With each word Elias uttered, his chest tightened. "Are you still thinking about that man?"

Elena shook her head. "No..."

"Then why?" He pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her waist more firmly this time. "You don’t like me?"

A strange frustration burned inside him. He himself couldn’t understand why he was reacting like this. He had always been calm and composed, a man who rarely lost control of his composure.

Yet now, the mere thought that Elena might still be unable to let go of Noah was enough to make him restless.

Beneath that anger was jealousy and insecurity.

’What if Elena could never truly accept me? What if, no matter how hard I try, I’ll always remain second to her past?’

The more he thought about it, the tighter his hold around her waist became.

Elena’s breathing grew erratic.

His possessiveness frightened her. The intense look in his eyes made her heart pound nervously.

She wanted to explain herself, wanted to tell him that this had nothing to do with Noah, but for a moment, no words came out.

"It’s not about you," Elena finally managed to speak. "It’s about me. Please give me some time."

Elias instantly released her, suddenly realizing he was pushing her.

Elena had just miscarried, gone through heartbreak, and had nearly lost her life. And what was he doing?

Instead of comforting her and making her feel safe, he had frightened her.

"Sorry." He turned around. "You should leave."

Elena stood there, watching his back. Her heart was still beating faster. Seeing the disappointment in him made her chest ache with guilt.

It was only natural that he wanted to make love to his wife on their wedding night. But Elena wasn’t ready for it, not physically, not mentally.

She closed her eyes. ’I need to overcome this pain. For him. For us.’

And if she couldn’t move forward, she knew this marriage would also fall apart. And she didn’t want to go through another failed relationship.

"I’ll call you once the dinner is ready." Saying that, she left.

Elias turned around swiftly, feeling restless. But Elena had already walked out.

His fists tightened.

"Elias, how could you hurt her?" he scolded himself. "Are you even human?"

He wouldn’t forgive anyone who hurt her, not even himself. Unable to suppress the frustration boiling inside him, he punched the wall hard. His knuckles split open instantly, fresh blood dripping down his hand.

Across the city...

Noah entered the apartment he had rented for Tessa. Exhaustion was written all over his face. After back-to-back meetings, he didn’t have any strength left.

His head throbbed painfully, and his eyes felt heavy.

Ever since the deal with Zenith Core had been canceled, the board members had been pressuring him nonstop to secure another client equal to or bigger than that. Every single day felt suffocating.

It was tiring, too.

He removed his coat and dropped heavily onto the sofa.

A familiar scene flashed through his mind — Elena walking toward him with a gentle smile, handing him a glass of water the moment he returned home.

But now, she was not here. No one brought him water. No one massaged his shoulders when he was exhausted.

He missed all that.

Besides, Elena had always shouldered half the pressure at work. She would have found solutions before he even asked.

On the other hand, Tessa only acted weakly, demanding that he solve all her problems.

Noah sighed deeply and rubbed his face tiredly. He pulled out his phone.

There were still no messages or calls from Elena.

His eyebrows creased instantly. "What the hell is wrong with you? How long are you going to be angry at me?"

He dropped the phone on the coffee table, frustrated.

This morning, he had already unfrozen her bank account. He had expected Elena to call him immediately or at least send him a message to thank him properly.

"Ungrateful," he muttered.

"Noah, you are back." Tessa’s voice rang out.

He looked up to see her rushing toward him. His frown deepened. "Slow down."

He stood up instantly and hurried toward her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. Fear flickered briefly across his eyes at the thought of her falling.

Tessa smiled with satisfaction. "You care about me."

But Noah didn’t return her smile. His face grew even gloomier. "You are pregnant now. Yet you are running around like a child?"

Tessa pouted. "I was just excited to see you." She wrapped her finger around his tie and asked coquettishly. "You brought me back here. Why didn’t you take me to your villa? I am bored staying here alone. There is no maid here to help me. But at the villa, there is a housekeeper. It will be better if I stay there."

Noah hesitated. He turned aside, unable to meet her eyes. He believed Elena was angry with him and refused to talk to him because he had taken Tessa to the villa.

"If you want a maid, I’ll hire one. But you are not going there."

Tessa’s smile froze in the corners of his lips. "Why? I am your legal wife. And now I am carrying your child. Yet you keep me in a rented apartment while your mistress lives comfortably in that villa?"

"Elena is not my mistress," Noah exclaimed, shooting a sharp warning glare at her. "Don’t call her that."

"Then what is she?" Tessa snapped back angrily. "You already divorced her. Yet you kept her by your side for two years, fucked her, and even got her pregnant."

"Tessa, don’t cross the line," he growled.

Tessa swallowed nervously. She immediately realized she had pushed too far. She changed her tone.

"I’m sorry. I am just scared you will leave me." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I am pregnant now. I need someone to look after me constantly. So I thought staying at the villa would be perfect."

She lowered her head and added understandingly, "It’s okay if you don’t want to take me there. I can stay here alone."

Noah scratched his brow. "It’s not that I don’t want to take you there. That villa belongs to Elena now. I already transferred it to her."

"What?" Tessa’s fists shook violently. She couldn’t believe he had given that villa to Elena. That property cost a fortune.

"That’s your ancestral property," she protested. "And you gave it to her?"

"That’s what I owe her," Noah said, his tone thickening with guilt. "I promised her father to take care of her and protect her. But somehow, I failed. She miscarried."

Tessa narrowed her eyes.

Back when Noah had planned that accident to get rid of the baby in Elena’s womb, he had shown no hesitation at all. No guilt. No regret.

So why was he suddenly acting like this now?

"Are you regretting it now?" she asked with disbelief.

Noah sighed tiredly. His expression softened. "Tessa, let’s not talk about it. If you want a house, I’ll buy one."

Tessa was not satisfied. She wanted to snatch everything away from Elena, every bit of happiness, every possession, every place in Noah’s heart. She wanted Elena to suffer miserably and end up with nothing.

’Everything Elena has is all because of the Sinclair family. She doesn’t deserve that luxurious life. She certainly doesn’t deserve Noah.’

That was what Tessa believed.

But she couldn’t say it out loud. She swallowed the anger and made an understanding look. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I only want to be by your side. As long as you are with me, I can live anywhere."

Noah relaxed. He knew Tessa was kind and understanding, unlike Elena, who could be stubborn, jealous, and difficult at times.

"I promised you—I’ll never leave you." He hugged her back, caressing her hair.

Tessa smiled slyly against his chest. ’So what if you get that villa, Elena? Noah is my husband. And you, Elena – you are nothing but a joke. He divorced you. The moment his parents find out about my baby, they’ll definitely force you to step aside completely.’

Confidence gleamed in her eyes. But the moment she looked up at Noah again, she quickly hid it behind an innocent expression.

"I met Elena today."

Noah’s body stiffened instantly at Elena’s name.

Questions rose in his mind immediately. ’Is she okay? Has she eaten properly?’

But he suppressed every single one of them. Instead, he asked, "Where did you meet her? Did she hurt you?"

Tessa laughed softly. "Relax, I’m fine," she replied, rubbing his arms up and down. "I went shopping this afternoon and saw her in a boutique."

’I see,’ Noah muttered in his mind. ’The moment I activated her bank account, she couldn’t wait to go shopping.’

"She bought a tie."

"A tie?" Noah repeated, surprised. He had not expected Elena would buy a tie for him.

Sudden warmth filled his chest. His lips curled subtly.

"She said it was for you."

Noah lifted his chin slightly with pride.

"But you froze her account, didn’t you?" Tessa asked. "When did you give her a credit card?"

A credit card?

Noah was surprised for a moment. Then he assumed Elena might have used her own credit card and lied to Tessa that he had given it to her.

"I activated her cards and bank account this morning."

Tessa gaped at him in shock. Rage surged back, this time more violently.

First, he gave Elena the villa. Then he had given her an unlimited global card, the one she didn’t have.

She was furious that she wanted to scream and destroy everything around her. But once again, she forcefully suppressed the rising fury.

’I’ll destroy her completely myself,’ she vowed silently.