The morning sun bathed the city in a warm glow, but Andrew’s thoughts were far from tranquil as he drove toward Eva’s apartment. His mind raced with anticipation and a tinge of worry, knowing he hadn’t informed Eva about his mission. Glancing at the photos of her on his phone, he noticed a string of missed calls—many from Eva and one from an unknown number.

“Eva must be furious,” Andrew muttered.

He tried calling her back, but there was no response. The pit in his stomach grew, and he decided to go to her apartment and make it up to her in person.

When Andrew unlocked the door with his spare key, he was greeted by an unexpected sight—a man sleeping on the couch. For a moment, Andrew thought he might have entered the wrong apartment, but the familiar scent of Eva’s lavender candles reassured him otherwise. His eyes narrowed as he studied the man’s face. Recognition sparked in his memory: Lucas.

Andrew’s jaw tightened, and without making a sound, he ascended the stairs to the loft. He opened the door to find Eva curled up in bed, hugging her pillow as if seeking comfort. Her brows were furrowed, and streaks of dried tears stained her cheeks. Andrew’s heart clenched as he leaned down and gently brushed her hair away from her face.

“Andrew… where are you? I’m scared,” she whimpered in her sleep, a single tear slipping from her closed eyes.

Andrew gritted his teeth, his anger simmering. He held her hands softly, silently vowing to uncover the truth and punish whoever had caused her this pain. As Eva’s breathing eased into a deeper sleep, he tucked her in securely and descended the stairs.

Lucas was awake by the time Andrew entered the living room, his expression turning uneasy when he saw the towering figure of Mr. King standing before him.

“Good morning, Lucas,” Andrew said, his voice calm but laced with cold authority.

“Mr. King… I didn’t expect—when did you get here?” Lucas stammered, his unease palpable.

Andrew crossed his arms. “May I know why you are in my wife’s apartment?”

Lucas opened his mouth to explain, but before he could get a word out, Dahlia walked into the room, calling Lucas’s name. She froze when she saw Andrew, her face mirroring Lucas’s nervousness.

“What the hell is going on here?” Andrew’s sharp gaze bounced between the two.

Before Lucas or Dahlia could respond, Eva’s soft voice called from the staircase. “Andrew.”

Andrew turned to see Eva running toward him. She threw herself into his arms, tears streaming freely down her face. Her trembling body melted into his as he held her tightly, stroking her hair with gentle reassurances.

“I missed you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“I’m here now, sweetheart,” Andrew said softly, his concern deepening. Something had happened, and he needed to know what.

Lucas cleared his throat awkwardly. “We’ll take our leave now,” he said, sensing Andrew’s growing impatience.

“Thank you for being my lifesavers,” Eva said, her voice sincere as she turned to them.

Dahlia smiled gently. “Take care of yourself, Eva. Call if you need anything.”

As the door closed behind Lucas and Dahlia, Andrew turned back to Eva and cupped her face, making her look at him. “What the hell happened while I was gone?” he demanded, his voice a mix of worry and restrained anger.

“Nothing,” Eva replied too quickly, her forced smile faltering. “I’m totally fine.”

Andrew’s jaw tightened, but he decided not to push her. He had other ways of finding out what had transpired. For now, he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“Let’s spend the whole day together,” he said, changing the subject.

Eva’s face lit up slightly. “Okay,” she said softly. “But first, let’s both freshen up.”

“Together?” Andrew teased, his smirk making her blush.

“No, pervert,” she said, playfully smacking his arm. “You shower downstairs.”

“Sweetheart, don’t be mad. You misled me by saying ‘both of us,’” he said, laughing as she rolled her eyes and ran upstairs.

Eva turned on the shower and let the warm water cascade over her, but it couldn’t wash away the memories of the previous day. She leaned against the tiled wall, silent tears mixing with the water.

“I can’t tell anyone what happened,” she thought. “It’s too humiliating. Would they even believe me?”

Time slipped away, and before she knew it, 30 minutes had passed. A knock at the door startled her.

“Eva, are you okay?” Andrew called, concern evident in his voice.

“Yes, I’m coming,” she replied, quickly composing herself.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she found Andrew waiting with a smile. “Hungry?”

“Very,” she replied, returning his smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

Andrew’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he decided to take action. While Eva was distracted, he discreetly called James. “I need you to find out everything that happened to Eva yesterday. I want a full report by tonight,” he ordered, ending the call before Eva noticed.

The rest of the day was spent in blissful distraction—eating at her favorite restaurant, shopping, and ending with a romantic movie. Eva seemed happier, but Andrew couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something.

Later that evening, Andrew’s phone buzzed with an anonymous text message.

"Hello, Mr. King. This is very important, and it’s about your wife. Tomorrow, I’ll come to your mansion."

Andrew’s jaw tightened as he read the message. Whoever sent it would need a damn good explanation.

He glanced at Eva, who was dozing off beside him on the couch. He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently, silently vowing to protect her from whatever shadow was looming over their lives.