Tina was so angry that she could not speak. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. This had never happened to her before. Tina always had something to say. She always knew how to defend herself. But now she felt empty, weak, and embarrassed. She felt ashamed that she could not give Cassienne a reply.

How dare Cassienne call her a mistress? How dare she talk about her future child like that?

Her chest burned with pain and anger, and yet she stood there frozen.

Dreston was also speechless, but for him, it was different. He was shocked—completely shocked. The woman who had just spoken to him was not the Cassienne he had lived with for five years. The Cassienne he knew was gentle and quiet. She never raised her voice. She never insulted anyone. She was patient, calm, and too soft to hurt even a fly.

So who was the woman who had stood there with such harsh words?

Who was that woman with fire in her eyes?

He could not understand it. Nothing actually made sense. And another question suddenly came to his mind—How did Cassienne even know that Tina was pregnant?

He did not remember telling her. Though he had planned to tell her later, when he got the chance, he remembered he hadn’t.

He let out a long sigh and began walking toward the waiting car. His mind was so full of thoughts that he forgot Tina was still behind him.

Tina did not say a word. She simply followed him quietly, even though her heart felt heavy. As she walked, her eyes started filling with tears. She hated crying, but the hurt was too deep. She wanted to feel strong, but her emotions refused to stay silent.

Her sniffles caught Dreston’s attention, and that was when he finally turned around and realized Tina was not beside him. His bodyguard had already opened the back door of the car for them.

She stood a few steps behind, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her face looked so small and sad.

Dreston’s expression softened immediately. His chest tightened when he saw her crying..He walked back to her and gently pulled her close. Tina wrapped her arms around him without thinking. He kissed the top of her head and released a slow breath.

“I’m very sorry for leaving you behind,” he said softly. “And I’m sorry for what Cassienne said to you.”

He kissed the top of her head again, trying to comfort her.

Tina pouted and sniffled loudly. She gave a small nod, trying to act strong, even though she was still hurting.

“Get in the car,” Dreston told her gently, keeping one hand on her shoulder.

He helped her inside, making sure she was comfortable before climbing in next to her. When the door closed, the driver started the car and drove away from the mall.

The ride was silent. Neither of them had the strength to speak.

They both stared out the windows to watch the e busy streets, the moving cars, the tall trees—none of it felt real. Their minds were too loud, filled with the memory of Cassienne’s bitter words.

Dreston felt troubled. He knew he had hurt Cassienne through his words and the choice he made. That guilt alone was enough reason for him to tolerate the insults she threw at him. But still…her words had been too harsh, too cruel and too unlike her.

She even said she was bored of him…that he no longer excited her.

He scoffed. How could she say that?

Was that really how she felt about him? It’s not as if he ever cared about her feelings, after all, their marriage was not a love marriage. But then, he still felt the weight of her words.

“Calm down, Dreston,” he told himself silently. “You know her, she only wanted to make you angry so you would run after her.”

He almost smiled at that thought…but then he remembered the look in her eyes. That look was not playful, it was not teasing either, but it was hatred—pure, burning hatred.

He could not ignore that, and it scared him.

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