Rafael raised his stoic gaze, taking in her furious yet bitter expression. "Getting my meal interrupted is a tremendous habit," He spoke in a soft tone, yet every syllable dripped with an undercurrent of icy irritability. "I despise such disruptions. Those who have done this in my presence rarely live to see another day—consider yourself lucky to be my wife."
Her lips twisted into a bitter laugh as she retorted, "That's the worst nightmare come true. You're nothing but a cold-hearted, fraudulent man who doesn't deserve even a shred of my loyalty."
"Don't lose your manners, Madelyn," Rafael warned coolly.
"Manners?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes with mockery. "Where were your manners when you were sneaking around with Erica?" Her words rang with authority, yet beneath the harsh tone lay the tremor of wounded trust.
Rafael's eyes darkened. "Don't test my patience, or I'll do something tonight we both might regret."
"What would you do? Kill me?" she challenged, her eyes sharp despite the pain.
His gaze hardened, and with mixed emotions barely concealed, he countered, "Do you think I wouldn't if you continued your stubborn defiance?"
"Then do it," Madelyn challenged fiercely. "I would welcome the end because I'm tired of being ensnared by your presence!"
A dry, dark chuckle escaped Rafael, an eerie sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "Your attempts to force me into signing divorce papers have proven futile," he said with unsettling calm.
Madelyn's brows narrowed in frustration. "You think so? You think I wouldn't get you to sign the divorce?!"
"Being disrespectful to your husband is unbecoming," Rafael reprimanded, not enjoying the suffocating atmosphere from her rage. "We should have a proper husband-and-wife chat instead."
"To hell with that!" Madelyn spat. "Do you think I'm here to discuss things with you as if we share any marital bond?"
"We do share that bond, Madelyn," he corrected, his tone measured yet unyielding. "Either you speak to me with respect, or I won't dignify you with my attention."
Her voice quivered as she declared, "If anything happens to Gabriel, I will never forgive you!"
A sneer curled his lips, his reaction void of any remorse. "Gabriel is still alive? How disappointing," he observed, as if her pain were nothing more than an inconvenience.
"Disappointing?" came a shocked murmur from Madelyn, which resonated in the charged atmosphere.
Shrugging nonchalantly, Rafael answered. "I expected him to be dead by now. I was even prepared to arrange a furnished coffin for him," His casual cruelty cut through Madelyn with staggering force.
"Rafael!" she growled, her voice thick with disbelief and hurt. "How can you mock the agony you've inflicted on me? Does it somehow make you happy?"
For a heartbeat, Rafael froze, his eyes clouded by conflicting emotions too painful to display. No reply came as he stared into the sadness etched on her face.
Then, almost in a broken whisper, she chided him. "You promised me there were no ulterior motives behind our marriage contracts. I trusted you, but why must you hurt me so profoundly?"
Rafael remained mute.
Feeling overh5about the recent ugly incident, Madelyn collapsed to the floor, tightening her hands into a strong fist as if trying to stem the burning, relentless pain that felt like fire mixed with the sting of a thousand thorns. Breathing became a struggle in the oppressive silence that followed.
"I can't bear the thought of losing my brother. He shouldn't be in that condition," she sobbed, a raw plea carved from despair and dread.
From his seat, Rafael's gaze softened briefly at the sight of her heart-wrenching and broken form. He pushed the seat back and stood, walking over to Madelyn. Lowering himself to her level, he clenched his jaw, emotions flickering within, but he tried to harden his heart.
Eventually, he reached out and cradled her face, guiding her teary, bitter eyes to meet his steely ones. With a gentle swipe of his thumb, he brushed away the tear tracks that marked her cheeks. "Do not resent me, Maddy. Some things are meant to happen," he murmured, voice catching with an intensity of his emotions.
She wrenched his hand away, her voice shattering as it struck a hard blow to his wounded pride. "You should never have played with my trust! You shouldn't have done these things."
Rafael accepted her strike without a protest while her cry cut through the air.
Realising that no amount of anger could reverse the betrayal and pain he had caused, she paused and settled into a heartbroken resignation. "Since things have turned out this way, you must sign the divorce papers. Just let me go," she stated, her voice firm.
Rafael's displeasure was tangible at her persistence once again. Rising to his feet, he declared coolly, "I have officially registered our marriage, so there's no need for divorce."
Madelyn's fury exploded. In one sweeping, frantic motion, she cleared the table, and the plates shattered with a resounding bang. "Spare me that nonsense!" she shouted, her defiant eyes locked on his shocked face.
"Have you lost it, Maddy?!" Rafael snapped, his gaze harsh and shocking.
"I've had enough!" she shot back. "To me, this marriage is dead. It's completely over! You can live in your delusion if you refuse to sign the divorce papers and relinquish that cursed certificate!"
As she turned to storm from the house, dizziness overwhelmed her, and she stumbled, colliding with the table's edge.
Reacting swiftly, Rafael grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "I told you, you can't leave this marriage on your terms. We must keep to our vows."
"Who are you to make such a decision for me?" she protested, struggling to free her wrist from his unyielding grip.
In that desperate moment, her hand found an object on the table, and without thinking, she raised it as if to strike him down. "I don't want to stay with you! You can't trap me here! Let me go!"
Although Rafael had his back turned, his instincts were sharp. In one swift movement, he caught the object in his right hand. His eyes widened as he felt the sting of its blade—an unexpected cut that pierced deep into his palm.
Warm, red liquid began to drip between Rafael's fingers as he stared in disbelief at the steak knife that nearly found its mark on his heart. Madelyn widened her eyes in shock, and a gasp escaped her lips at the near-unforgivable act she'd almost committed.
Realising the gravity of her actions, she hurriedly relinquished it in his grasp.
The atmosphere thickened, the charged air punctuated by an intense, bone-chilling silence. Every inch between them vibrated with fear and uncertainty.
For the first time, she saw in his eyes not only cold fury but also traces of pain and shock at the near-stabbing.
An unbelievable smile flickered across Rafael's face as his gaze darted toward the empty corner of the house, his throat suddenly parched. He was struggling to come to terms with the unimaginable thought of Madelyn almost had him dead.
Something no one would dare attempt—nor even touch a single strand of his hair.
His dark aura thickened the oppressive silence, suffocating her, each heartbeat thundering as if foretelling doom. His wound continued to bleed, leaving a scattered, crimson trail on the floor with each deliberate step while Madelyn instinctively recoiled, wary of his darkened intentions.
Her foot caught on the edge of the table, halting her escape as his presence loomed just an inch away.