Twice

ZHAN POV

I showered after spending some time inYibo's impressive gym. I walked into my closet opting for a tank top and a pair of jeans. I slipped into my black bootsand Burberry jacket. I quickly ran my brush through my hair and tied it into a messy ponytail.

I then thought about paying Bin asurprised visit, but decided to call first. I looked around for my phone then realized that I left it and my handbag downstairs. Iwalked out of the bedroom and headed to Yibo's study. I opened the door

"Yibo..." I said and he was not there, thatwas odd. I thought he said I'd find him in there. I walked out closing the door behind me. I decided to just look for him outside;

I went down the grand stairs.

I froze for a second as I saw him in theliving room with Danny, I continued down starting to panic. What was he doing here? Did he decide to tell Yibo himself?

He did threaten to do so if I kept stalling. I wasn't exactly dying to tear my entire life apart. I quickly surveyed the mood, it was very dark and tense, and it sent a wave of uneasiness through my whole body.

They both looked at me and then dead silence filled the room, all I could hear was the rapid drumming of my heart and the clicking of my heels.

I walked towards them, Danny flashed me a mischievous smile and Yibo only watched me with an unreadable expression. I hit full-blown panic mode.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" I asked,my voice sounding very normal considering my inward turmoil.

"I was just explaining the real proceedingsof our trip to Miami, your husband seems to have caught the wrong end of the stick. Or was that your fault?" he said with adisgusting smirk.

I slowly turned my gaze to Yibo, who was still watching me with a blank expression that could chill a dead corpse.

Say something, anything please I thought desperately, and as if on cue hisunwavering gaze shifted

"At this point I don't know what to believeZhan, so why don't you tell me the truth."

He said, with an ire calm voice then he turned his gaze to Danny

"You better hope your guardian angels are near if he tells me otherwise." He addedmenacingly.

"What did you say?" I asked Danny whoshrugged nonchalantly

"I just told him about our passionate nighttogether." He said and I closed my eyes for a brief second, cursing him to hell.

"Zhan...?" Yibo probed more sharply, I wastongue-tied, and how could I begin to admit to something I didn't do? Knowing all the destruction it will reek on our lives?

"You didn't really shoot him down, did you?"

he asked almost knowingly I looked down

"No." I whispered

"He's telling the truth...I...we slept together." I added, and saying that was harder than I could've ever imagined.

Yibo looked away from me running his hand through his hair, I took steps towards him

"Yibo it all happened so quickly I don't how..." his icy gaze snapped back to me freezing me in place.

"Spare me the details." He snapped,

"You lied to me, you've been lying all this time. That's what's been eating you up? A guilty conscience, knowing you slept with him and lied about it!" He bellowed his gaze cutting me in half.

Danny stood up

"Well there you have it, I shagged the love of your life. Deal with it." He said to Yibo.

I gasped when Yibo stood up and punched him and he staggered backwards. I watched in horror as Danny tried fighting back but was no match for Yibo's skills. Danny was a good fighter and his retaliation was well calculated but Yibo was a former CIA elite agent. He had him pinned on the floor before he could do any serious damage and he threw another blood curdling punch. I've seen Yibo angry, and he hardly lost his cool but now he just looked murderous, if I didn't stop this he could kill Danny right there and then.

I ran towards him pulling at his arm

"Yibo! Stop it!" I shrieked

"Get your hands off me!" he barked and as if I was electrocuted I let go of him, stepping away. I was the cause of all this, I had to end it too.

"There's no use fighting him! He's not theone who hurt you, I did!" I said and his fist froze in mid-air and his murderous gaze turned to me.

He got off a grunting Danny and I didn't flinch or back away when he started towards me. His movement dark and graceful as a predator about to pounce on its prey.

I knew he'd never hurt me, but I had to lurehim away from someone he certainly could.

"You're right, he's just a worthless piece of shit who'd screw anything in a skirt." He said

"But you were my wife and lifetime partner, I loved and trusted you deeply." He added;

the anger and coldness was gone from his eyes. All that was left was just pure and raw pain, he looked like I just took a knife and drove it in his heart. And that's exactly what I did. My throat tightened and I could feel tears well up in my eyes but I bit them back.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered,

"So am I, that you could betray me and our love. That all these years together meant nothing to you." He said.

His eyes glazed over again

"What I cannot wrap my head around Zhan is why, why?" he said

"Do you not love me anymore?" he asked almost desperately. I stared at him, his gaze imprisoning mine; I was unable to say anything. Danny had made itvery clear that he wanted me to break his heart, and be very thorough. I couldn't show emotion or even beg for forgiveness. He also added just what we both stand to lose if I don't comply. I was rendered powerless.

I looked down and he grabbed my shoulders shaking me like a rag doll

"Answer me!" he shouted.

I winced

"You're hurting me Yibo." I whispered, not implying physically. He immediately let me go but his hand lingered on my shoulder

"And you've hurt me more than you can imagine." He added quietly, his hand traveling down my left arm. It felt more like a caress; he paused on my wrist then so swiftly pulled my ring off my finger.

I didn't flinch but a small gasp escaped mylips, I don't think he heard it because he immediately turned his back on me walking away.

If he had slapped me and called me every bad name he knew in every language he spoke, I was positive it couldn't have hurt more than him taking his ring back. Him taking his love back.

He reached Danny, who was still groaning in pain and pushed him with his foot

"Get out." He said his voice wiped clean of all emotion. He turned his icy gaze to me

"The both of you." He added.

I looked at him bewildered; part of me hadexpected this but that didn't make the pain any easier. Knowing the outcome couldn't prepare me for the impact of his words or the way he looked at me now. Like I was no better than the 'piece of shit' struggling to get up.

I wouldn't fight him, I would walk away but I couldn't leave without my kids. My unexpected departure would hurtthem.

"Where's Zhen Xin and Fan Xing?" I asked and his expression darkened

"None of your damn concern." He snapped.

And I started taken aback. He wasn't going to keep me away from them, was he?

"They're my kids Yibo, I want to see them!"I said.

"Over my dead body. I'm not the only one you betrayed, they'll be better off." He said, I took a deep breath; I couldn't reason with him and win now. I didn't want to take them away from him, besides I didn't even know where to go.

But I just wanted to at leased say goodbye, so that they never think I abandoned them. Another thought came to me, they'd never let me leave without throwing the world's biggest fit.

"Leave. I don't ever want see you again." He added; I saw it in his eyes then. There was no pain or hurt just bitter hate. I dropped my gaze and started to walk away. I grabbed my bag off the coffee table and Danny followed me towards the door.

I didn't dare look back to see if he was still standing there watching me, I had seen enough.

I reached for my purse and took out all theblack credit cards that were in my name and put them on the table next to the door. I was never going to use them so what was the point of keeping them? I would only use mine.

Besides maybe that will reassure him that I wasn't going to bother him. He wanted me out of his life, and I would oblige him.Danny opened the door and I walked outside, the sky was darkening and not because the sun was setting. Therewas a storm coming, how cliché, I thought.Even the weather resembled this entire mess.

"Get in the car sweet cheeks." Danny saidand I didn't even have enough fight in me to protest. I let the tears I've been holding back flood my face when he pulled out ofthe estate. I kept my gaze out the window but from the corner of my eye I thought I saw him reach out to me then decide against it.

"It had to be done, and to keep my end of the deal I'll terminate all my pursuits and give him his company."

"You were planning on telling him yourself,you just couldn't let me do it." I said not bothering to look at him.

The car pulled into the streets of Beijing,

"Of course, I wanted to personally see thelook on his face. And boy was it priceless." He said with a chuckle and I shot him a glare.

"You're pure evil. I should've let him killyou." I snapped and he shrugged

"That would've caused more harm than good honestly." He said nonchalantly.

"Stop the car." I said, unable to breathe thesame air as him any longer.

"What?" he asked, "I said stop the car!" I shrieked and it pulled up on the side of the road.

I reached for the doorknob opening it

"Wait, where are you going?" heasked.

"As far away from you as possible." I saidthen got out slamming the door behind me.

I started around the corner slipping thehoodie of my jacket on. Not really knowing where to go, I pulled out my iPhone. I didn't feel like calling anyone or being with anyone. I just wanted to be alone in a quiet room, so I could fall apart peacefully, I'll worry about tomorrow when I get there.

I searched for a nearby hotel on maps.