Chapter 110
It was as if he was trying to scrub away every trace of any other man’s scent.
Held in a vice grip, Maeve couldn’t move a single muscle. Her body went rigid as the faint, minty scent of his cologne invaded her senses, triggering a violent stress response that left her shivering uncontrollably.
Finally, she felt his iron grip loosen just a fraction.
She wrenched herself free with all her might. But Frederick instantly closed the gap, trapping her against the shoe cabinet. He gripped the back of her neck and captured her lips in a bruising kiss.
He kissed her with savage urgency. Rather than an act of passion, it felt more like a frantic release of overwhelming anxiety and desperation.
His teeth clashed against her bottom lip, and the metallic tang of blood flooded her mouth. The biting pain forced tears to her eyes, and she began to thrash violently.
In a blind panic, she lifted her foot and drove her stiletto heel squarely into his expensive leather shoe.
“Ugh p>
Frederick grunted in pain, his hold slipping. She seized the opening, shoved him away with everything she had, and delivered a ringing slap across his face.
“Frederick, are you done throwing your tantrum p>
Frederick’s head was knocked to the side, his hair falling messily across his forehead. A glaring red handprint stood out starkly against his cheek under the bright lights, giving him an oddly defeated and pathetic look.
Maeve stared in momentary shock, but she quickly snapped out of it. Even if every single person on earth was pitiful, Frederick would never be one of them.
Even if her heart bled for others, she shouldn’t waste a drop of sympathy on him!
Without waiting for a response, Maeve shot him a frigid glare and turned to march up the stairs.
His hand suddenly shot out and locked around her wrist. She froze, his freezing voice echoing in her ears.
“Don’t you have anything to say to me p>
Maeve whipped her head around and spat back coldly.
“Do I need to submit a report every time I step out for dinner p>
Frederick’s breathing instantly grew heavier.
“Didn’t I tell you that Jonathan is a snake and warn you to stay away from him? Going out to dinner alone with him in the middle of the night—where does that leave me p>
“I don’t see anything wrong with Jonathan. And you have absolutely no right to dictate who I can be friends with p>
Finishing her piece, Maeve tried to yank her wrist free and walk away, but he hauled her right back.
Towering over her, Frederick glared down with terrifying intensity.
“Maeve, I am your husband. If I don’t have the right to intervene, then who does p>
“My husband p>
Maeve let out a bitter, mocking laugh as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. She stared at him with pure disdain.
“Oh, so now you remember that you’re my husband p>
“You abandoned me time and time again for Zoe. You were sickeningly intimate with her, utterly lacking any boundaries. You even threatened my parents just to drag me back here to do damage control for her reputation so the press wouldn’t bother her! Did you ever stop to think if those were the actions of a husband p>
A flicker of emotion flashed through Frederick’s eyes, and his grip on her wrist loosened slightly.
“That’s different. Jonathan p>
“Different? Yes, of course it’s different!” Maeve violently ripped her arm out of his grasp.
“Jonathan and I are completely platonic! We weren’t holding hands, we weren’t hugging in the dark, and we centamly didn’t spend the night together! We could never compare to your disgusting, filthy affair with Zoe p>
Frederick’s face grew darker by the second, an icy blizzard raging in his eyes.
“Maeve, I have explained this to you a thousand times. How long are you going to keep twisting the truth p>
Maeve scoffed, though her eyes remained utterly devoid of warmth.
“Twisting the truth p>
“Are you telling me that you and Zoe weren’t hugging in a hotel room in the middle of the night? Are you telling me that you didn’t go on a private yacht at Victoria Harbor to watch the fireworks together p>
“Frederick, that isn’t explaining. That’s lying p>
Frederick’s pupils shrank down to pinpricks, every single muscle in his body pulling taut.
“How did you know about that p>