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Novel Catalog
Chapter 23
Susan was caught off guard by Shawn’s unexpected question, leaving her momentarily speechless.
“Hm?” Shawn raised an eyebrow, waiting for her response.
Susan quickly regained her composure, her eyes darting around as she weighed her options. After a brief pause, she decided not to expose Gale’s pregnancy. Revealing it would only harm her own position—it would also expose the lies she had told Shawn.
This time, I failed. But there will be other chances, she thought, steeling herself for future opportunities.
At that moment, Gale spoke up, her voice firm, “Susan, you’re the one who did something evil and brought your accomplices. What do you think I could do to you alone?”
Gale wasn’t sure what Susan would say, so she quickly shifted the conversation.
Susan glared at her with barely contained hatred. Shawn’s face twisted into a grimace as he spoke, his voice laced with anger, “Enough, Susan. Stay away from me for now.”
“Ah, Mr. Wood—” Susan started, but she was cut off when Shawn gave a brief nod to his bodyguard.
Without another word, the bodyguards moved swiftly, escorting Susan to the car and driving her away.
Gale let out a long breath, relieved. She’d dodged a bullet, but only then did she realize that she was still in Shawn’s arms.
She quickly pulled away and stood up straighter, distancing herself from him.
“Why do you think you can just push me aside when it’s convenient for you?” Shawn muttered, stretching out his arms and pulling her back against his chest. “Gale, stop causing me trouble.”
“Do you think this is my fault?” Gale shot back.
“It takes two hands to clap,” Shawn retorted.
Gale bit her lip, her frustration mounting. “Whether it’s Jenny or Susan, they all came for me because of you. Without you, none of this would have happened.”
Her voice faltered slightly as she added, “I not only have to endure the torment from you but also the attacks from your women. It’s exhausting, Shawn.”
“Do you think the title of Mrs. Wood is that easy to wear?” she added bitterly.
“I never wanted to marry you,” Gale snapped.
Shawn’s expression hardened. “I’ll decide when you marry. I’ll decide when you sit down. You don’t have a choice in the matter.”
Gale’s voice wavered with a mix of anger and confusion. “So, I, Gale, deserve to be targeted by these women and bullied over and over again?”
Her chest tightened with the unfairness of it all. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and yet, she was the one paying the price.
Shawn’s gaze softened slightly as he raised her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “What are you afraid of? I’ll save you.”
Gale stared at him, her heart racing. “Can you guarantee that you’ll always be there to protect me? That I won’t get hurt?”
Shawn locked eyes with her, his confidence unwavering. “I can guarantee it. In Sea City, there is nothing I can’t do.”
His voice was steady and sure, the words dripping with power and certainty. He was a man who had everything at his disposal, standing at the top of the social ladder. There truly wasn’t anything beyond his reach—nothing he couldn’t accomplish.
Gale let out a soft, knowing smile. “Have you never lost control, Shawn?”
“No,” he replied simply, without hesitation.
She turned her face away, avoiding his gaze and the heat of his breath. “I hope you never do,” she said, her voice quiet but intense. “Because it only takes one moment of weakness to destroy everything.”
Shawn leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. “There will never be such a day.”
Gale couldn’t help but feel the weight of his words, yet a small part of her remained wary. She turned her head slightly, as though escaping the heat of his presence.
Neither of them could have known that just one day later, his words would be put to the test.
By then, it would be too late for regrets.
The two of them were now outside the sleek Rells Reyce, Shawn sitting comfortably inside the car, while Gale lingered just outside.
“Get in,” Shawn said, his voice calm but commanding.
Gale hesitated for a moment, surprised. Was he actually inviting her into his car? Would she never have to walk again?
She glanced at him, uncertainty in her voice as she asked, “Are you talking to me?”
“I’m clearly not talking to the ghost,” he replied dryly.