CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 4: A MAN’S INNATE POSSESSIVENESS

Chloe Preston pressed her hands against his chest. Her heart hammered as she stammered, "You... let go of me first."

Their current position was incredibly embarrassing.

"Explain first," Donovan Xavier demanded.

Chloe Preston glanced toward the door. "They’re still outside, and the door isn’t even closed. They could walk in at any moment."

Donovan tilted his head and nibbled on her ear, deliberately trying to scare her. "Perfect. We can give them a live show."

He added, "And I’ll help you relive all the details from last night."

Such shameless talk!

He dared to say it, but she didn’t even dare to listen.

Chloe Preston’s face flushed red, and she squeezed her eyes shut, unable to look at him.

His words and actions were getting more and more reckless!

Suddenly, a phone rang again.

It was his.

Donovan Xavier pulled the phone from his pocket and declined the call.

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Chloe Preston broke free, scrambled off the bed, and fled from the room.

***

After leaving, Chloe Preston hailed a taxi on the side of the road and got in. She had a business meeting arranged for today and couldn’t be late.

「Twenty minutes later.」

The taxi pulled up in front of a jewelry store, and Chloe Preston stepped out.

Just as she walked in, Noah Sullivan approached, cracking sunflower seeds as he spoke in a lazy, casual tone. "Long time no see, Chloe. You’ve gotten even prettier."

Chloe Preston’s expression was all business. "Cut the pleasantries. Where’s the merchandise?"

"You get right down to business, as always," Noah said. "The merchandise is inside. Follow me."

Chloe Preston followed him.

Inside the room, a long table was covered with about a hundred bracelets and bead strands. They were of exceptional quality, including glassy jadeite, Imperial Green, and some with a deep, bewitching purple hue.

Chloe Preston gave them a quick scan and nodded in satisfaction. "Merchandise this good is usually kept for a private collection. Are you sure you’re willing to sell?"

Noah sighed. "I’m reluctant, but I’m in urgent need of cash. I have no choice."

He added, "Take your time looking around. I’ll go get you some tea."

With that, he turned and left the room.

A moment later, another person entered through the main doors.

The man was tall and lean, dressed in a black overcoat. He carried himself with a noble yet aloof air, exuding a cold, intimidating aura. He stood in place, his gaze sweeping across the store.

Noticing him, Noah walked over. "Sir, can I help you find something?"

Donovan Xavier lifted his gaze to glance at him. "No."

"Then you’re..." Noah trailed off.

Donovan’s expression was impassive, his voice laced with a faint chill. "Looking for someone."

"Who?"

"Someone with the surname Quinn."

Noah paused for a few seconds before venturing a guess. "Chloe?"

Donovan didn’t answer. He simply strode toward the back room.

Noah moved to block his path. "Sir, you can’t just barge in here."

Donovan stopped. "Then have her come out."

Noah looked him up and down, then slipped a hand into his pocket. "And who are you to Chloe Preston?"

He mused, "A friend? Her boss? A brother? Or..."

"Her husband," Donovan stated coolly.

Noah froze on the spot, scratching his head.

Husband? Did I mishear that?

He turned and headed toward the back room. Before even crossing the threshold, he called out with a lazy laugh, "Chloe, you’d better come out! Your husband is here to collect you!"

Inside the room, Chloe Preston was intently examining a bracelet.

Hearing Noah’s words, she couldn’t help but laugh. "What nonsense are you spouting? What husband!"

Suddenly, a soft cough sounded from behind her.

Chloe froze.

That voice... that presence... Why does it feel so terrifyingly familiar? It’s sending shivers down my spine. What kind of monster could have such a powerful aura?

The next second, Chloe Preston turned around.

Donovan Xavier was standing not far away, his handsome face cool and remote as his eyes met hers.

Chloe’s pupils constricted. The bracelet slipped from her hand, falling to the floor and shattering into two pieces.

Did he secretly plant a tracker on me? How else could he have found me here?

Just then, Noah Sullivan sidled up to her and teased, "When did you get married? Why wasn’t I invited to the wedding?"

Chloe shot him a glare. "Go play somewhere else!"

Donovan stood his ground, a humorless smile playing on his lips as he watched them standing so close together. The look in his eyes, however, was glacial.

Chloe glanced at him once before averting her gaze.

I’ve seen that look so many times before. It’s all too familiar.

She knew he was angry.

Maybe this is just a man’s natural possessiveness. After all, I was once his and his alone. Seeing another man by my side now must have made him furious.

Noah looked from the woman to the man and back again, suddenly feeling like a third wheel. He quietly slipped out of the room.

Donovan strode forward, his hand clamping around her slender waist and yanking her against him. His voice was low and cold. "Chloe Preston, I haven’t even asked you yet. Who gave you permission to leave?"

Chloe winced in pain, struggling against his grip. "We already broke up! Where I go is my own freedom."

Donovan let out a chilling laugh, a crimson glint in his eyes. His voice was sharp and ruthless. "Broke up? I never agreed to that."

"Chloe Preston, you slept with me. You’ll be my woman for the rest of your life."

She slept with him? It was clearly *him* who couldn’t get enough of her. He’d kept her up all night, taking her again and again until she was utterly exhausted. Her whole body was aching now. This man truly had no self-control!

Realizing it was useless to reason with him, she glared. "I am not your woman! To me, you’re nothing but a stranger now."

A sneer touched Donovan’s lips. "A stranger? What a good one."

"Husband at home, a stranger out here... Miss Quinn, should I call you fickle, or just forgetful?"

"It wasn’t long ago that someone was calling me ’husband.’ Who was it that was hugging my waist, complaining that it hurt, and asking me to blow on it to make it better?"

As he spoke, Donovan tilted his head, deliberately leaning close to her ear. His tone was dangerously seductive. "Be good. Let me hear you call me ’husband’ again."

A tingling warmth spread from the tips of Chloe’s ears. A faint flush rose to her cheeks, making her look even more stunning.

She raised a hand to push him away, but her strength was no match for his. He was deliberately holding her firm, and after struggling for a while, she still couldn’t break his grip.

To anyone watching, it would have looked like they were flirting.

Chloe lightly bit her lip, feeling a mix of anger and helplessness. "Could you please let go first?" she asked, her tone softening as she relented.

"Let go?" Donovan echoed.

"I seem to recall you telling me to let go last night in bed, too."

In an instant, Chloe’s entire body tensed up. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

Just thinking about the details from last night was enough to make her blush furiously. When it came to sex, he was always so wild and untamed.