Chapter 2 On the second day after getting back home, Katherine did three things. First off, she canceled Maverick's death certificate and got their marriage reinstated, which normally would've ended automatically. Next, she changed her name and moved her identity record overseas to start a new life abroad. Finally, she visited a fake death agency to set up a staged death for herself, planning it for 14 days later. The same day as her wedding to Theodore. She was determined to cut ties with her past in the most decisive way possible. As she left the agency, Katherine stumbled upon an international news on her phone. It showed Theodore flying out of the country to help Isabelle get divorced. He had taken care of Isabelle's ex-husband by breaking his hands and feet, ruining his business completely, and trans- ferring all of his assets into Isabelle's name. As soon as Katherine finished watching, the news story and everything related to it just vanished. Katherine knew this was Theodore's way of looking out for Isabelle. It reminded her of the time she'd secured an order after going bungee jumping. Fresh out of the hospital, she had fol- · lowed Theodore to a banquet. At that event, someone openly mocked her, saying she was like a dog wagging its tail and begging for attention in front of Theodore. But he just ignored it. He sat there watching it all unfold without saying a word. Later on, he even coldly told her, "If you can't handle something so small, don't come out with me again. I'm embar- rassed." Of course, he never really cared about her at all. So, how could he give her the same treatment as Isabelle? Once she got home, Katherine started packing up her things. She had agreed to the marriage alliance because she wanted to spend forever with that heart. So when she moved in, she brought along everything that reminded her of Maverick. She sorted through it all and then called a courier to send those items off to her villa abroad. Besides the clothes left behind, all that was left were some group photos with Theodore, a diary where she jotted 0.0 % 09:42 Chapio & 200 CucherS down his likes, and a bunch of books about heart disease. She tossed everything into the fire pit and stood in the yard, watching it burn to ashes, her face void of emotion. "What are you burning?" A man's annoyed voice came from behind her, followed by a cough. Katherine didn't look back. "Oh, just some junk." She grabbed the water that she had ready, poured it on the flames to put them out, then dumped the ashes into the trash can. As she tried to walk away, she was stopped. Theodore rarely showed any sign of being at a loss. "Are you still mad that I left you? You know Belle means a lot to me. She went through domestic abuse and bullying. I can't just sit back and watch." Katherine kept her face neutral. "Hmm. Anything else? If not, I'm heading back." She had always been sweet and understanding in front of Theodore. This was the first time he had seen her cold atti- tude. Theodore was feeling a bit confused and was just about to reach out to stop her and ask what was wrong when Is- abelle came over to his side. "This must be Ms. Acrea, right? I've heard Theo talk about you before," she said with a friendly smile. But she stood really close to Theodore, almost like she was claiming him as hers. Katherine frowned a little. Even though she didn't care about Theodore anymore, Isabelle's obvious flirty behavior made it hard for her to like this woman at all. But before she could say anything. Isabelle's eyes filled with tears, like she had suffered great wrong. "Theo, it seems that Ms. Acrea doesn't like me. Maybe I should just leave." Isabelle started to walk away, but Theodore pulled her back. "This is the Bagnall's villa. No one can kick you out." He turned to Katherine, his voice getting icy. "Katherine, Belle just got divorced and is feeling pretty insecure right now. I decided she could stay here, so there's no need for you to take your frustration out on her." Katherine thought it was ridiculous. She hadn't even said anything yet he acted like she'd committed some huge crime. The little bit of warmth she had felt for him-thanks to that heart-just disappeared in an instant. She smiled and nodded casually. "Well, the master bedroom on the third floor has the best view. Why doesn't Ms. Danford move into that one?" 47.9 % 09:42