If he had just tried a little more complicated and genuinely committed to Mila, he would surely have forgotten her. That night, for the first time, he allowed Mila into his bed. She was bold and passionate, utterly different from Sharon, who always followed his lead. He loved Sharon, but he also enjoyed bullying her in bed. He loved seeing her struggle to hold back tears, but in the end, he stopped before taking the final step.
He got up, grabbed a cigarette and walked out onto the balcony. Sharon had hated his smoking, so he never smoked when they were together. After his lung transplant, he had sunk into depression for a long time. When it got unbearable, he allowed himself one cigarette. Now, there were already three cigarette butts at his feet.
Mila hadn't gotten what she wanted and it frustrated her. As an illegitimate daughter of the Sage family, she had worked hard to secure a marriage with Jace. There was no way Mila would let go now. No matter how he treated her, she wouldn't give up.
When Jace's phone rang, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and walked out. "Honey, you have a call."
As long as she played the perfect wife, the Sage family would acknowledge her. What future was there in being a doctor? Returning to the family and securing her share of the inheritance was the only way she could feel at ease. Besides, Jace was good-looking. Being with him was a bonus. This deal was worth it.
"He glanced at the unknown caller and declined the call. "It's cold outside. Go back in."
Mila wrapped her arms around his waist. "Honey, want to give it another try?"
"No, I need to take this call." He hadn't expected the caller to be Charles.
At first, he had only wanted an excuse to brush off Mila and make her back off. Still, when he heard that familiar voice on the other end, the anger in his chest exploded. "Charles Lennox! How dare you call me?"
"Jace, no ... Mr. Hawthorne. I'm begging you, please help me find my daughter." Charles's voice trembled with sobs.
Jace's first instinct was that the man was lying. Annoyed, he crushed out his cigarette. "Just tell me, how much do you want this time?"
"I don't want money. I just want my daughter back. She gave up her entire right lung to save you and the doctors say she might not have much time left. I just want to be with her … "
