Chapter 3 Chapter 3 "GET OFF! He deserves to DIE!" Declan swung blindly, not seeing it was me. I hit the ground hard, both palms scraping against concrete and debris. "Grace!" Declan finally released the model and rushed to help me up. I took a shaky breath, my nose stinging with unshed tears. The grit embedded in my palms felt like it was settling into my heart too. He started to help me to the side but stopped dead when he heard Scarlett's quiet sobbing. Declan's fists clenched as he seemed to make up his mind. 'Grace, look-I gotta get her to the hospital, okay? And the cops are gonna want statements from everyone." His eyes kept darting toward Scarlett, like he was about to bolt over there any second. Instantly, the pain in my palms spread straight to my chest. I finally snapped: "Declan, I'M hurt too." You have a whole team here-do you really need to handle this personally?" You just got into a fistfight! Do you realize you represent the entire Montgomery family?!" Nobody understood better than me how hard Declan had fought to get where he was. For years, he'd been careful about every single move. But look at him now: Blood streaked across his face, sweat-dampened hair falling into wild eyes, rage still burning in his expression. This wasn't the composed CEO everyone knew. I was practically shouting, my chest heaving. The crew kept staring. My fiancé-the man I'd loved for six years-was falling apart over another woman, and how could I NOT be furious? But Declan just let out a heavy sigh, his voice exhausted: "Grace, you have to understand-this was sexual assault." "Scarlett was attacked while working for me. As her boss, I can't just leave." "This isn't some minor issue." His look carried a warning. What else was there to say? My shoulders sagged as I watched him rush to that woman with obvious relief-gentle questions, tender concern. 16:21 Dear Hubby. Your Biggest Mistake? Thinking I'd Beg Instead of Burn 9.2% Chapter 3 When Emma came to pick me up, that's exactly how she found me-completely devastated. The car had barely left the lot when my phone exploded with notifications. *Montgomery CEO Beat Down Assaulter was trending. The feed was full of HD photos: Declan protecting Scarlett, throwing punches, and finally wrapping his jacket around her with careful tenderness. The comments were going WILD: [OMG Declan is such a KING! That's real leadership right there!] [CEO literally fighting for his employee-I can't even!!] [Is it just me or do Declan and Scarlett look perfect together???] [They're both tall and gorgeous-like they could be on Vogue's cover] [Powerful CEO × Beautiful disabled model... I'm OBSESSED with this energy] [Just marry each other already!!] My fingers went ice-cold scrolling past all those painful "perfect match" comments when I spotted an obscure reply with a screenshot: [Check out @WhispersAndSecrets for the real tea] Something made me click it. It's a new account with barely any content. The latest post was from yesterday: [He called me brave today.] The photo showed a man's elegant hand offering a hot drink. The watch on that wrist was the $80K vintage piece I'd bid on at auction for Declan's birthday last year. It even had our names engraved inside. I scrolled further back: [Physical therapy hurts, but remembering him saying 'scars are beautiful too' gives me strength.] The photo showed masculine hands applying prosthetic care oil-intimately familiar. Next to them was a tube of hand cream, the woodsy scent I'd specially ordered for him. My heart felt like it was being crushed by an icy fist, suffocating me. 5ll that gentleness and care had been quietly flowing to someone else. Late that night, I heard the front door. When Declan walked in and saw me, he stopped dead: "Grace? Why are you sitting in the dark?" held up my phone, the screen lighting my face. Declan, explain this." 16:21 Dear Hubby. Your Biggest Mistake? Thinking I'd Beg Instead of Burn 9.4% Chapter 3 "What's @WhispersAndSecrets? Who's the story about?"