Chapter 14
Upon hearing the insistent banging on the door, Morgan set down his half–peeled fruit. He then cast a quick glance toward the bathroom, where Rebecca was still showering, before getting up to answer the door.
He opened the door and was immediately confronted with Stephan’s utterly distraught expression, prompting a subtle, intriguing glint to cross his eyes. He then asked, “Who are you?”
Stephan’s sole focus was on finding Rebecca. He didn’t even bother to acknowledge Morgan as he attempted to storm into the living room, yelling, “Get out of my way!”
Upon seeing him charge forward, Morgan casually twirled the fruit knife in his hand and brought its blade to a stop just inches from Stephan’s eyes, effectively halting him. He then said, “You ought to know that this is a private residence. You should be prepared to face the consequences if you insist on forcing your way in.” Stephan immediately jolted back to his senses at the sight of the gleaming blade. He took a couple of steps back, then raised his somber eyes and growled, “You ought to know that this is my place! You’re the trespasser here! Who the hell are you?”
That question was music to Morgan’s ears. He smiled faintly, giving him an amiable, warm expression, as he replied, “It is my fiancée’s place.”
Upon hearing that, Stephan was dumbfounded. He lifted his gaze to the house number on the wall, then looked at the man standing before him. It was only then that he realized that he had seen Morgan before. He seemed to be that man in the proposal video. Could it be that he was the fiancé of one of Rebecca’s friends? He was pretty sure that Southquay Villa belonged to Rebecca, though. Had she perhaps gifted it to a friend?
His mind was flooded with countless possibilities, but he still couldn’t piece any of it together. He finally decided to cut to the chase and asked, “Who is your fiancée?”
Morgan had been waiting for that exact question. He drew back the fruit knife, gently blew away the lingering dust on it, and cast a sidelong glance at Stephan. His eyes were gleaming with undisguised glee as he replied, “It’s”
“What are you doing here?”
Upon hearing Rebecca’s voice, Stephan and Morgan turned their heads simultaneously toward her.
Morgan’s previous arrogance vanished instantly, replaced by a surprising docility. “You see, this man just barged in here, Becks. I’m almost certain that he’s a burglar, too. How about I go ahead and call the cops on him?”
Stephan was dumbfounded by how quickly Morgan’s demeanor transformed.
Yet, as soon as he met Rebecca’s gaze, he snapped out of his senses and blurted out, “Hey, Rebecca.”
Rebecca hadn’t anticipated walking out of her shower straight into the awkward clash of her ex–husband and fiancé. She then casually dried her hair with the towel and approached the doorway, asking flatly, “Why are you here? Didn’t I tell you to go through my lawyer if there’s something you want to say?”
Her questions immediately snuffed out the hope in Stephan’s eyes. He slumped slightly, with his face a mask of alarm and bewilderment, as he said urgently, “I believe there’s been some sort of misunderstanding between us, Rebecca. Can we please talk about it?”
Rebecca couldn’t help but furrow her brow. She ignored Stephan and turned her gaze to Morgan, her voice becoming noticeably gentle as she asked, “You were planning to make stewed pears, right? You should go ahead and get started, I’ll help you once I’m done here,”
Morgan’s face instantly clouded over. He then shook his head with great reluctance, saying, “It’s obvious that this man is bad news. I’m worried something might happen to you-”
Rebecca cut him off before he could finish, pushing him a few steps in and closing the door behind her. She then turned to Stephan and retorted coldly, “I don’t believe there’s any misunderstanding between us. I mean, your actions over the past year are undeniable facts, aren’t they? It’s perfectly reasonable for me to end my marriage with a husband who repeatedly cheated on me.”
