Chapter 80


    Too sincere Aren wasn’t fond of the idea even after an hour of convincing by Jack, but eventually, he


    gave up as he realized that it truly might have been our only chance. Of course, I suggested that I could


    also try to hack his email ount or his phone, but then I heard a loud and firm “no”ing from Aren


    and Jack simultaneously.


    “Even if we are doing it for the right reasons, we are stillmitting a crime here. We are going to nt a


    bug in a federal agent’s office, and if something goes wrong, we are all going to prison for it,” Jack


    warned.


    I knew that Aren was prepared to risk his own future for the sake of getting his revenge, but he was also


    unwilling to risk mine. But I chose to join his war willingly, and if there was a tiny chance that I could help,


    then I was going to do it. Our entire conversation ended up in nning how to put a tap in Lester


    Packton’s office. We merely mentioned the recording that I had found in the Wintons’ mansion, indicating


    that Aren’s father had nned to murder his mother, Lan Liling. We knew that Jack would have dly


    taken the case… if he hadn’t been suspended. Unfortunately, taking care of former Police Chef


    Richardson and James Winton would have to wait until Jack had be clear of all charges… “I’m


    going to teach you self-defense starting tomorrow. Take somefortable clothes with you to the office;


    we will practice after work,” Aren grunted as we walked out of the coffee shop. “Aye, aye, Sir.” I saluted


    with a teasing grin on my face.


    Aren red at me. I guess he was still pissed at me for not having things the way he wanted. On the


    other hand, I was proud of myself that I was courageous enough to put myself out there for another


    mission, even though I was shaking inwardly as I thought of what I would have to do…


    *


    *


    I slept soundly that night without Aren and woke up refreshed. I rushed to the kitchen and prepared


    breakfast while cheerfully humming. Unlike me, Aren looked as if he hadn’t slept at all that night. He was


    pale and grumpy. When I looked into his haggard eyes, I saw concern and… fear. I tried to ignore it, but


    once it didn’t disappear after another few minutes of our breakfast, his nerves had be infectious.


    “Would you like some more coffee?” I asked, smiling at him.


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    “Why are you doing this, Cora?” Frustration surfaced in Aren’s words. I chuckled nervously. “Why what?


    Why am I asking if you want more coffee?” He frowned. “Why do you want to help me? This isn’t your


    fight. I don’t want you to risk so much for me…”


    Now, I was bing pissed. I red at Aren, crossing my arms. “First of all, it is my fight. I was the one


    kidnapped and hit by this guy that we are after. Furthermore, I was the one who


    testified and found evidence against Can, and I am partially responsible for his death. And that makes


    me partially responsible for Jack’s suspension as well. As you can see, I’m not doing this entirely for you,


    so don’t tter yourself too much.” “I’m sorry…” Aren muttered, lowering his head. I nced at him,


    confused. “What are you sorry for?”


    He suddenly grabbed my hand, sending a wave of shivering across my body. “I was aware of the danger


    that involved being with me, and I thought that I could protect you, but I couldn’t. “He looked at me with


    eyes filled with guilt. I swallowed hard as all kinds of emotions rushed through me. “Do you regret


    marrying me?” I asked softly.


    He smiled and kissed the back of my palm. “I don’t deserve to have such a wife.” I gasped as his soft lips


    tasted the skin on my hand. I had to give it to him-he was a pro at this game, while I wasn’t even a


    beginner. For now, I kept losing to his subtle attempts to remind me how good it felt to be with him. But I


    wasn’t going to surrender like that. “No, you don’t deserve me. So at least you should give me more


    respect,” I yanked my hand away from him, nonchntly raising my chin. “Do you think that kissing a


    hand is disrespectful?” he questioned. I smirked and leaned closer to him. “No, but you disrespect my


    intelligence if you think that I don’t know what you are doing. Stop ying me already.’ He chuckled. “But


    you like what I do, and you cannot deny that you enjoyed all the things I did to you.”


    I raised my eyebrows at him, wondering if he was that calcted or if his emotional intelligence was that


    low. “It is my body reacting to yours. Don’t tease me anymore,” I hissed.


    His amusement stayed unchanged. “I think you like it when I tease you.”


    The blood in my veins boiled, filling my heart with fury and pain. I stood up, hitting my t palms against


    the table. “You can either stay the fuck away from me or take responsibility for making me fall for you!” I


    thundered, loud enough to be heard a block away, before storming out of the kitchen.


    I darted into my bedroom, mming the door behind me. “Oh my God… Why the hell did I say that out


    loud?” I muttered to myself, copsing onto my bed. I didn’t want to see his reaction to my words, but I


    knew that mentioning feelings at all must have rang in his brain like an rm. Was he going to think that I


    was already in love with him? And if so, would he distance himself from me, or pretend that my words


    had never reached his ears? It would be good if he controlled the way he acted around me, especially


    when we were alone… But what if the distance he would put between us became unbearable?


    “Cora, you need to think of him as your employer and partner in the crime you are about tomit,


    nothing else,” I told myself. “Who cares about the distance?! He is not an object of your emotions!”


    The transformation I needed to perform inside my mind was hard but necessary. I had to


    protect myself from being emotionally damaged. I decided that it would be best to avoid Aren for the rest


    of the day, and my n became aplete sess. I sneaked out of the penthouse, Benjamin drove


    me to work, and I did my best to stay inside the office throughout the day. I focused on making sure that


    it was safe to give away Can’s phone, and then worked on improving algorithms and updating my


    security program installed on Lan Diamond Corporation’sputers. I was doing fine… or so I thought.


    n and Norton had already left the office, and I was getting ready to leave as well when I got a text


    from Aren. “Wear somethingfortable,e up to my floor, and go straight to the end of the corridor.


    My private gym is on the right.”,


    Shit. I hadpletely forgotten about the self-defense training. I texted back, saying that I would be


    there in five minutes. Suddenly, I became nervous. Taking a deep breath, I opened the bag where I had


    packed a fitted ck sports top, leggings, and a pair of sneakers. Using the fact that I was alone, I


    changed inside the office and then walked out to the empty corridor. Once I was in the elevator, I looked


    at my reflection in the mirror; I had to say that I looked sexy. The ck leggings perfectly wrapped my


    hips and buttocks, while the short top showed off my breasts. I smirked, hoping to give Aren a hard time


    concentrating on anything else aside from


    dsIUC ILULII WII UUUY


    I walked out of the elevator and confidently strode to the end of the corridor, realizing that I had never


    been to that part of the floor. I opened the door cautiously and entered a spacious hall divided into two


    areas with different types of flooring. There were mats on the first half of the floor and tatami on the other


    half. The first half was full of gym equipment, with boxing bags hanging in the specially separated area


    and a row of boxing gloves lying on the low-hanging shelf. The tatami half had a traditional Japanese


    design with only a row of sword and bokken stands and a few hangs for kendo uniforms. My mouth


    opened wide in awe as I took in the sight of it all, but I quickly realized that the hall wasn’t nearly as


    breathtaking as my husband in his practice uniform. “You’re here,” he said, walking over to me, a smirk


    curving his seductive lips. My eyes slowly scanned him as he strode my way. He was wearing ck fitted


    pants with his sizeable manhood notably underlined by their cut, and a ck fitted shirt, making his


    chiseled muscles almost shine right through it. His hair was slightly damp, as he clearly had been


    working out before I got to the gym, andbed up to emphasize the whole beauty of his impable


    features. Jesus fucking Christ! The sight of him was enough for my hormones to fry my brain! If he was


    my attacker, I would probably die in less than two seconds. He chuckled, standing only inches away from


    me. “Ready to roll on the mattresses?” I responded in nervousughter. This was going to be a hell of a


    training…