Chapter 17

Knocking resounded through the room again, steady and persistent. Yvonne braced herself, wiping the last trace of tears from her cheeks, expecting Julian to return.

However, Sebastian appeared in the doorway instead.

A strange weight settled in her chest, disappointment pressing down even as she forced a polite smile. "Did you need something?"

With a small step to the side, Sebastian revealed a snow-white puppy that scampered in on short legs,tail wagging furiously as it bounded toward her with a playful grin.

Yvonne's eyes widened in surprise, her hand moving without thought to stroke its silky head. The warmth of its fur seemed to chase away the heavy fog inside her.

For the first time that day, her lips curved into a genuine smile as she looked up at him. "Where did you find this little one?"

A chuckle escaped him as he explained, "Mr. Powell noticed you've been down lately. He thought a puppy might help lift your spirits."

Her smile faltered, and she turned away with a faint,bitter laugh. "You don't have to invent stories for him."

They had been husband and wife for three years,yet Julian had never once done something so thoughtful.And only moments ago, they had quarreled bitterly.

It felt far more likely that Sebastian had brought the puppy himself, trying to soften the sharp edge between her and Julian.

A sigh slipped from Sebastian, out of pity for what he had seen over the years. Having served the Powell family for so long, he had watched Julian grow up,and he knew that affection did exist between the couple.

Still, certain truths were better left unsaid, and his role did not grant him the right to meddle.

He paused, uncertainty flickering across his face, then said with care, "Mr. Powell truly bought the puppy for you. He does care, even if he can't always show it.Some feelings are just hard for him to put into words..."

He did care? The words almost made her scoff, but she bit it back. Maybe Julian was capable of romance,but he'd never offered it to her.If he truly cared,how could there be a child with Rita?

Her silence told Sebastian enough. He didn't push again, only shook his head with resignation before stepping aside to leave.

Left alone, Yvonne bent down, stroking the puppy's head as her mind wandered over possible names.

She resolved to make the creature a proper home first. Dogs had always been dear to her, and with experience of building kennels, she knew she could give the puppy a place to belong.

Before long,Yvonne had crafted a finely built wooden house for the puppy, her hands moving with practiced ease.

Julian finished his meeting and stepped into the living room, only to pause when he spotted Yvonne lounging on the sofa in a soft nightdress, laughing as she played with the pup.

His pace slowed, the sharpness in his gaze dimming ever so slightly. Just as he started forward, her playful voice drifted across the room. "Julian, come on, let's hear you bark for me."

His face clouded, and tension crackled in the air.Sensing his presence, Yvonne glanced over and found him looming in the doorway, dressed in a black shirt,his posture rigid and stern as ever.

Even being caught off guard, she kept her composure.Matching his icy gaze, she bent down, scooped the puppy into her arms, and made for her room.

As she walked past, Julian's voice cut through the air,hard and unyielding. "You like this sort of thing?"Julian asked.

The cracks in their marriage had long since widened.He had mocked Spencer before, so to her ears, his words sounded like another insult, ridiculing her for treasuring something he considered worthless.

Her hold on the puppy tightened, her eyes burning with unshed tears. After three years of marriage, the only treasure she still clung to was her honest love for him.

But in Julian's eyes, she realized bitterly, her devotion was lumped into the same category as "worthless."

That thought pushed her to draw a slow breath.Without sparing him a glance, she answered in a voice chilled with defiance, "Whatever I like is none of your concern."

Her sharp reply brought back the memory of her bright smile at Spencer in the hospital lot, and the image stung him.

His frustration mounted, and his reply came out sharper than before. "You're right. It isn't my concern.But to avoid raising Grandpa's suspicion, you'll stay home and look after the puppy. Don't think about leaving the house."

The words stunned her, and she turned in disbelief.Yet he was already walking away, his long strides leaving her rooted behind. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she hugged the puppy close.

If Sebastian's claim was true-that the puppy was a gift from Julian-then all she could see in it was his attempt to chain her inside these walls with a hollow gesture of compensation.

Julian, meanwhile, stormed into the garage,climbed into his car, and slammed the door. The night air rushed around him, easing the storm in his chest just enough for him to press his fingers against his temples.

Why was he losing control like this? Every time something involved Yvonne,his composure shattered.

Then his eyes caught on a bag bearing Kumvine Hospital's logo.Recognizing it as something Yvonne had left behind, he pulled it toward him and opened the opaque material. The sight inside made his brows knit at once.