Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 24436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 122(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
It could've worked, Summerine thought uneasily, except for the part where the doctor had assumed she'd fall in love with him.
"We've been trying to track him since he sent that text. Burns had a stint as an army doctor, and unfortunately enough, it allowed him to pick up a couple of useful tricks for hiding himself online. He knew the exact moment we were on to him, and he baited us into raiding his apartment in hopes of having an easier time entering our home—-"
"Only to realize he has nothing to worry about since I was already outside it," Summerine concluded miserably.
"Your wedding ring comes with a tracker. It's how I found you in time—-"
Oh, thank God.
"And realized that my wife was planning to run away from me."
"I...I..."
"If this is about me accusing you of cheating on me," her husband said tautly, "I'm...sorry. I'm afraid the thought of you being with another man made me extremely...unreasonable."
If she was still the old Summerine, she would have let the lie stick.
But because the minutes she had spent running away from Burns were eternally imprinted on her mind, and she had made promises to God that she intended to keep for the rest of her life—-
Summerine slowly shook her head. "It wasn't that."
Her husband whitened. "Then why?"
"Because I know you love someone else."
Ryu jerked at her words. "I'm not—-"
"Please don't lie," she said unevenly. "Because it's just making me hurt more." She saw her husband flinch upon hearing this. He was acting like her pain was his pain, but how could she believe that?
"Summerine—-"
Hearing her name on his lips was agony, and she could no longer bear being this close to him.
"I'm g-grateful that you s-saved me, but I c-can't..."
Ryu was suddenly gripping her shoulders, and she tried to struggle free, but it was impossible.
"I h-heard y-you with my own ears, Ryu. I h-heard you c-call her your d-darling—-"
"Stop."
It was that tone again.
And the sound still had her obeying even when he had become a master that caused her nothing but pain.
"I'm sorry I didn't realize you were entertaining such thoughts—-"
"I heard you!"
"But I promise you—-"
Was he seriously pulling his phone out?
"It's not what you think."
And actually making a call now of all times?
Summerine couldn't remember feeling this...this betrayed.
And outraged.
And—-
"Hello, darling," she then heard Ryu say.
FURIOUS!
Before Summerine realized what she was doing, she had already grabbed the phone out of her husband's hand, and—-
"Well, hello there."
—-found herself staring at another man?
"Are you Mrs. Ryu Harcourt by any chance?"
"Yes, she is—-" Ryu grabbed his phone back. "But I'll introduce you later. Hanging up now."
Her husband looked at her then, and she still didn't know what to think. "W-Why—-"
"Morrison and I are colleagues at work. 'Hello, darling' is a code we use to let each other know it's safe for us to talk."
Oh.
"Will you believe me now when I tell you I've never cheated on you—-"
"I do," she whispered.
"And never will—-"
Summerine could only nod this time as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
"Because I'm in love with you?"
Because her heart somehow already knew what he was about to say, and Summerine threw herself in his arms as soon as she heard him say the words.
"I l-love you, Ryu," she choked out. "I love you so, so much—-"
Ryu's head started to lower.
"And I p-promise I will never j-judge—-"
But the kiss she expected never came with her husband now looking at her in bemusement.
"What are you talking about?"
Summerine reminded herself about all the promises she made to God when she thought she was about to die...before blurting out the truth.
"I k-know who you really are. B-Because of the room—-"
"What room?"
"The one with all the guns—-"
"Ah." A grimace crossed her husband's handsome features. "That's the only room you're not supposed to have access to. But you've probably found your way to it on the one day we were conducting a maintenance check on the system."
"I didn't mean to spy on you—-"
"I know." Ryu's voice was gentle. "But...what I don't get is why you'd think there's something to judge."
"But the guns..."
"And that's it?"
"And the fake IDs," she added reluctantly. "And the credit cards—-"
"That weren't fake," he pointed out.
They weren't?
"But I suppose you didn't take the time to check," he guessed.
Summerine couldn't help feeling a little defensive. "They were so many!"
"And of course having so many credit cards can't be explained by my ten-figure net worth."
Sarcasm, even when uttered politely, was still sarcasm, and it stung enough to have Summerine wincing.
"So, let me see if I get this straight. Aside from having so many credit cards—-"
"And the fake IDs and guns," she reminded him. "If you add them all up together, surely you can see why that would make me think—-"
"—-I'm working for the FBI?" Ryu drawled.
"—-you're a mob boss?" she finished at the same time.
Oh.
Wait.
Did he just say what?