Chapter 4.

Ryuchen decided to go back home after his meeting ended in the afternoon, hoping that his wife might have returned to their villa.

Back then, he did nothing but work until late at night just to avoid Chloe, and would come home late just to find her sleeping on the sofa in the living room. He finds it annoying, why does she have to wait for him to get back home? Why doesn't she just sleep in her room?

Because of his irritation, he would just ignore her and let her sleep in the sofa all night only to find in the morning that she even have time to cook breakfast for him. But of course, he will ignore her effort as well and will just go back to his office again.

But now, he's longing for that scene.

He wanted to see her in the sofa when he opened the door to their villa, but disappointment immediately appeared on his handsome face when he saw Edward greeted him when he entered.

"...Did my wife came back?" he asked immediately.

"Young madam was here earli--."

"She's here?!" he interrupted him out of joy. "Where is she?"

Ryuchen was about to run to his wife's room but stopped when he heard Edward spoke again.

"She also left immediately, Young master."

His face darkened because of what he said.

"What did you say?"

"Young madam came here a while ago, but she immediately left with her belongings." Ryuchen was stunned. "I'm sorry Young master, I tried to stop her but Young madam just ignored me and left."

Ryuchen sat down on the sofa when he felt his knees soften, he also put his elbow on his knees and his hands on his face and rubbed it in frustration.

His chest filled with regret that he didn't even had a chance to see his wife, he missed her twice, in the hospital and even in their villa.

His chest heaved at his sudden thought, why did she bring her belongings? Is she going to leave him? Then, what's the point of him going back to the past if he can't be with his wife, if he can't make things right between the two of them.

Everything doesn't make any sense.

"And Young master..." he looked at Edward, he couldn't believed he has more to say. "While the Young madam was here, the maid did something to her."

"What?!" he exclaimed and frowned.

His blood immediately boiled in anger as he listened to Edward's word, they have the nerves to bully his wife. Yes, he told them to ignore Chloe and let her do whatever she wants inside the villa, but he never ordered them nor asked them to bully her.

Does his wife always hear those kind of words from people inside their villa whenever he's not around?

"Fire them, damn it. Punish them all including the useless head maid and make sure that they will suffer for the rest of their lives." he said furiously.

"Yes, Young master." Edward answer.

"And... don't visit in the villa."

"P-Pardon..."

"I don't need anyone here right now." he said. "But I'll call you again to stay here for good once my wife return. For now, just order someone from the mansion to come and clean in the morning once I left."

"Sure, Young master.'' he answer politely.

"Ryuchen, you're finally here!"

Ryuchen suddenly heard Lyka's voice somewhere, and found her in the hallway near the living room.

He frowned and anger rushed throughout his body when he saw her.

"Why is she still here?" he asked Edward.

He remembered that Edward also mentioned that Lyka was there as well when Chloe was still in their villa, but he just ignored her because she won't be able to enter the villa again once all the maids are gone.

"I'm sorry Young master, but I already told her earlier to leave." Edward explained. "I had no idea that she was still here until now."

"I need to tell you something." she said anxious. "My maids... Mr. Edward locked the maids in the maids' quarter, please tell the butler to release them."

If he was the Ryuchen in the past, he might just ignore everything that happened to Chloe and do whatever she asked. But he knows everything now, and realizes that his life was full of lies created by Lyka. He was a fool to believe her, and a bastard for treating his wife unfairly.

He will never believe her again nor do everything she asks for, he has to do what is right to be with his wife.

"Ms. Lyka, I just punish them for saying those kind of words to Young madam." Edward explained.

"They only said that because they were worried about me." Lyka said and embraced his arm. "They didn't do anything wrong, Ryuchen. Please help them."

Ryuchen was furious because of what she said, he pulled his arm on her embrace. His face immediately darkened as he looked at her eyes.

"So, it's not wrong to insult Chloe inside her own house?"

Lyka stumbled back and was terrified.

Ryuchen gaze was cold and sharp, that will haunt anyone and kept them awake at night.

"...That it's okay to humiliate her because those maids are worried about you?!"

Lyka's knees suddenly soften causing her to fell completely and sat on the floor, her whole body was cold and shivering.

She never seen Ryuchen like that before, his eyes were full of resentment and hatred and it was frightening.

Like he knows everything.

Her chest heaved, frightened by the thought of Ryuchen might already knew everything that she had done.

Ryuchen turned his back on her and look at the butler, and to Lyka it feels like he turn his back on her now. Like he will not care for her anymore and abandoned her completely.

"Edward, show this woman the way out."

"Yes, Young master."

The butler immediately came to her and grabbed her arm to help her stand up.

While walking towards the door of the villa, she couldn't help but turned at Ryuchen who was walking on the stairs. She couldn't believe that he suddenly changed after he fainted, like he was a different person.

Ryuchen took a shower to relieve the anger he was feeling and lay down on his bed after, he took his phone on the table and tried to call Jason again and immediately stood up from his bed when he finally answered his call.

"Hello."

"Jason, it's me." he exclaimed. "It's me, Ryuchen."

"I know." he said. "Why did you call?"

"I... I just want to ask if... if Chloe is with you right now."

"No, she's not."

Ryuchen bit his thumb nail unconsciously, he didn't know if he was lying. But he had no reason to lie to him, he told her where Chloe was when she was hospitalized after the kidnapping and even told him about the truth back then.

"D-Do you know... where she is right now?" he asked nervously. "I just want to talk to her."

He heard Jason sigh on the other line.

"Listen, I want to tell you where Chloe is right now, but I can't." Jason said. "I made a promise that I wouldn't tell you where she was, and I don't want to break my promise. This is all I can say as your friend. Chloe was hurt, so think about all the things that you have to do for her ." he said and ended the call.

Ryuchen couldn't sleep that night, thinking about all the things that happened to Chloe.

There is always a scandal in his company every time Chloe visits, and according to the employees involved, Chloe insults and humiliates them just because they didn't know her. He also heard that she often goes to hotels owned by his family to check-in and bring men to her room, and the maids in their villa always complain that she always harming them.

He was always furious back then because she's been causing trouble like almost every day. He didn't listen to her nor believe her explanation either, because for him it was just all excuses.

But what if all that happened turned out to be a lie and just wanted to ruined Chloe, that there was someone who was behind everything that happened to her. Because in all those events, someone was always there as well.

Lyka...

-----

It was their summer vacation twelve years ago when Ryuchen was kidnapped, and his father told him that he had been unconscious for three days.

Ryuchen can't remember what happened the day he was kidnapped and his father and grandmother didn't say anything to him either. Perhaps they are worried about him, especially since his condition was not yet stabled, so they didn't mentioned anything about the kidnapping and Jason was in other country to spend his summer vacation together with his family.

He had nightmares every night since he woke up that seems the horror he had experienced haunts him.

The three men beating him like a punching bag, and every time he was about to pass out they would pour cold water on him to bring him back to his senses. They mercilessly placed cigarette butts on his skin as if his body were an ashtray, he couldn't do anything but to cry while screaming because of the pain.

But his nightmares suddenly stopped when Lyka told him that she was the one who saved him, as if everything that was bothering his mind disappeared after knowing that. Since then, he has become close to Lyka for the reason that she saved him, that she helped him to escape from the kidnappers.

When Jason returned to the country, he immediately told what happened to him but he did not believe him, he didn't believe when he said that Lyka save him to be exact.

Ryuchen and Jason had an argument, until Lyka was the only one left by his side. So he treated her like a real younger sister and gave her everything she asked for, and he and Jason eventually reconciled.

Until he heard that Chloe had returned ten years later as if nothing had happened and his family even Jason welcomed her happily. He hadn't heard any news of her, she didn't even tried to communicate with him to explain why she suddenly left and live in other country for ten years.

Is everything they shared worth nothing to her?

After a few months, he heard that his grandmother suddenly arranged his marriage with Chloe.

He was furious, he couldn't believe that his grandmother will do that, so he asks Lyka to pretend they are lovers just to stop his grandmother's plan. But his marriage with Chloe still went on, causing his pent-up anger to emerge.

Ryuchen and Lyka continued to pretend they were lovers even though he was already married to Chloe, because he wanted Chloe to feel the pain and loneliness he felt when she left him without saying anything back then.

-----

Ryuchen leaned back in his chair and massaged his forehead, he has headache because he didn't sleep much last night and has been busy the whole day. His desk was full of documents that need his signature since morning, and there are employees who kept handing him their end of the month reports.

End of the month sucks!

While he was resting, he suddenly received a call.

He frowned when he saw the caller's number was not registered on his contact, but he still answered it.

"Hello."

"R-Ryuchen, it's me--."

"CHLOE!?"

He immediately straightened up from his seat when he recognized Chloe's voice on the other line, his heart pounded with excitement thinking that he can finally talk to his wife.

"Yes." he heard her said.

"H-How are you, how's your condition?" he asked her worriedly. "Are you eating well these days?"

"...Yes."

"Are your wounds and bruises healed now?"

"...Yes."

"Good, I hope... it didn't leave a scar."

"..."

"Where are you right now?" he asked without hesitation. "Can we meet and talk, I have a lot to tell you."

"Sure."

He quickly stood up from his seat when he heard her answer, he was overwhelmed with joy and couldn't stop smiling.

"Are you free tonight at six?" she asked.

"Of course, let's have some dinner as well."

"...Okay."

He let Chloe decide where she wanted them to meet, and said the name of the restaurant where his father and him often ate. He also often holds meeting there so he told her that he will reserve a private room for the two of them.

After the call ended, he immediately called Sebastian to cancel whatever schedule he had for the night and told him that he will leave early and will continue his work tomorrow.