Chapter 168 - Devasted to the core

Devin was not surprised to see a glint of pain and betrayal in her eyes. He was intending to lift her and rain her face with kisses earlier but everything wrecked up after he got a call from Harley. He was afraid that she would shut herself completely and goes back to her older self like how she used to be in the past. He did not want that. With all the vigor, he mustered up his courage to speak with her. "Leena...I_"

Not even a word left his mouth, Leena started punching him with her fists.

"Bastard! Where was your phone last night? Do you know how scared I was when I couldn't reach you?" She screamed and marched forward to hit him. Devin tried to grab her wrists but he couldn't stop her petulance. They were outside the house but neither of them cared. She roughly kicked him, hit his shoulders with all the pent-up frustration she built up for a week.

"I am sorry, Leena. I was on a flight for the whole night." He quickly explained trying to calm her down. He was not bothered by her kicks and beatings as long as she believes in him. Why is my luck on the other side today? If she is flaring up in anger for not lifting the call, he can't imagine his state when she lashes out at him for the mess he created today. He has seen her message when he was in the car, but he did not call back since he wanted to surprise her. When she didn't throw any tantrums, he gently pulled her towards him with the wrists. "I missed you a lot."

"Get lost. I did not miss you." She screamed struggling in his arms to turn away but Devin yanked her and hugged her from behind.

"Please don't leave me." His voice was laced with pain as if he is throbbing. Each word he said was a painful stab to her heart. She couldn't handle the acrid pain anymore and stopped her temperament.

"Do you know how many times I tried to reach you?" She asked, her tears welled up when she thought something might have happened to him. "I thought something_"

"I am here and I will never do it again." He promised. There would be no more sudden surprises in the future. He could feel how scared she was with the way her body trembled. He released himself from the hug and twirled her. "Don't get mad at me for one last time."

Running a hand through her hair, he was contemplating with the right words. He could sense that Leena hasn't watched the rumors. Had she knew, he doesn't know if any part of his body would remain by now.

"Leena!" He started. "I_I_"

Every time he tried to speak, he couldn't form the right word.

"I watched the news about the rumor" She calmly replied recalling back to the time that devasted me to the core.

....

A few hours earlier...

Sleep was a distance long for Leena. She has been calling Devin continuously but every time it would direct it to the voice mail. Even though they were speaking very little due to the work and the stupid time difference, at least he would send a good night message but to her horror, there was no message and calls from the night. Her panic grew but she couldn't tell anyone, for they would think of her as a fool for exaggerating. Even Harley was not responding to the calls. She silently stared at the ceiling until fatigue kicked and dozed off without knowing she would be hearing the most devastating news.

Morning arrived. With a slight disruption in the room, Leena woke when Reese walked into the bedroom urgently.

"What happened? How did you know the passcode?"

"I have my ways." Reese sighed in relief when Leena has just woke up. "Shall we go shopping? You need a dress for your sc.u.m father's party right?"

"Okay," Leena said, shopping didn't interest her today but she wants to distract herself from his thoughts. Unconsciously, her hand reached for the mobile to check for any messages from him but Reese snatched it.

"You take ages to get ready. Go and take shower. Until then I will keep your mobile safe." Reese tried to buy the time in order not to let Leena read the news after all she has a habit of checking the entertainment gossips early in the morning. If she sees the news, her heart would break.

"What's the use of seeing if he doesn't respond to my calls." She mumbled before entering the bathroom all the while thinking of him. Did he forget about me? A long-distance relationship is worse than she imagined. She couldn't even know if he was missing her or completely forgot about her.

Her usual shower would take two hours but Leena stepped out of the bathroom in fifteen minutes. She felt Carrot be with her but she is enjoying it with Cutie.

With a heavy heart, she picked a random dress that was not her usual style. Strolling into the living room, she switched on the TV and while switching the channels, she stumbled upon a familiar face and the remote dropped with a loud thud. She collapsed on the floor watching the news scrolling on the channel. "Wang Devin was hugged by his woman intimately in Korea and that woman is none other than the famous designer, Regina."

Reese scurried to the living room when she heard a loud noise.

"Why is he hugging someone else other than me, Reese?" Her word was barely a whisper. Her heart was full of pain and her head was full of stress when she saw him with another woman in his arms. For a moment she threw every logic out of the window. She could not think rationally anymore. She has seen Ethan with her ex a lot of times but never felt the pain. Seeing Devin with other women, she felt as if someone has stabbed a knife into her heart and twisting it deeply until she felt numb. He was the one to pull out all the walls she built and she doesn't want him to be responsible for them to close the doors again.

"Leena!" Reese squatted and hugged her. "Don't act on impulse. You know about Devin, right?"

Leena refused to talk. Reese could only hear her whimper.

"I want to be alone for some time." She sniffles, getting up, and straight away went into her bedroom.

Leena tried to close her eyes but she was scared that she would see him. Is this the reason he is not talking with me? Did he lose interest in me or was it a lie from the beginning? But her heart was not ready to believe that part. Videos can be falsified to conceal the truth and she has seen that woman's obsession over Devin. There is a chance that she might have fabricated. She did not want to jump to a conclusion until she hears the truth from his mouth.

Leena clicked the link and scanned the pictures. Although Regina was hugging him from the back, she could feel Devin's stance stiff.

"You let that woman hug you, bastard." She closed her eyes to catch a wink but then the door ringed. When she looked at the intercom, she was shocked to see Devin standing there.

"Why is he doing here today? Isn't it tomorrow that he would be arriving?" Her anger surged when she remembered his ignorance to pick up the calls and on top of that a scandal further humiliating her. She flared from her bed to knock some sense into that idiot's brain.

...

Present.

Devin stood rooted without speaking a word. Did I hear correctly? Leena read the news but still maintaining stillness. He expected she would throw tantrums but it was the opposite he was seeing. Is it calm before the storm? If Devin thought she was acting composed even after knowing the truth, she has gone through a turmoil of emotions a few hours earlier.

He gently lifted her chin and cupped her face. " You have every right not to trust me, Leena, not after you saw the pictures. I know that. But why is my damn heart ripping open right now....." He halted in the middle unable to process words. A lump formed in his throat when he was being questioned for his sincerity. It has to be earned through trust, not through a rationale. But here he was explaining his honesty. "I have never met her in any of the hotels or restaurants. Please believe me."

"What about that hug? You let that shrewd woman hug you?" She released herself from his arms when she felt revolted. Leena would have killed Regina in all possible ways if she was in front of her.

"I_I did not expect that she would make such a bold move. I have thrown the shirt and took a shower until my body turned red." He hurriedly added thinking that she misunderstood him again. Although he has seen through her acts from the beginning, he did not expect that she would hug him when he was about to step into the car.

Leena let out a small laugh hearing his answer. She did not want to torture him anymore. "I trust you, Devin, and I have let you into my heart. Never br_"

"I would never break it, I promise with all my heart. Give me sometime. I will fix everything." He whispered pressing his forehead against her. They stayed quiet for a time in the corridor without speaking. The atmosphere grew heated and both were missing their presence for a week. Devin gently pushed her upwards and lifted her by the waist. Leena hastily wrapped her legs around his torso encircling her arms around his neck. With a tug, he nipped her lips and strolled into the room without breaking the kiss. But soon their intimate moment broke when a loud ring echoed again. Leena pushed him away with a start. When she saw the person through the intercom, her heart dropped.