hearing these things was disbelief.

How could it be? That was Julian Thorne! The man who valued time above all else, rational to the point of being ruthless!

As if compelled by an inexplicable urge, I used all my connections and savings to secretly investigate that girl.

However, Julian had her existence under wraps. Despite expending immense effort and spending a fortune, I only managed to obtain one extremely blurry candid photo of her profile.

The girl in the photo looked young and delicate, carefully shielded in Julian's arms. That protective stance was something I had never received in our five years of marriage.

That very afternoon, after I got the photo, I left the house feeling restless. Just as I reached the roadside, a black Rolls-Royce, as if out of control, careened directly towards me!

I didn't even catch a glimpse of the person in the car. My body was thrown into the air, then slammed back down. Excruciating pain instantly swept through my entire body, and my consciousness swiftly succumbed to darkness.

I woke up again to the pungent smell of disinfectant in the hospital.

The first thing I saw was Julian's chief secretary's formal, unreadable face.

"Mrs. Thorne, you're awake." The secretary's voice was devoid of emotion. "Mr. Thorne asked me to convey to you: do not pry into things or people you shouldn't. Otherwise, next time, it won't just be an 'accident'."

My eyes flew open, the pain in my chest almost choking me!

Him? It was *him*?!

Just because I found a profile photo of that girl, he didn't hesitate to stage a car crash just to warn me!

A tidal wave of shock and heartbreak crashed over me.

The man I had loved for so many years, the man I thought would only ever be passionate about work, was capable of such a crazy and cruel thing for another woman!

I couldn't believe it, yet I had to.

I thought I would never truly see that girl's real face.

However, a week later, an unexpected call came through.

It was the County Clerk's Office.

"Is this Mr. Julian Thorne's family? Someone has filed a complaint here… accusing Mr. Thorne of soliciting, please come down here…"

My mind went blank with a "WHIZZ."

Soliciting? Julian Thorne?

I rushed to the County Clerk's Office almost mechanically.

As soon as I entered, I saw a young girl, dressed in a delicate, fancy dress, sitting casually, legs crossed, on the reception chair, complaining petulantly: "Why haven't you notified him yet? I said I want to accuse him of soliciting, didn't you hear me? Or is it because he's a global billionaire that you're too scared to arrest him?"

The surrounding officers looked embarrassed, sweating profusely, repeatedly explaining, "Miss, is there some misunderstanding? Mr. Thorne, he…"

"What misunderstanding could there be!" The girl stomped her foot in annoyance. "If you're too scared to arrest him, I'll go to another police station to file my complaint!"

No sooner had she spoken than the screech of tires echoed from outside the police station.

A black sedan pulled up, and Julian Thorne walked in, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his face grim. His impossibly handsome face and overwhelmingly powerful aura instantly silenced the entire lobby.

His gaze found me first, his brow immediately furrowed, his voice icy cold: "What are you doing here?"

My throat tightened, and I answered hoarsely: "The police… they called me."

Julian's face grew even colder, his tone imperious: "There's nothing for you here. Go home."

With that, he didn't look at me again but walked directly towards the girl causing a scene.

The next moment hit me like a lightning bolt, my blood freezing in an instant!

Julian Thorne, who was always aloof and as cold as ice, actually humbled himself and knelt down before that girl, looking up at her, his voice imbued with a tenderness and indulgence I had never heard from him, even a hint of careful coaxing:

"Baby, who upset you now? Hmm?"

Chloe's eyes welled up, her lips pouted, acting as if it were her absolute right: "You! You didn't reply to my SnapChat in three seconds! So I was so mad, I came here to report you for soliciting!"

Such a ridiculous reason made everyone around gasp.

However, Julian, far from getting angry, chuckled softly. He reached out and stroked Chloe's cheek, his voice incredibly indulgent: "Alright, alright, it's my fault. Since you reported me for soliciting and want to arrest me, then I'll truly go to jail for a few days to make you feel better, alright?"

As he spoke, he actually extended his hand towards a nearby officer, signaling for handcuffs, which made the officer's face go pale with fright!