“And who says I don’t love her?”
Roman stood right beside me, his hands on my waist—strong and possessive.
Those weren’t words we should be saying to each other.
The way he said it almost had me fooled.
It was a lie, but it didn’t sound like one.
“And who the hell are you?” Mary asked, her lips curling downward.
Her eyes ran over the obviously expensive brands Roman had on.
His clothes alone could pay for a small house for a family of five.
From a distance, anyone could tell he was rich.
“Are you some boy toy she’s playing with?
What?
Is she sleeping with you for money to fund her lifestyle?” she sneered.
She wanted a reaction, and I wasn’t ready to give her one.
It was obvious she was trying to hurt us.
She knew I would never be caught in such a situation, but she didn’t care—as long as she dragged me through the mud.
Roman shifted slightly.
His body was tense, and his grip on my waist felt like stone.
I didn’t need anyone to tell me how angry he was.
“Her husband,” he declared, like it was a badge of honour.
Even with the anger, his voice remained controlled.
Mary let out a sinister laugh and threw her head back.
“Really?
Jade?
I’m a bit disappointed in you,” she said, shaking her head.
“And why should I—”
“I didn’t know that after Caius, you’d resort to such cheap tricks,” she cut in.
She didn’t need to say more—I already knew where she was going.
“To be a gold digger just to climb the social ladder like this.
It’s disgraceful—even for someone as low class as you.”
My lips parted, but before I could speak, Roman frowned and gave a subtle signal.
The female bodyguard stepped forward and slapped Mary across the face.
Mary’s hand flew to her cheek.
Her eyes flashed with fury, her breathing uneven.
“How dare you?” she screamed.
Roman didn’t bother responding.
He led me straight to the car waiting in the parking lot and pushed me inside.
We sat in silence while the driver waited outside.
I fiddled with my fingers, wondering how much he had heard.
I waited for him to say something, but he just stared ahead.
I wondered what the bodyguard might do next to Mary.
Roman didn’t have to go that far.
I cleared my throat and turned to him.
His jaw was tight, his knuckles white from how hard he was clenching his fists.
“You didn’t have to slap her,” I said.
His gaze snapped to me, sharp and disbelieving.
“Are you saying I should have stood there and allowed her to insult my wife?”
“She didn’t mean it.
She was just being Mary,” I said, trying to excuse her.
“Are you saying you’re okay with people putting you down?” he asked, leaning slightly closer.
His eyes searched my face, making my back stiffen.
His question made me a bit uncomfortable.
I was not okay with it.
The problem was that I had been forced to think it was okay this entire time.
He licked his lips and tilted his head.
“Next time, don’t just stand there and let people bully you.
You are the wife of the richest man in the city.
You can use my influence as much as you want.”
As tempting as that sounded, I didn’t want to get used to it.
It would only make it harder to let go later.
“Have a bodyguard with you at all times.”
“That’s a bit excessive,” I said, shaking my head.
My colleagues were already curious about me.
If I showed up with a bodyguard, I would become a target.
“It’s not excessive.
It’s necessary.
I won’t stand by and watch my wife get bullied.”
“It won’t happen again.
You don’t have to worry,” I sighed.
“Can I skip the guard…
for now?”
He didn’t look convinced, but after a long pause, he nodded.
I sighed in relief.
A bodyguard now meant unnecessary attention.
I didn’t need it; I just wanted to survive…
quietly.
Silence settled between us again.
I shifted, wanting to say something to break it.
“I…”
“Do you not like your wedding ring?” His voice was too neutral for me to read.
I gasped and shook my head.
“It’s not that.”
“Then why aren’t you wearing it?
Why is it sitting in a drawer at home?” he snapped.
I swallowed and tried to turn toward him, but the seatbelt held me back.
I didn’t know how to explain what I felt.
“It’s just…
too valuable.
I was afraid I might lose it,” I said.
It wasn’t a complete lie, but I couldn’t meet his eyes.
It just didn’t feel like mine to wear.
“If it gets lost, I’ll buy another one.
The Volkov family isn’t short on money.”
I already knew that.
Money was the one thing they would never lack.
But I knew what the rumours said.
They never had debtors; everyone who owed them paid in full.
I would rather not rack up a debt I couldn’t handle.
“I’m not really comfortable with jewellery,” I added, raising my hand slightly.
“I’ll just wear it for formal events.”
“That won’t do,” he said, shaking his head.
He tapped on the window, and the driver got in.
“Take us to a jewellery store.”
“I really don’t need a new one,” I said, but it didn’t matter.
His decision was final.
“If the other ring feels like too much, you can have something simpler,” he said quietly.
How did he figure that out?
I blinked as he gestured toward the store.
“Pick whatever you like.
I should have been more considerate when choosing the first one.”
I looked through the options and chose the cheapest ring I could find—something I could replace if anything happened to it.
“Are you sure?
There are better options—”
“I like this,” I said quickly, cutting him off.
“I’ll get the matching set,” Roman said as I slipped the ring onto my finger.
“You don’t have to.
I’m sure you don’t wear rings like this,” I said, turning to him.
In reality, this ring was something that he would never be caught dead in.
Did it make sense for him to want to wear it because of me?
He shrugged.
“We’re a couple, after all.”
The clerk watched us with interest as the purchase was made.
I didn’t miss the smile on her face when she realized we were going to be matching rings.
I lifted my hand, admiring the small gemstone.
A smile crept onto my lips.
This ring felt more personal, unlike the first one.
This one felt like mine.
I didn’t turn, but I could feel his gaze on me.
I wiped my cheek, then finally looked at him.
“Mr Volkov?”
He blinked and cleared his throat.
“Yes?”
“You were staring.”
“I wasn’t,” he said quickly, turning to the clerk.
“How much is it?”
He pulled out a black card before I could protest.
I used to think dramas exaggerated how attractive that looked—a man in a suit with a black card.
But seeing him now…
I believed it.
Oh, poor Jade…
You already found this man attractive, didn’t you?
I knew it was dangerous territory, and I was already stepping into it.