Chapter 2Protect Him? Then Face Me

I still remember the first time I saw Isla.

She was wearing rags, and her legs were a mess of infected, ulcerated sores. There was barely an inch of healthy skin visible.

I was just passing through that impoverished mountain village, but she had crawled into the middle of the road with her last ounce of strength, clinging to my leg.

“Sir, please, I’m begging you, take me with you,” she had pleaded.

An old, withered man had chased after her. Seeing my car, he had scoffed. “This one’s not going to last much longer anyway. Can’t even sell her. If you want her, three hundred bucks and she’s yours.”

He wasn’t wrong. When I brought her back, she was suffering from multiple organ failure. The doctors gave her less than a day to live. I searched everywhere for a cure, finally finding a reclusive traditional doctor who gave me a powerful, ancient formula.

“This medicine is aggressive,” the old doctor had warned me, “but it’s the only thing that can keep her alive. Remember, she must take it every single day, without fail.”

I never forgot his words. I personally supervised her medication every day.

When she finally recovered, she knelt before me, stubborn and proud, determined to prove her worth. She threw herself into combat training, and the day she returned, she smiled at me and said, “Elias, you used to protect me. From now on, it’s my turn to protect you.”

And now?

The heart I had offered her so freely was balanced against two cuts from a knife.

I immediately used all my connections to lock down the news and sync intelligence with Interpol. But it wasn't long before an anonymous video appeared in my encrypted inbox.

I opened it. The video showed Julian tending to the wounds on Isla’s legs. The gashes on her pale skin were gruesome.

“Julian,” she was saying, her voice soft, “when you left the village, you promised you’d come back for me. I waited for seven years. I guess now… we’ve truly entrusted our lives to each other.”

Then, ignoring the pain, she tilted her head up and kissed him.

It was the first time I had ever seen her be so forward. I had always assumed her passivity in our intimate moments was due to past trauma. Seeing this, I finally understood.

I clenched my fists, my body trembling with rage. It was a blatant provocation.

But it was far from over.

Julian was a master thief and a brilliant chameleon. If he could infiltrate my state-of-the-art private museum, he could easily erase his existence from the world. Recovering the stolen treasures and restoring my reputation in the art world would be nearly impossible.

If he wanted to ruin me, then I would have to be ruthless.

I assembled my intelligence team and launched a global manhunt. We soon traced him to Europe. My sister, who was studying abroad, helped me pinpoint his location: an ancient seaside manor.

When I arrived, a small engagement ceremony was underway. When the woman in the white dress turned around, I knew it was Isla. Her face was serene, radiating a calm happiness.

A waiter at the entrance stopped me. “Excuse me, sir. This is a private event. If you wish to observe, please be seated quietly.”

I sneered. “An event? The bride-to-be is a married woman. I’m afraid your sacred grounds are about to be defiled.”

The waiter looked bewildered. “That’s impossible. Are you saying their identification was forged?”