Chapter 209
Yolanda felt awful as she stared at the man, her eyes rimmed red and full of anguish.
He wore a black shirt and black pants, and the silver mask on his face looked so cold, it sent a chill deep into
her bones.
Yolanda’s voice trembled with fear as she whispered, “Who… who are you?”
Her mind was a total mess; she couldn’t remember a thing. Right now, the only reason she could even make a sound was because the fear of the unknown gripped her completely.
Before she could even process what was happening, she was yanked toward him.
Chaos. Darkness.
Her back to him, the world kept tilting and spinning in front of her eyes, like rain–drenched neon lights flickering through a city she didn’t recognize.
Eventually, she reached out, wanting to tear off his mask.
But he didn’t let her–his voice was colder than ever, shutting her down with zero warmth.
His voice was icy and emotionless as he ordered, “Don’t move.”
Yolanda’s mind was completely lost in chaos; she could barely form a single coherent thought.
At one moment, she even mumbled, “Honey.”
The man behind her responded to that title with a couple of cold, mocking chuckles.
Almost unconsciously, she swallowed and murmured, “Ian…”
He let out another mocking, icy laugh.
Yolanda buried her face in the pillow and stopped calling out any names.
Somewhere deep inside, she knew he was always in control, not leaving a single mark on her.
Sometimes she cried and kicked up a fuss, but his lingering kiss finally quieted her.
In her hazy state, she vaguely heard him murmur something.
*
When Yolanda woke up, she was in a hospital bed.
She stared up at the ceiling, the sharp smell of disinfectant filling her nose.
There were several people in the room–Simone, Ian, Xavier, Charles, Quinn, and Samuel.
They were all there–Simone Sinclair, Ian, Xavier, Charles, Quinn Cooper, and Samuel Grant.
Her mind flashed back to when she and Leo were locked up together–but judging by the scene, it looked like nothing bad had actually happened.
Xavier looked downright unhappy. Two days ago, when he finally tracked down Leo, the kid was totally passed out, his forehead covered in blood.
People said Yolanda had probably been taken by Andrew and tortured, and she was eventually found down at the base of a cliff. Most likely, she was pushed–but miraculously, she survived the fall.
Everybody knew about the beef between Andrew and Charles. This time, Andrew was clearly getting back at Charles on purpose.
Yolanda let her gaze sweep around the room, lingering on the group of men. Just then, Simone reached out and took her hand, holding it tight.
“You really scared the hell out of us! My crew happened to be filming nearby, so I rushed over. Yolanda, you almost lost your life this time–the fever only just broke! And Andrew’s gone missing, seriously, what a bastard!”
Yolanda lowered her eyelashes, but inside, she couldn’t help feeling a bit puzzled.
‘Did I really have a fever?‘ she wondered.
Her hand was tucked under the covers, and she could vaguely feel something different down there.
She’d slept with someone, but her head had been so foggy at the time that she couldn’t remember who it was, or even what the room looked like–all she knew was that it was dark.
‘I’m screwed,’ she thought.
Her throat was sore, and she could hear Simone add on.
“Andrew was just out for revenge on Charles this time, and you got dragged into his mess for no reason. He even locked you up with the Lawson boy. Luckily, nothing truly awful happened. The Lawson boy is still knocked out–when his brother found him, there was blood all over his head. You both really dodged a bullet.”
Yolanda looked pale as a ghost, like someone who’d barely made it past a serious illness.
Charles was sitting at her bedside, reaching out to muss her hair a little.
His guys spent two whole days searching before finally finding her down at the bottom of the cliff. She’d had a raging fever, and her clothes were stained with blood.
His heart instantly skipped a beat and he rushed her to the hospital without hesitation.
Her fever had finally gone down, but she’d really been put through the wringer this time.
Yolanda’s head was spinning with questions. ‘Did I really have a fever?‘ she wondered. The worry on Simone
and Charles’s faces didn’t look fake–she must have been burning up when they found her. And if Charles saw her looking like she’d just been with someone, he was bound to suspect she’d lost her innocence.
With his personality, there was no way he wouldn’t kick up a huge fuss about it.
She swallowed nervously, her thoughts a tangled mess of anxiety.
She was sure she’d slept with a man this time, but she had no idea who it was.
‘Was it Leo?‘ she asked herself.
Her eyes flicked over to Xavier, who looked pissed off and sneered, “Lucky for you, nothing happened between you and my brother. If it had, you’d better be ready for him to tear you apart when he wakes up!”
Yolanda let out a sigh of relief. ‘Good thing it wasn’t Leo. If it had been, he’d probably never let me go for the rest of my life,‘ she thought.
‘Could it have been lan?‘ The question gnawed at her.
Ian was always shrouded in mystery, and Yolanda never wanted to dig too deep. Maybe he had some kind of shadowy organization backing him.
Her gaze flicked over to Ian again.
He stood quietly off to the side, and when he caught her eyes, there was a brief flash of worry and puzzlement in his gaze.
Yolanda felt a cold shiver run through her. ‘If it’s not Ian… then who the hell is it?‘ she thought.
Now, only Samuel Grant and Quinn Cooper remained in the room.
Quinn Cooper might treat her well, but as Charles’s close friend, he was notoriously cold toward women.
Her head throbbed from all the overthinking, and she looked even more ghostly.
Charles gently pulled her into his arms. “I’ve already sent people to look for Andrew. Right now, you need to rest, alright?”
Yolanda nodded, slowly lay back down, and closed her eyes.
One by one, everyone else left the room, leaving Simone behind, still gently nagging at Charles.
“Don’t go too hard with this,” Simone said softly. “If you hadn’t left Andrew with no way out back then, would he have been clinging to you like this for so long? Once you find him, maybe clear the air while you have the
chance.”
“Aunt Simone, you honestly think a guy like that would ever listen to us?” Charles shot back.
Simone pressed her lips together, worry flickering in her eyes. She was just speaking as an elder—she didn’t want to see anyone in the Sinclair family get hurt.
Charles’s gaze was full of danger. Andrew started by messing with Joelle, but Joelle got rescued before he could act, so he shifted his focus to Yolanda instead. He even deliberately locked Yolanda up with Leo. Good thing Leo had zero interest in girls–according to Xavier, Leo actually bashed his own head on a brick wall just to fight off the drugs, knocking himself out cold and ending up covered in blood.
So, nothing happened between those two.
When Andrew saw his plan flop, he just shoved Yolanda straight off a not–too–high, not–too–low cliff. She ended up lying out there for two whole nights–honestly, it’s no wonder she came down with a high fever.
Charles felt irritable as hell. Stepping back into the hospital room, he spotted Yolanda, ghostly pale and curled up under the blankets.
“Honey, feeling scared?” he asked softly.
Yolanda was terrified, of course. She still had absolutely no clue who she’d ended up sleeping with.
She might’ve been totally out of it at the time, her memories all fuzzy, but that weird, floaty, tingly feeling from that night stuck with her clear as day.
She closed her eyes, her voice coming out rough–her throat was probably wrecked from all that shouting.
“I’m feeling dizzy. Let me rest for a bit,” Yolanda murmured, her exhaustion obvious.
Charles reached out and gently tapped her on the head. “Okay, just get some sleep.”
Yolanda spent another two days in the hospital. Charles visited as often as he could, but there were still stretches when he wasn’t around.
That was when Quinn dropped by, a conflicted look on his face.
“Yolanda, do you remember what happened that night?” Quinn asked, sounding a bit hesitant.
That
put Yolanda instantly on guard. She gave him a quick, searching look. “What are you trying to say?”
Quinn caught the confusion in her eyes and let out a quiet breath. “It’s nothing, really. Just get some rest.”
Quinn had barely walked out when Samuel came in, took a seat by her bed, and poured her a glass of water.
“How are you feeling?” he asked softly.
Yolanda leaned back against the bed, taking her time with her drink, and kept her questions to herself.
“Don’t overthink it, just get some rest,” Samuel said gently.
With that, he got up and left.
Yolanda lowered her lashes, feeling agitated inside. She was pretty sure the guy she’d slept with was one of these men, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out who.
Not long after Samuel walked out, Leo kicked the hospital room door open with a bang.
11:38 Sun, Oct 26
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Chapter 209
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Yolanda jumped out of her skin when Leo burst through the door, marching straight toward her like he was about to start a fight.
Xavier chased in right behind him, grabbing Leo by the arm to stop him.
“Leo, enough! Let it go, alright?” Xavier said urgently, trying to reel his brother back.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
Part 1: The Discovery of BetrayalYolanda Grant’s marriage was built on patience, sacrifice, and quiet endurance — but that illusion shattered in one night. It was late when she arrived at a dark, empty alley after receiving a mysterious message with an address. At first, she thought it was a misunderstanding. After all, her husband Charles Sinclair — a man of wealth, power, and refined taste — would never lower himself to something so vulgar. But when she saw him holding a young woman in his arms, kissing and touching her like a man possessed, every ounce of denial drained from her. Charles, the proud and disciplined businessman, was cheating — and in a filthy alleyway, no less.Part 2: The Scene of HumiliationFrom the safety of her car, Yolanda watched as the scene unfolded. The woman clinging to Charles was frail, trembling, and emotional, like a flower blooming in the mud. The surroundings — the stained floor, damp walls, and suffocating darkness — mocked everything Charles had always claimed to be. This wasn’t just infidelity; it was degradation. Yolanda’s mind swirled with disbelief. Her husband, who obsessed over class and perfection, had become a man of impulse and dirt. She didn’t confront him or make a scene; she didn’t even cry. Instead, she leaned back in her seat, numb, realizing that her marriage was already over in spirit.Part 3: Two Years of DevotionAs she sat there, flashes of the past flooded her mind. Two years of marriage — two years of her trying to please him in every way. She had known from the start that Charles didn’t love her. On their wedding day, he had made it painfully clear that his heart already belonged to another woman. Still, Yolanda married him out of hope, out of love, out of the foolish belief that devotion could melt even the coldest heart. She gave up her career, her ambitions, and her independence, just to prove she was worthy of him. She cared for him like a nurse for her patient — cooking his meals, planning his wardrobe, and tending to every detail of his life. And in return, she got nothing but distance and silence.Part 4: The Breaking PointNow, watching him entwined with another woman, everything she had built inside her — the patience, the sacrifice, the illusion — collapsed. The man she had once called her husband had become unrecognizable. He had torn off his noble mask and revealed himself as nothing more than a beast driven by desire. Yolanda felt like she’d been slapped, her dignity shattered into pieces. But instead of screaming or crying, she felt an eerie calm. Her pain was too deep to express. All she could think was: This marriage must end.Part 5: Charles’s UneaseWhile Yolanda drove home, Charles suddenly sensed that something was wrong. The headlights of a passing car illuminated his face, and a chill ran down his spine. He didn’t know whose car it was, but unease stirred in his chest. The girl in his arms whimpered for his attention, but his mind was already elsewhere. Straightening his clothes, he pulled away coldly. “That’s enough for tonight,” he said flatly. “The company’s got big projects. I can’t afford divorce rumors right now.” His words revealed not love, but calculation — every move guided by image and control. The girl, blinded by her feelings, agreed softly, claiming she would wait. But to Charles, it was just another temporary indulgence.Part 6: The Return HomeWhen Yolanda returned home, the villa felt colder than ever. She had just come out of the shower when Charles entered the bedroom, carrying his jacket. He looked as immaculate as always — tall, handsome, commanding — but tonight, his arrogance seemed cruel. On his pristine white shirt, Yolanda noticed a faint smear of pink lip gloss. She had never worn lip gloss; she hated its stickiness. That small, shiny mark told her everything she needed to know. As she dried her hair, she kept her expression neutral, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her pain.Part 7: The Cold ConversationCharles glanced at her and asked casually, “When did you get back?”“This afternoon,” she replied.He loosened his tie, unbuttoning his shirt as if nothing had happened. “I was out playing golf tonight,” he added. The lie rolled off his tongue effortlessly. Through the reflection in the window, Yolanda saw the dirt on his back — proof that golf wasn’t the only game he’d been playing. With quiet fury, she shot back, “Then I guess you scored plenty of holes. Congrats.”Her sarcasm caught him off guard. For the first time, he frowned, slightly unsettled. He wasn’t used to this tone from her — the woman who once worshiped him now sounded indifferent, almost mocking.Part 8: His Cruel ArroganceInstead of apologizing, Charles smirked and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Are you mad? I told you when we got married that I didn’t love you. If you’re that unhappy, find someone else to cheat with.” His words cut through her like a blade. It wasn’t just betrayal anymore — it was humiliation. He treated her heartbreak as an inconvenience, as if her pain were irrelevant. Inside, Yolanda’s chest felt like it was being strangled with wire, every breath searing. Yet she stayed silent. Her quietness, once a sign of love, now turned into armor.Part 9: The Memory of InnocenceIn that moment, Yolanda’s mind drifted back to when she first met Charles. She was young, freshly adopted into the Grant family, and he was already the picture of perfection — disciplined, confident, untouchable. Back then, she looked at him with admiration and love. To her, he was everything she aspired to be. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that this same man would someday make her feel worthless. All those years of love, of marriage, of giving — they now felt like a cruel joke.Part 10: A New Beginning Hidden in the Word “Fine”Charles chuckled when she finally said, “Fine.” To him, it was just another empty threat, another outburst that would fade with time. He kissed her cheek, confident that her love would keep her shackled to him forever. What he didn’t realize was that this time, “Fine” wasn’t surrender — it was goodbye. Behind her calm eyes, Yolanda had already made her decision. The love that once bound her had turned to ash, and from that ash, something new was forming — strength.Chapter 1 ends with Yolanda’s quiet determination to take back her life. She won’t cry or beg anymore. This time, she’ll walk away — not as a broken wife, but as a woman reborn through betrayal.
