Chapter 3 An Intense Reaction

Jonathan's body lay fully exposed before Valerie. Broad shoulders tapered into a strong chest, his muscles taut beneath pale, unblemished skin-a startling contrast to the dark scars that marred him. His physique, now fully revealed, radiated strength even in its stillness, more commanding than when partially concealed.

Valerie's breath caught, her gaze lingering for just a moment before she wrestled it back under control.

But the crisscrossing wounds scattered across Jonathan's body demanded attention. Some were faint lines of white against his skin, others more recent, darker and raw.

She'd done her research after agreeing-no, being forced-to substitute in this marriage. The accident hadn't been a simple twist of fate. It had been deliberate. A calculated attack orchestrated by rivals who had seen Jonathan as a threat to eliminate. The crash site had been described as a devastation.

But paper reports had never prepared her for this. Now, with her own eyes, Valerie realized the severity of his injuries.

Valerie scooped a dollop of ointment onto her fingertips, the cool slickness a stark contrast to the heat radiating off Jonathan's skin.

It was an unsettling warmth, like a fever lingering beneath the surface, and it left her feeling strangely flushed.

As she worked, her fingertip grazed over a bruise and Jonathan's body gave the faintest tremor.

Did he just move?

She flicked her gaze to his face. His thick lashes quivered, barely perceptible, as though stirred by a dream.

Did he regain consciousness?

She froze, eyes fixed on him, searching for any sign of awareness. But Jonathan's face remained still, his features composed, the earlier flutter of movement so fleeting it might have been a trick of her mind.

"Jonathan?" she called softly, hesitantly.

Silence.

Valerie sat back on her heels, her brow furrowing as she muttered to herself, "Am I imagining things?"

Exhaustion clawed at her. The weight of her mother's situation and the events of the fateful day pressed down on her shoulders like stones. She rubbed at her temples, the fatigue clouding her focus.

Shaking herself, she patted her cheeks lightly, as if to banish her weariness.

Valerie's gaze then froze on the gruesome scar tracing down Jonathan's abdomen, disappearing lower than she dared to follow. A sharp realization struck-she would have to tend to the wound near his privates.

Her face burned hotter, and she hesitated before forcing herself to move.

Glancing quickly-far too quickly-at Jonathan's lower body, she set to work, carefully applying the ointment while keeping her eyes fixed anywhere but where her hands were.

Her heart hammered in her chest, every second stretching painfully long. She missed the slight twitch of Jonathan's fingers, too consumed by her own flustered focus.

What felt like an eternity passed before she finally redressed him, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Snatching up her supplies, she bolted from the room, the pounding of her own footsteps drowned out by her racing heartbeat.

What was this strange sensation that she was feeling?

Valerie pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks, confused.

This wasn't the first encounter with another naked man-why did this feel so different? So... intense?

Pushing the thought aside, she returned to her room, eager to peel off the heavy wedding dress weighing on her like her turbulent day. Just as she began to undo the bodice, her phone rang sharply, shattering the quiet.

The caller ID flashed Craig's name.

"Valerie, did you post that video in the group chat?" Craig's furious voice exploded through the receiver, his words punctuated by Lacey's frantic sobbing in the background.

Valerie's lips curved into a small, satisfied smile.

She had used an anonymous account to slip into the Brown Group's employees' group chat. She wasn't worried about being found out. Feigning confusion, she said, "What video? I don't know what you're talking about."

Before Craig could press her further, she cut him off sharply. "You promised me, Craig. As long as I married in Lacey's place, you'd give me back my mother!"

There was a tense pause on the other end, the silence dragging ominously. Then Craig's voice returned, colder than before. "Do you really think that's enough? You'll stay with the Holt family, earn their favor, and funnel their wealth back to us. If you fail..." He paused, his words deliberate, venomous. "Don't blame me for what happens to your mother."

The call ended abruptly.

Valerie cursed under her breath, fury flashing through her as she threw the phone onto the bed. The helplessness twisting inside her made her hands shake.

But then, as if struck by a thought, she snatched the phone back up and opened the employee group chat.

The video she had anonymously posted had already been deleted by the group admin. Craig's response-a denial paired with a firm warning-sat smugly at the top of the chat.

Valerie's lips curled into a mocking sneer as she murmured, "You think deleting the video will make it all go away?"