His Hidden Family My Ruined Marriage (Liana) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19 The Bruise on Her Back

“Hmph.”

16%

+5 Pearls

The swollen area was large, and even her jaw hurt. She enched her lips, but a small sound of pain still escaped.

Elian looked at her swollen, finger-marked cheek. “Who did this?”

“Let go first.”

Liana spoke through the pain, trying to pry his fingers lose. But his grip felt welded to her chin.

“Elian, you’re hurting her.” Linda noticed Liana’s discomfort and reminded him.

Only then did Elian loosen his hold slightly. Without another word, he stood, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her out of the room.

“Quick, get an ice pack and some ointment for Liana upstairs.” Seeing her son lead his wife away, Linda immediately instructed the staff.

“Right away,” a maid answered.

Elian took Liana upstairs and practically deposited her on the bed. “Sit there. Don’t move.”

Liana, startled by his intensity, sat obediently on the edge of the bed.

A maid brought up the ice pack and ointment quietly. Ellian was on the phone, so she didn’t dare speak.

“Do you want to be fired? My wife gets hit, and you don’t report it?” Elian’s angry voice filled the room as he questioned the person on the line.

Hearing the words “my wife,” Liana couldn’t help but look up at him.

He seemed… worried. For her?

“Uh, Mr. Locke, the person who hit Mrs. Locke was likely Mr. Gerald Forrest.” Evan knew he couldn’t hide it now. Anya, knowing Elian had asked him to look into Liana’s matters, had told him to keep quiet. But now the boss had found out himself.

“I don’t care who he is-you had no right to cover it up. Pack your stuff and get out tomorrow.” He hung up and turned back to Liana.

She was holding the ice pack to her cheek, watching hin quietly.

Her almond-shaped eyes were large, gentle, yet razor-sharp.

He hated that sharpness whenever she turned it on him

He walked closer. “Who hit you?”

“Anya’s grandfather.”

She knew there was no point hiding it anymore. If he insisted on knowing, she’d have told him anyway.

“So Gerald came to your office and hit you. And that man protected you again, didn’t he?”

1/3

10:41 Wed, Feb 11

Chapter 19 The Bruise on Her Back

Liana was stunned. The tiny flicker of warmth from his phone call vanished instantly.

She just didn’t understand. How could he jump from Anya’s grandfather straight to Quentin?

She stood up slowly. “I was pushed to the ground. Quentin and Lily both rushed in. They-”

16%

+5 Pearls

Before she could finish, he advanced on her, looking furious, almost predatory. Liana stumbled back in fright, her heel hitting the bed. Losing her balance, she fell backward onto the mattress.

In the blink of an eye, he was on top of her.

“Don’t.”

Liana felt his hand moving to find the zipper of her skirt and immediately stopped him.

Elian’s voice was a low, suppressed rumble. “Mrs. Locke, this is part of your marital duty.”

“I’m not feeling well today.”

Liana understood she should fulfill her role for as long as the marriage lasted, but tonight she really

couldn’t.

The fall this morning had unsettled the pregnancy. She still felt a dull ache.

Elian stared into her clear, almond-shaped eyes. After a long moment, he asked quietly, “Where don’t you feel well?”

She clearly just didn’t want to do her duty.

But looking into her tear-filled, pitiful eyes made his heart ache sharply.

“When I was pushed, I hit the edge of a desk. The doctor said there are small fractures in my spine.”

Liana explained as calmly as she could, watching his expression carefully.

She soon saw his brows draw together slightly. Then he folled off her and lay beside her. Just as Liana was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she heard him say, “Turn over.”

Her heart tightened, but thinking he probably wanted to see the injury, she obeyed.

Her blouse was pulled free from her skirt. As it was lifted, the skin of her slender back was revealed, flawless as a petal just unfurled.

But soon, a large, dark purple bruise right in the center of her spine came into view. Elian’s intense eyes turned icy cold.

He knew she was the Forrest family’s eldest daughter. He’d looked into her before studying abroad.

He also knew the Forrests had never acknowledged her. So what right did they have to hurt her?

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify