Chapter 2

Jessamine's POV

After that fight, we fell into a cold war.

For three days, Damien came and went at odd hours. We didn't exchange a single word. In the massive mansion, we were like strangers deliberately avoiding each other's sight.

Maybe it was the emotional turmoil, maybe it was not eating properly these past few days, but on the fourth night, I suddenly spiked a high fever.

In my delirium, I felt someone touching my forehead.

"My God, you're burning up! Jessamine, wake up!"

It was Damien's voice, filled with the anxiety I hadn't heard in so long.

I struggled to open my eyes and saw him frantically getting a wet towel to cool my fever, his usually hard face full of worry.

"You... what are you doing here?" My voice was hoarse.

"My wife is sick. How could I not be here?" His tone held indescribable tenderness. "This is all my fault for neglecting you these past few days."

Just then, the phone rang. I saw Celeste's name on the caller ID and my heart clenched.

Damien glanced at it and immediately declined the call.

"Why didn't you answer?"

"Those calls aren't important. You need rest right now." He refocused on me, carefully tucking the blanket around me.

The phone rang again. He hung up again, his expression resolute.

A third time, a fourth time... Each time he rejected it without hesitation, as if I were the only person in the world who mattered right now.

In that moment, my heart began racing.

Not from the fever, but because the familiar Damien seemed to have returned.

All night, he stayed by my side, constantly checking my temperature, giving me water, changing the towel.

When morning light filtered through the curtains, I felt the fever had broken considerably.

Damien still sat in the chair beside the bed, his eyes bloodshot from staying awake all night. Seeing me wake up, his exhausted face immediately broke into a relieved smile.

"How do you feel?" He gently touched my forehead. "The fever's down some, but you're still a bit warm."

"You didn't sleep all night?" Complex emotions surged in my chest.

"How could I sleep? You were burning up so badly. I was terrified." He got up to go to the kitchen. "I made you porridge and got your medicine. You have to take it on time to get better."

Watching his busy figure, tears involuntarily spilled from my eyes.

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he still loved me.

Maybe that night was just family pressure getting to him. Maybe those things he said were just words spoken in anger. After all, facing his mother's demands, he was in a difficult position too, wasn't he?

"Come on, drink slowly. Careful, it's hot." He sat on the bed with the porridge, testing the temperature with the spoon first before feeding me spoonful by spoonful.

Such attentive care reminded me of the beautiful times when we first married. Back then, he was like this too—caring for me in every detail, as if I were the most precious treasure in the world.

"Damien..." I softly called his name.

"Hmm? What is it?" He set down the spoon and looked at me intently.

"About that night... what we said..."

"Give me some time." He suddenly spoke, pain and struggle flashing in his eyes. "I'll handle all of this."

My heart jumped: "You mean..."

"I don't want to lose you, Jessamine." He took my hand, his voice filled with deep regret. "I'll talk to Celeste, talk to the family. Give me time. We can start over."

In that moment, I felt like my world had light again.

Maybe, maybe we still had hope.

The next two days were like returning to the sweetness of our newlywed period.

Damien canceled all his social obligations to focus on caring for me. He'd cook my favorite dishes himself, walk with me in the garden, hold me while watching movies like before.

However, on the third evening, everything changed.

We were quietly having dinner when Damien's phone suddenly rang—an emergency call from the hospital.

"What? Allergic reaction? Both of them... How serious are the symptoms? I'll be right there!"

He shot up, his face instantly turning pale.

"What's wrong?" I anxiously set down my chopsticks.

"Something happened to Celeste. She and the baby both had severe allergic reactions. They're in emergency care now." He hurriedly changed clothes, looking frantic. "I'm going to check on them. I'll be back soon."

Watching his rushed departure, an intense sense of foreboding filled my heart.

One hour passed, then two hours...

I paced in the living room, dialing his number over and over, but couldn't get through.

It wasn't until late at night that the front door was violently pushed open.

Damien stormed in with towering rage.

"JESSAMINE! Get out here!"

His sudden fury startled me as I cautiously approached: "You're back. How are Celeste and the baby..."

"What the HELL did you put in those nutritional supplements?" He glared at me with pure hatred.

"What? I don't understand what you're talking about..."

"Stop playing innocent!" He roared. "Who else could have accessed those things besides you? The doctor said they only got this reaction from exposure to an allergen, and those supplements were prepared BY YOUR HANDS!"

I stared at him in shock, unable to believe that the man who'd been so gentle and caring just moments ago was now looking at me with such hostility.

"Damien, calm down. I never added anything to those supplements..."

But he clearly wasn't listening to my explanations. Celeste must have already hinted to him that I deliberately added something harmful to the nutritional supplements. And those supplements had indeed been prepared by my own hands—meant as a gesture of goodwill for the new mother.

"Jessamine, I never thought you'd become this kind of person!" His eyes filled with disappointment and rage. "How could you attack an innocent child?"

"I DIDN'T!" I desperately explained, tears streaming down my face. "Damien, how can you not believe me? I prepared those supplements to help her recover properly. I never added anything harmful!"

"ENOUGH!" He cut me off. "The evidence is right there. Medical reports don't lie! They're still fighting for their lives in the hospital. Do you know how WORRIED I am?"

Tears blurred my vision. Just days ago, this man had told me "Give me time. We can start over."

And now he was accusing me of being a murderer to my face.

"I have to protect them—even if it means protecting them from YOU!" He said coldly. "From now on, you're NOT allowed near Celeste or the baby."