Marriage Lies and a Dangerous Obsession novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Ian glanced at the message, then at Chloe. When she showed no reaction, he quickly typed a reply and turned off his phone. Distracted, he murmured, “Let’s just sleep.”

Chloe could not sleep. Even with her eyes closed, she could not erase from her mind the image of lan holding his son in one arm and embracing his former lover with the other.

Anger urged her to grab Ian’s phone right then and there and confront him with everything. But reason held her back. Her mother had just undergone heart bypass surgery and was still recovering in the hospital. Now was not the time to start a messy divorce.

At 3 am, Ian’s phone screen lit up again. About ten minutes later, he left the villa. As the sound of his car engine faded from the yard, Chloe slowly opened her eyes.

‘A single text is all it takes to make him rush out in the middle of the night. That’s the power his first love still holds over him, she thought bitterly.

Chloe wanted to scream, to throw something, to let all the rage out. But she felt completely drained. She didn’t even have the strength to speak, let alone start a fight. Every ounce of energy had been sucked away, leaving only a hollow ache.

Early the next morning, Chloe forced herself to get up and brought breakfast to her parents at the hospital. The elderly couple was startled when they saw their daughter’s pale and weary face.

Chloe’s mother, Jill Spencer, lay weakly in the hospital bed. She was awake but fragile, tubes still running into her body. “Chloe,” she murmured, her voice faint with concern, “are you okay?”

Chloe quickly forced a smile, gently patting her mother’s hand. “Mom, don’t worry about me,” she said softly. “I just didn’t sleep well last night. That’s all. You should rest and focus on getting better.”

Her father, Frank Irvine, quietly peeled half an apple and handed it to her. “The doctor just made the rounds,” he said gently. “He mentioned there are no post–surgery complications and your mom’s incision is healing nicely. She should be able to go home in another week.”

Hearing that her mother’s surgery had been a success, Chloe finally let out a sigh of relief. After helping her mother finish breakfast, she went to see her mother’s attending doctor.

On her way back to the ward, she unexpectedly ran into Ian at the payment desk. With his imposing figure, handsome features, and the cold aura of someone in a high position, it was impossible for her to miss him.

Their eyes met. Ian’s brow tightened slightly as he walked toward her. Chloe noticed the stack of receipts in his hand but held her tongue, holding back the questions on her mind.

It was 9 am on a Wednesday morning, a time when Ian should have been presiding over the senior management meeting at Hamilton Group. His presence at the hospital during peak work hours told Chloe all she needed to know.

She wanted to ask, but didn’t dare. She was afraid she might lose control and scream like a madwoman, afraid her parents might see, and afraid she would break down before fixing anything. Enduring the heart wrenching pain, she stood quietly in place, waiting for Ian to speak first, or perhaps not to speak at all.

When lan reached her, he moved to take the receipts from her hand. At that moment, his.phone rang. He withdrew his hand, pulled out his phone, and glanced quickly at the screen. “I need to take this,” he said. “Go on without me.” Then he turned and strode quickly toward the elevator.

His voice softened as he answered, “Be good now, don’t be upset.” That gentle tone struck Chloe’s heart like an icy blade. Unable to hold back any longer, she hid in the restroom and sobbed uncontrollably,

So he was capable of being this patient and gentle,’ she thought, the realization bitter and aching. She had known lan for twenty–five years, yet he had never once used such a tender tone with her.

Only when Chloe had finally steadied herself did she step out of the restroom. She quickly touched up her makeup and returned to the ward, forcing her expression into one of calm

Jill took one look at her daughter and immediately knew something was wrong. After sending her husband out of the room, she reached out a hand toward Chloe. As Chloe drew near, Jill asked in a weak voice, “Sweetheart, did you and Ian have a fight?”

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2:54 PM

Chapter 2

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Chloe lowered her eyes and shook her head, a faint flush of guilt coloring her cheeks. “We’re fine, Mom, really,” she murmured, forcing a light tone.

Just as she finished speaking, her father Frank walked into the ward with Ian right behind him. Jill’s face brightened the moment she saw her son–in–law. “Ian, you’re so busy with work,” she said. “You really didn’t have to come all this way.”

lan set down the elegant bouquet of flowers he was carrying, “Jill, I’ve arranged a consultation with a leading cardiologist for you,” he said. “Once you’re discharged, we’ll schedule a comprehensive health screening.”

Frank looked at his son–in–law with undisguised pride. “It’s so thoughtful of you, lan,” he said warmly. “We’ve always been able to count on you, especially through times like this. Your support means more to us than we can say.”

Ian walked to the bedside, his eyes lingering on Chloe’s noticeably red and swollen eyes. “Frank, we’re family,” he said calmly. “There’s no need to be so formal.”

Chloe stood up to make room for lan, but he gently pressed her back down. “I can stand,” he said. Seated again, Chloe watched him chat warmly with her parents, but soon found herself unable to look any longer and turned away.

Three years ago, the Irvine, family went bankrupt and was drowning in huge debts. Despite public pressure, lan not only helped them pay off the debts, settled her parents and sent her younger brother to an elite school, but also married her as promised.

Back then, she had naively believed Ian must have felt something for her. It wasn’t until after they were married, when she accidentally overheard a conversation between lan and his father, that she finally understood the truth. He had only married her after coldly calculating the advantages.

Ian had told his father, “Reputation and integrity are the foundation of business. Lifting up the Irvine family in their downfall will earn us both public respect and financial advantage.”

He had been right. After their marriage, his reputation for integrity became the Hamilton Group’s most powerful advertisement.

It was also around that time she realized Ian had never gotten over his first love. Marrying her had been a compromise, a practical alternative, not a choice of the heart.

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