Walker averted his gaze and said, "Either wait in the living room or go lie down upstairs."

Feeling unwell, Chloe Reed wasn’t about to make things harder on herself.

She went straight upstairs.

Periods were a funny thing. The moment she realized it had started, the backaches, cramps, and a whole host of other symptoms would appear, each one getting progressively worse.

She curled up under the covers, placing a hand on her lower abdomen, but it was no use.

It hurt. It hurt so much that she started breaking out in a cold sweat.

Her consciousness began to grow hazy, drifting in and out.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her. A spoon touched her lips, and a man’s deep voice sounded in her ear, "Chloe, drink this soup. It’ll make you feel better."

Chloe Reed subconsciously opened her mouth and drank.

After all, this had happened countless times before.

After finishing the bowl of soup, warmth spread through her body, and she felt a little better.

She opened her eyes and watched him set the bowl aside, get right into bed, and slip in under the covers.

Her entire body tensed in resistance. "Don’t come near me. Get out."

"No."

Walker forcefully pulled her over. With one arm around her, he slid his other hand directly under her clothes, resting it on her cold abdomen.

His palm was warm, and as it rested against her stomach, the pain immediately subsided.

Her body was stiff. She bit her lip and said, "I don’t need you. Get out."

"But I need you." Walker held her close. "If I don’t hold you, I can’t rest. I can’t sleep. I’ll die."

Chloe Reed: "..."

’Where did he learn to spout such nonsense?’

Held so tightly in his arms, she couldn’t even move, so she simply closed her eyes.

Warmth enveloped her from all sides, dispelling the chill from her body and blocking out the pain. She drifted off into a groggy sleep.

When she woke again, the sky had darkened. It was already evening.

Her abdomen still ached a little, but it was much better than before.

The man beside her was also asleep, but his palm was still resting on her stomach.

She looked up at him, her expression incredibly complex.

Just then, his phone rang. His brow twitched, and he opened his eyes.

"Hello?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

His voice was hoarse as he answered the call.

"Holy shit, Walker! Guess what I just saw?!" Nathaniel Monroe’s frantic voice burst from the phone.

Walker closed his eyes, his tone laced with impatience. "Cut the crap and get to the point."

"You know that girl I’ve been seeing?" Nathaniel said. "Well, there’s an auction tomorrow night, and I was thinking of taking her. So I got my hands on the list of items to see if there was anything she’d like, and guess what? I saw your and Chloe’s wedding rings on there!"

Walker’s eyes snapped open. "What did you say?"

"The rings you spent three hundred million on! They’re on the list. Walker, are things really that bad? You’re auctioning off your wedding rings?" Nathaniel asked cautiously.

Walker turned to look at the woman beside him. Her eyes were closed, as if she were asleep.

But he knew she was awake.

A vein throbbed on his temple. "Contact the organizers," he said in a cold voice. "Have them pull the rings."

But Nathaniel hesitated. "I don’t think that’ll work. Once an item is on the list, you can’t get it back privately. It has to be bought at the auction."

Walker’s face grew even more grim.