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    Connor looked utterly defeated, his eyes shimmering with tears that hadn’t quite fallen yet.


    Xylia pressed her lips together and said nothing.


    Connor didn’t wait for her answer. He strode right up to her and went on, “So, back in Jupiton, when I told you to act like the Garcia Group’s princess, you knew damn well it was all just an act. You knew everything.”


    “You already had someone lined up before our divorce, didn’t you? Joshua is your new backup, right?”


    Every word Connor spoke was tinged with hurt, but each syble was barbed.


    Xylia wasn’t the least bit surprised he’d think of her this way.


    Honestly, she’d only missed Connor’s ugly side because she’d been naive.


    After the Schultz family kicked her to the curb, she’d drifted like a lost soul, desperately clinging to Connor as if he was her lifeline. But he’d never truly been her salvation–she’d been imagining things all along. He’d merely given her a temporary ride, while his heart was always longing for another ce to call home.


    But now that she’d finally let go, the real Connor was showing himself, piece by piece.


    Cowardly. Never could make up his mind.


    Always judging people by his own narrow standards.


    Even his feelings for someone had to be proven to himself, again and again.


    “Before I married you, I was a hell of a dancer. And before you screwed up my hands and feet, I was an outstanding surgeon. Connor, get this straight: I don’t need anyone propping me up to shine. Marriage is just an extra in my life.”


    Connor’s face gradually turned ghostly pale.


    It wasn’t just that one word from Xylia that struck a nerve–he started to anxiously defend himself.


    “I… I can exin. Your injury was on me, but I couldn’t help it, it was because of Tessa…”


    “No need to exin. I don’t care to hear it.”


    Xylia sidestepped Connor and headed for the driver’s seat, her voice drifting out into the night’s faint chill.


    “Stay out of my life.”


    As Xylia opened the car door, warmth suddenly brushed over the back of her hand.


    She frowned and instinctively shook it off–right then, a familiar voice sounded in her ear. “Sweetheart, it’s


    me.”


    7:38 <b>Fri</b>, Sep


    It was Joshua.


    Xylia stopped in her tracks.


    55 vouchers


    Joshua casually slipped her soft hand into his, then smoothly took the car keys right out of her palm.


    “Your injuries aren’t fully healed yet. Why are you even trying to drive? Your personal driver isn’t dead, you know–put him to work.”


    And of course, the “driver” he was talking about was none other than himself.


    When Connor heard Joshua’s voice, he tensed up on the spot.


    He turned and saw Xylia and Joshua standing right by the driver’s side, practically shoulder to shoulder. Joshua was leaning in to talk, and from Connor’s angle, it looked almost like they were about to kiss.


    Connor’s temper red instantly as he snapped, “Mr. Garcia, back in Jupiton, Xylia and I weren’t even divorced yet, and you were already moving in on her. Have you no shame?”


    Joshua let out a soft scoff, straightened up, and turned to face Connor.


    Joshua’s icy gaze was like a thousand knives, each one cutting right into Connor.


    “Cheating on your wife, Mr. Ford—does that really make you proud?”


    “That’s not true!” Connor blurted out, his voice strained, eyes flicking desperately toward Xylia.


    Xylia just kept her back to him, focused on Joshua, not even sparing Connor a nce.


    Joshua shrugged, “You and I both know the answer, but honestly? That’s all water under the bridge now. In fact, I should thank you—because you gave me the chance to be the one beside Xylia.”


    Joshua lowered his gaze, looking at Xylia with undeniable tenderness.


    Xylia tilted her head up, her eyes meeting his–those eyes were swirling with emotion, bright and clear, as if ripples danced across their surface.


    Her gaze was as pure as autumn water, wless and utterly captivating.


    Joshua felt a soft tug at his heart. He bent down, pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, and lovingly patted her head.


    <i>“</i>Get in the passenger seat, sweetheart. Let’s go home.”


    Xylia still hadn’t gotten used to how Joshua would steal kisses whenever he felt like it.


    Her face flushed a deep red as she slipped into the passenger seat, not giving Connor so much as a second thought.


    The scene stung Connor’s eyes.


    But he was powerless to stop any of it.


    <b>7:38 </b>Fri, Sep <b>19 </b>


    He could only watch as Joshua got behind the wheel and drove away.


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    An overwhelming sense of emptiness and fear washed over Connor. Without even thinking, he took a step forward.


    But the car was already gone, out of sight down the street.


    Xylia rolled the window down a little, letting the cool night breeze chase away the warmth lingering on her cheeks. Only then did she turn to Joshua and ask, “Why’d youe looking for me?”


    “Why’d youe looking for me?” Xylia asked.


    “I texted you and got nothing. Tried calling, your phone was dead. So, I figured I’d just track you down myself,” Joshua replied.


    Xylia suddenly realized what was going on. She dug around in her bag, found her phone–it had been dead and powered off the whole time.


    She shed him a guilty little grin, “I’ve been buried in work all day, didn’t even get a chance to look at my phone.”


    She instinctively grabbed the car charger, plugged it into her phone, like she’d done it a thousand times before.


    Letting it juice up a bit while she had a spare moment.


    Joshua was in a pretty good mood and stole nces at Xylia whenever he got the chance while driving.


    She kept her eyes glued to her phone as it powered up, looking stressed–like something was really bugging


    her.


    “What’s up?” Joshua asked.


    “Kaden’s been way too strict with metely. I’m worried he’ll totally chew me out if I miss his call,” Xylia said.


    Joshua blinked in surprise. “Seriously? Your brother gives you that kinda grief?”


    Xylia considered it for a moment, then shook her head. “He doesn’t really yell at me, but these days he’ll just put on that stern face and <i>try </i>to act intimidating.”


    Joshua felt like something wasn’t adding up.


    “So when was thest time your brother tried to give you the cold shoulder?” he pressed.


    Xylia hesitated, but with Joshua urging her on, she finally spilled.


    “It was that night we went out for thosete–night snacks,” she admitted.


    She’d tried everything to get rid of the smell before sneaking back home, but it still lingered—and she’d gotten in way past curfew.


    ane u veen sneaking junk food.


    He ratted her out to Cyrus right away.


    <b>a </b>bloodhound. It took him no time at all to sniff out that


    The two brothers then tag–teamed their lecture, not giving her a break.


    Now Xylia was super cautious every time she wanted to eat anything.


    It’s not that she can’t eat–she’s just <i>too </i>freaked out to go near anything oily or spicy.


    Joshua was quick on the uptake and instantly caught on to why her brothers got so worked up.


    He mulled it over and said, “Next time you go for a secret snack run, just swap your clothes–guaranteed they won’t sniff you out.”


    Xylia hadn’t expected that kind of advice from him.


    It sounded totally doable, but the fact that Joshua was the one suggesting it honestly cracked her up.


    “You sure sound like you’ve done this before,” she teased.


    Joshua tapped his long fingers on the steering wheel, his lips parted casually as he spoke.


    “Back when we were overseas, whenever you went out with your friends, I’d sneak in a hot pot dinner at home,” he admitted.


    Xylia’s eyes went wide.


    She always felt like that hot pot smell was stuck in the house during that time.


    And there Joshua had been, looking all weak and sick on the couch. She’d asked him if he could smell it, and he’d just shaken his head, pretending he didn’t have a clue.


    That was back when she had just rescued Joshua–he was badly injured, and had toy off anything spicy while he was on his medication.


    Xylia, on the other hand, was all about greasy, spicy food. So while she devoured her slow–braised BBQ pork belly, Joshua had to settle for in steamed fish.


    She’d always told herself that once Joshua recovered, she could move on.


    At the time, Joshua didn’t really seem like the most trustworthy guy, but since there wasn’t even a hint of hot pot on him, she kept her doubts to herself.


    But Joshua’s recovery dragged on forever.


    She’d pinned it on his lousy physical condition, but now she realized he’d been going behind her back, secretly eating the stuff he wasn’t supposed to have.


    ‘I knew I smelled hot pot back then!‘ Xylia blurted out. ‘I actually thought my nose was ying tricks on me!