EXCEPTION

Chapter 13. Jealousy

The weight of the gun in my hand seemed to grow with each passing moment as I stood in the heart of the sprawling lawn behind Courtney's grand mansion. The green expanse stretched before me, the grass swaying gently in the breeze. Courtney and I moved here right after the incident.

He trained me well for one week now on how to hold a gun and shoot properly, load the weapon, and handle it at all times in case of any unwanted dangers. One week has passed since the last incident when Oliver attempted to abduct me and bring me back to my husband. He deserved to be behind bars, locked away from the world he'd manipulated. His treachery had cost lives, shattered alliances, and left them with nothing but rage. Courtney showed me the evidence—the encrypted files, the coded messages inside the Redstone Building that he used to fool everyone.

These memories still haunted my dreams like some kind of bloody nightmare. But thanks to Courtney, who never failed to ensure I was doing well. He may not say it vocally, but his actions often spoke volumes.

Five days ago, Courtney got the answer, and I was shocked to know that my husband was behind the heinous attacks. Some cut footage, recordings, and images are enough evidence to confirm that Blaine made up that scheme. He wanted to wreck everything around Courtney and took me simultaneously. And Courtney was right 'cause Blaine had traced my location through the accessories he gave me. He wanted me to come back to him. But no! There is no reason to return. I have been tortured in myriad ways by him, the man that was obsessed with hurting me, the man that I hate because he stole something important from me—the freedom and happiness he had taken away without ever trying to apologize or even care. If only I knew my life would be a living hell, I could have avoided this fate sooner.

After the transient moment of contemplating, my gaze shifted back to the target. The wind rustled through the trees, and I steadied myself. I adjusted my grip, remembering Courtney's voice: "Steady, breathe, focus." As I squeezed the trigger, the gunshot echoed through the air, and it hit the side of the bullseye.

"Oh my god!" I jumped in bliss. I glanced and accidentally saw Courtney standing a few feet away.

"Very impressive." His eyes glittered with an emotion I could not decipher. "You're getting better every day." He smiled, and I swear to God that smile melted my heart.

"Well, thanks to you." I smiled back. "You know what? You can be a good teacher."

He chuckled hotly, followed by a sweet smile. That view accelerated my heart rate and was frankly hard to control.

What a damn sexy smile!

I don't know what is wrong with me, but... is this a sign of how far I've fallen?

No! That can't be true!

My mind was drowning as I tried to keep afloat under my emotions when he suddenly stepped forward, only to hand me a gold paper bag. "We're going tonight."

I gazed at him curiously, and then I took it. "Where?"

"Somewhere to relax." He put both hands into his pockets and then stared down at me. "I know you've been having a difficult time lately, and you work hard as I do. Let's take a break."

"You sure you want me to come with you? I mean... I understand if you wanna work alone sometimes." I looked at him warily, wondering if he'd changed his mind about letting me tag along.

But then he gave me a stern look, not anger or frustration but enough to show that he was contrary to my statement. He just stared at me for the briefest seconds until he answered, "I want to see you in that dress. But your room has many choices if you don't like it."

I checked the contents of the paper bag. It's beautiful that my jaw dropped in awe. It was my favorite color, black with a silver lining. "Wow... this is nice. Thank you." My eyes trailed over the fabric again. I loved the silky feel of it. "This is probably the most expensive present I've received so far. But you know, anything is fine for me."