Chapter 2

That evening, I went down to the first-class dining hall to grab some food.

I wore a baseball cap, oversized sunglasses, and a medical mask, concealing every inch of my face.

Yet somehow, Julian recognized me from my silhouette alone.

He rushed over, moving so fast that he completely forgot Vivian was trailing right behind him.

"Chloe—"

He pulled me into a fierce embrace, his eyes welling with tears. "I knew it was you! I checked the passenger manifest, and there was your name."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Startled, I squirmed slightly, but couldn't break free from his grip. "You recognized me like this?"

He gently peeled off my mask, smiling warmly. "I've taken care of you for six years. How could I ever fail to recognize my own wife?"

His voice was pure tenderness. The love in his eyes—the same look I had cherished for nine years—seemed impossible to fake.

Three years of dating, six years of marriage. I had never once doubted his devotion to me.

I couldn't understand.

Why was there another woman in his life?

And why did that woman have to be Vivian Sterling?

I didn't dare confront him here.

Pretending I hadn't noticed Vivian standing nearby, I reached up and wiped a tear from Julian’s cheek. "Don't cry. My leg has completely healed, so I wanted to come surprise you. We should be celebrating."

"The scars on my face still need a few more days of cream to fade, so I wanted to wait until they were gone. I didn't expect you to catch me so soon."

I gave him an easy excuse.

Julian’s grip loosened slightly, and he let out an imperceptible sigh of relief.

Right then, Vivian took a step forward, a sweet smirk playing on her lips. "Chloe! It's been ages!"

I looked at her, my fingernails digging into my palms.

Instinctively, Julian shifted half a step to block her from my view.

I forced a smile through clenched teeth. "Yes. Long time no see."

Vivian’s eyes gleamed with malice. "The last time I saw you, you were wrapped up in hospital bandages like a mummy. Look at you now, finally presentable enough to walk among people."

"I'm so jealous that Julian pampers you so much. You get to lounge around at home doing nothing."

"Unlike me. I have to manage our overseas business ventures. For the past six years, I've spent over five years drifting out on this ocean."

Every single moment she spent on the ocean matched Julian’s voyages to the exact day.

Before I could snap back, Julian pulled me closer, cutting me off smoothly:

"I ran into Vivian by chance on this voyage. We were college classmates after all, so it would’ve been awkward to ignore her. We were just catching up."

"Chloe, this is your first time at sea. Let me take you back to my suite so you can rest."

"Get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'll wake you up early so we can watch the sunrise together."

Back in the stateroom, Julian meticulously applied ointment to my scars.

He brought up Vivian on his own accord.

"Chloe, I didn't mean to keep her presence a secret from you."

"I finished my investigation. Your parents’ crash was truly an unfortunate accident; the Sterlings had nothing to do with it. That's the only reason I allowed her to book a cabin on this line."

I put on a bewildered expression. "Then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

He took my hand, his eyes filled with earnest sincerity. "What kept you going through your darkest days wasn't just my love—it was your anger, your desire for justice."

"I was terrified that if that drive disappeared, you’d become suicidal again. With me being away so often, I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. That's why I hid it..."

What he hid was the fact that he never sailed to make money for our family.

He sailed simply to get away from me, so he could live openly with Vivian.

I had trusted him blindly, never auditing our offshore holdings.

Only now did I realize that our family’s main revenue came from our domestic holdings, not these cruise liners.

My entire world shattered in a single night.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pouring a glass of water.

With a subtle flick of his fingers, he tapped a pinch of white powder into the glass.