Chapter 117: The Price of Underestimating Reynold

Chapter 117: Chapter 117: The Price of Underestimating Reynold

~Third- POV~

Eva stumbled backward in her high heels, clutching her designer coat as disbelief widened her eyes. "Did you just touch me?!"

Reynold began pacing slowly in front of her, his posture graceful and composed. He swept his gaze over her from head to toe, taking in her appearance with cool disdain.

"Look at you," Reynold said, his voice low and cold. "You parade around in your designer coats and high heels, thinking your title as his ex-wife gives you some kind of power over him. But look at what you’ve become. All that’s left of you is pride, arrogance, and desperation."

He took a slow step toward her, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made Eva involuntarily take a half-step back.

"You think because I’m young, I’m naive?" Reynold asked, a cold smile touching his lips. "You think I’m just some boy holding on to a powerful man’s jacket? Let me educate you, Eva. With Frederick, I choose submission. I choose to let him lead, to protect me, to cherish me, because I respect him, and he adores me. But don’t ever mistake my devotion for weakness."

Eva’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at him, clearly taken aback by his confidence.

"You lost Frederick all on your own," Reynold continued, his tone smooth and cutting. "You threw away a good man’s heart out of pure greed, and now you’re crawling back like a beggar, throwing tantrums in his private office. How utterly shameless can a woman be?"

Eva’s jaw dropped, and her lips trembled as she struggled to respond. "You... you insolent little—"

"A woman who truly loved him would have cared about his happiness," Reynold interrupted, his voice filled with scorn. "But every time you open your mouth, you give him another reason to want nothing to do with you. You’re not fighting for your family, Eva. You’re fighting for his money. You’re nothing but a bitter, jealous gold digger."

The humiliation hit Eva like a physical blow. Blinded by uncontrollable rage, she drew her hand back and slapped Reynold across the face.

SMACK!

The sharp crack echoed through the glass-walled office. Reynold’s face snapped to the side, and a burning pain spread across his cheek from the force of the slap.

He stood frozen for a split second, the heavy silence settling over them. Slowly, Reynold raised one hand to cup his red, stinging cheek. His dark eyes burned with anger as he lifted his other hand, as if he were about to slap Eva back. The cold look on his face made Eva’s blood run cold, but he stopped himself before his hand could strike her. After a brief hesitation, he lowered it to his side.

"You really shouldn’t have done that," Reynold whispered, his voice chillingly calm as he looked at her.

Eva let out a harsh, mocking laugh and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please! I thought you were actually going to hit me back! You home-wrecker, husband-snatcher, little bitch manipulator!"

Reynold remained rigid, his expression hardening as he met her gaze. "Frederick and you were over long before I ever met him! He is not your husband anymore. You’re nothing more than his baby mama, someone who gave birth to his child. I never stole anything from you, and I did nothing wrong to you. You brought all of this upon yourself."

"Quiet!" Eva shrieked, her voice shaking with rage. "You have nothing to offer him! You’re just a penniless loser!"

At that moment, heavy footsteps echoed through the executive corridor outside. Eva heard them first. Her eyes widened as she recognized Frederick’s firm, commanding stride approaching the double doors.

A wicked, desperate spark flashed in her eyes. "Since you want to act like you’ve grown wings, how about I make Frederick hate you?"

Reynold frowned, a knot forming in his stomach. "What do you mean?"

Before he could process her words, Eva turned and snatched the heavy crystal flower vase from the coffee table near the sofa. She slammed it onto the marble floor, and it shattered with a deafening crash, scattering sharp, glittering shards across the floor.

"Stop!" Reynold shouted, stepping back in alarm.

Knowing Frederick was almost at the door, Eva rushed toward Reynold, a sinister smile twisting her lips. "Let’s see who Frederick runs to first. I’ll show you today that you’re nothing but his whore. You’ll never mean anything to him."

"Stop!" Reynold shouted, stepping back in alarm.

Knowing Frederick was almost at the door, Eva rushed toward Reynold, a sinister smile twisting her lips. "Let’s see who Frederick runs to first. I’ll show you today that you’re nothing but his whore. You’ll never mean anything to him."

The door handle began to turn. Eva grabbed Reynold’s hand tightly. He instinctively tried to pull free and push her away, but she suddenly released him and threw herself backward. As she fell beside the broken vase, she deliberately planted her palm on a sharp shard of crystal. A deep cut opened across her skin, and blood immediately began to flow.

The heavy double doors swung open just as she hit the floor. From Frederick’s position at the doorway, it looked as though Reynold had violently shoved her down.

"Eva... what—" Reynold gasped, his face paling as panic washed over him.

He stood frozen, struggling to understand what had just happened, as Frederick strode into the office and walked straight toward Reynold, followed by Cassian and the visibly flustered secretary.

Reynold began to tremble, a terrifying thought taking hold of him: Frederick might blame him and rush to Eva’s side without hearing his explanation.

"I... I didn’t do it!" Reynold cried, tears springing into his dark eyes as he stumbled backward. "I didn’t push her, I swear! She started everything... Daddy, please, I didn’t push her!"

Eva clutched her bleeding palm, wincing in pain. She expected Frederick to roar at Reynold before rushing over to comfort her.

"Frederick!" she cried pitifully. "Look what he did to me!"

To Eva’s absolute horror, Frederick didn’t even glance in her direction.

Ignoring her bleeding hand, Frederick walked past her as if she were invisible. The only person who mattered to him was Reynold, who stood trembling and crying in the middle of the room. Frederick closed the distance in three long strides and pulled him firmly into his broad, protective arms.

"Hey... hey, it’s okay," Frederick murmured, gently cupping the back of Reynold’s head and rubbing his trembling back. "Are you okay, baby?"

Reynold buried his face in Frederick’s chest, clutching his white suit jacket as tears soaked the fabric. "Trust me... please, trust me. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t push her!"

"Sweetheart, I trust you," Frederick assured him, pressing a warm kiss to his hair.

"She broke the vase and grabbed my hand. I was just trying to get away—"

Frederick pulled back slightly and wiped the tears from Reynold’s reddened cheeks with his thumbs. His eyes softened with affection. "I saw everything, baby. I heard every word of your conversation, too. You don’t have to explain or apologize for anything. You did nothing wrong."

Reynold blinked through his tears, looking up at him in shock. "How... how did you hear it?"

Frederick gave him a small, reassuring smile and turned him slightly, pointing toward the discreet CCTV camera near the ceiling.

"When my secretary rushed into the boardroom and told me Eva had forced her way into this office, I wanted to come straight to you, sweetheart." His expression softened as he brushed a tear from Reynold’s cheek. "But the journalists were already there, and after everything Eva has done to damage your reputation, I knew this was an opportunity for them to see the truth for themselves."

He paused, his thumb gently stroking Reynold’s cheek.

"I asked for the office’s live CCTV feed to be displayed on the boardroom monitors. I wanted them to see how Eva behaved when she thought no one was watching. I watched everything myself, baby. Every insult she threw at you, every time she threatened you, and when she slapped you. I wanted to come to you the moment it happened, but I also wanted those people to witness the truth with their own eyes. Now they know you were never the problem. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, my love."

A wave of relief washed over Reynold. He let out a shaky breath, secretly grateful that he hadn’t let his anger get the better of him and slapped Eva back.

From the floor, Eva’s face turned ghostly pale. Humiliation, shock, and bitter disappointment washed over her as she watched Frederick hold Reynold with such fierce, protective love.

"Frederick!" Eva screamed, pushing herself up from the floor as blood dripped from her palm. "Is this really how you treat your wife?! The mother of your child?!"