Married to a Secret Billionaire (Stella Taylor) novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115 Taking Advantage of Her

Jericho had received an eight-year prison sentence for the charge of intentional injury, all in an attempt to protect Mia.

Throughout her college years, she made numerous visits to the prison, yearning to see him, but the warden consistently met her with icy indifference. "He doesn't want to see you," they'd say.

The last visit occurred after her college graduation when she secured a job offer. She wanted to share this momentous news with him.

Anxiously standing outside the visitation room, she heard the resounding clank of the iron gate and saw him disheveled and sitting on the other side of the transparent partition.

Mia's tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Don't cry." Those were both Jericho's first and last words to her. "It's not worth shedding tears for someone like me."

Following this brief statement, he locked eyes with her one last time and rose to walk back behind the unforgiving iron gate.

She pounded on the transparent partition with all her might, but the warden firmly held her back. Shortly thereafter, a message was conveyed from within.

With a solemn expression, the warden relayed Jericho's message that Mia should cease her visits, and if she persisted, he would feign ignorance of her existence.

A deafening buzz filled her ears, and her thoughts fell into a disorienting void.

After her departure, his health took a severe turn in prison, and he teetered on the brink of losing his life. In his fevered state, her warm words and laughter intermingled with the stern visage of the gang's leader in his thoughts.

"Jericho, you vowed to protect me for a lifetime, and promises are meant to be upheld!"

"Jericho, if you succeed in trafficking our goods, I'll grant you a thirty percent commission!"

"Jericho, I want to attend a university in Emberfall. If you're not inclined to pursue higher education, how about working there? That way, we can be together forever!"

"Heh, I remember you have a girlfriend. Jericho, I'll find someone else if you don't want to take this job. But I can't let my mates down, so we can only let them have their fun with your girlfriend!"

Jericho's brow furrowed, with heavy beads of sweat coursing down his forehead.

"I won't let anyone hurt her... I won't allow it!"

He had made a solemn vow to safeguard Mia for life, and his integrity was unwavering. He could not renege on that commitment, yet he understood that the foremost condition was to stay alive.

An intentional injury might lead to a sentence of up to ten to eight years. However, when it came to getting caught trafficking drugs, especially with the volume of that shipment, there was only one inevitable outcome: a death sentence.

Jericho was well aware that her stepbrother had provoked the ire of the gang leader, and he had used this as an opportunity to render her stepbrother permanently incapacitated.

This action ensured that the gang leader would no longer pose a threat to her, as Jericho had faithfully served him and gotten into prison.

Exchanging his own eight years for Mia's safety, he regarded it as a worthwhile sacrifice.

"Heh, I want to stay alive..." he mumbled with a faint smile. "to protect her."

"I want to protect her for a lifetime."

...

In the kitchen, Aiden put the finishing touches on a pot of soup.

Noah ascended from the lower floor with a couple of cold beers, spotting Aiden lost in thought. He longed to provide Aiden comfort but grappled with the right words.

Approaching, he handed Aiden a can of beer.

Their eyes met, and they exchanged a knowing smile before settling on the living room couch. A pause hung in the air before Aiden broke it. His smile tinged with bitterness, and he asked in a subdued tone, "Did you... already know about the man who came looking for trouble?"

Noah hesitated briefly before quietly responding, "It's all in the past. There's no need to dwell on it."

"I also want to regard this as the past." Aiden sighed softly. "But it's clear that Mia still can't get over it..."

Noah's brow creased with concern.

He knew Aiden well, and Aiden was not one to dwell on Mia's past. Aiden embraced her history and focused on building a shared future with her.

Nonetheless, when one heart had not fully moved on, it could cast a shadow over the other.

"That man had deep ties in the criminal underworld." Noah paused briefly before adding in a serious tone, "He's like a rat that can't survive in the light."

Aiden looked at him.

"And you're a doctor." Noah continued, "You can openly hold Mia's hand and walk under the sun. You can offer her a stable life. Just for that, you're already a step ahead."

"Is that true?" Aiden managed to muster a smile. "Yes, I'm a doctor, but I can't mend her."