Xara was daring. She was almost on top of James. A young maiden's alluring fragrance filled his nostrils, and he hurriedly turned away.

Her actions amused Xara, and she burst out laughing. "James, are you still shy? People say you haven't been intimate with Thea. Could it be you're still a virgin?"

James blushed. He was.

Ten years earlier, at seventeen and newly graduated from high school, he'd been in a relationship. Holding hands was as far as it went. He then spent ten years in the army, his days filled with special training, weaponry, and combat.

He didn't want to prolong the conversation. He took a deep drag of his cigarette, stubbed it out, and went back inside.

Thea, having seen James by the stairs with Xara's arms around him, ran off in tears. Entering her room, she wept. She'd thought James was a good man. To think he was like all the others—he'd met Xara that day, and they were already intimate. Knock, knock, knock! Knocks sounded at her door.

Thea quickly wiped her tears, took a deep breath to compose herself, and opened the door.

James entered, smiling. "What are you doing? You're taking a while." Thea said nothing, going straight to her laptop and staring at the screen. James noticed nothing unusual. He consciously took out a mat and placed it on the floor.

Thea felt aggrieved, watching him. He might act like a gentleman around her, but he was intimate with another woman behind her back—her cousin. She shook her head, trying to dispel the upsetting thoughts, but the image of Xara clinging to James lingered. Did he seek someone else because I wouldn't sleep with him? He's a man, after all. He has needs. She wondered if it was her fault.

Deep down, however, bitterness welled up. It wasn't as if she'd forbidden intimacy; he'd voluntarily slept on the floor. She'd hinted at it multiple times, but he'd been unresponsive. This bitterness intensified, and she considered divorce. She would divorce him and wish him well with Xara.

"James…"

"Uh huh?"

James, lying on the mat, roused himself. "What is it?"

Thea turned to him, now sitting, her expression grim. "What do you think of my cousin, Xara?"

"Huh?" James was confused. He hadn't interacted with women in ten years, only enemies. He instinctively nodded. "She's cool."

Thea was disappointed. She wanted to save their marriage. She remembered James bringing her to the House of Royals and his meticulous care after their marriage into the Callahans—putting her to bed, taking her out to sunbathe. She'd never experienced such warmth.

(Note: The final paragraph referencing FindNovel.net is promotional material and has been omitted.)