Chapter: 29

Her voice, despite being devoid of malice, pierced his heart more deeply than any insult ever could. Joshua's chest tightened painfully, the sting of her words sinking deep like a dagger coated in ice.

With that, Alicia stood up to leave.

But Joshua leapt to his feet, his hand instinctively latching onto her wrist. "Alicia, wait!"

His voice caught in his throat as his eyes landed on the faint hickey on her neck, hidden beneath her collar. The confusion that had swirled inside him moments ago was swept away, leaving only a fierce, unrelenting anger in its place.

“What the hell is that?" he demanded, his tone raw with accusation.

“Did you sleep with someone?"

Alicia wrenched her wrist free, her expression frosty. "You've known me long enough to ask smarter questions than that," she said, her words laced with quiet disdain.

Her response set fire to the rage already simmering inside him.

Joshua's eyes darkened as he seized her by the shoulders, pulling her forcefully against him. He gripped her face in his hands and squeezed, as though he could wring the truth from her with sheer force. "Who?" he hissed. “Who did you sleep with, and how long has this been going on?"

Revulsion twisted Alicia's features as she shoved him away. “You have no right to ask about my personal life," she spat, her voice cold as winter. "Now, let go of me!"

Joshua sneered, his temper unraveling into something dangerous. "Now it makes sense. That's why you're so eager to divorce me-you've already had a taste of someone else."

His anger twisted into something darker, his voice low and venomous as he roughly tore at her clothes. “If you wanted more, you could've come to me. I'm more than capable of satisfying you too!"

Alicia, her patience snapped, struck him across the face, the sharp crack of the slap hanging in the air.

Joshua's world spun, not from the force of the hit but from the shock. He had never been slapped by a woman before, and now the rage boiling inside him roared out of control.

The thought of Alicia in another man's arms poisoned his mind, driving him to the brink of madness.

She was his.

She had always been his.

With a guttural growl, he shoved her down onto the sofa, his fingers yanking away his bathrobe as his intentions turned vicious.

Just then, Liliana's voice rang out from upstairs. “Joshua, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Joshua suddenly stopped, as if a switch had been flipped in his mind.

Reason returned to him, and he reluctantly released his grip on Alicia.

Taking advantage of the moment, Alicia bent her knee and delivered a powerful strike to his crotch.

Joshua's face was drained of color as pain surged through him, leaving him frozen in place.

Alicia quickly rose to her feet and straightened her clothes, shaking off the tension.

Her heart raced with Lingering fear, but her anger toward Joshua grew stronger. She felt an overwhelming urge to smash his head in.

But Alicia understood that she was outnumbered and had no chance of winning the confrontation. Fighting back would only place her in greater danger.

Suppressing her anger, she seized the divorce agreement and made her way toward the door.

At that moment, Lilliana appeared, descending the stairs and blocking Alicia's path.

Lilliana's eyes were filled with disdain as she sneered, "Despicable bitch."

Alicia's simmering anger flared even higher in response to Lilliana's words.