Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband

Chapter 1432: Why Didn’t You Ever Ask If It Hurt Before?

Dominic Reynolds continued to tear at Celeste Linden’s clothes.

Celeste Linden slowly gave up struggling, stopped resisting, gently closed her eyes, and a tear silently slid down her cheek.

Just then, a low, cold voice suddenly came from nearby, "Don’t move! If you move, I’ll waste you!"

Celeste Linden opened her eyes and saw a tall, handsome figure standing by the bed. Ethan Barnes had somehow appeared, holding a gun, the black barrel coldly pressed against Dominic Reynolds’s head.

Dominic Reynolds froze, slowly releasing his grip.

Ethan Barnes looked down at Dominic Reynolds, like a king who controlled everything. He squinted and spoke in a cold tone, "Kid, are you tired of living? Didn’t I warn you, she’s my woman, and you dare touch her, huh?"

Dominic Reynolds looked at Ethan Barnes, eyes bloodshot, "She’s not your woman, she’s my wife!"

"Your wife?" Ethan Barnes laughed scornfully, "When she became my woman, you didn’t even know where you were playing. I just left her with you for a few days. You fed her and treated her like a queen, and everyone was at peace. But you didn’t know how to behave and started coveting her. You’re really asking for it."

Dominic Reynolds clenched his fists, thoroughly provoked, and swung a solid punch toward Ethan Barnes’s face.

But who was Ethan Barnes? How could he let this gentle scholar sneak up on him? He not only dodged swiftly but countered with a solid punch to Dominic Reynolds.

Bam.

Dominic Reynolds took the punch and was knocked directly to the ground, his mouth full of blood.

Ethan Barnes pressed his tongue against his right cheek, then stepped forward, reached down, grabbed Dominic Reynolds, and punched him again.

In fact, Dominic Reynolds had long wanted to have a man-to-man duel with Ethan Barnes. Regardless of winning or losing, he wanted a good fight. But now that this moment had finally come, he realized it was just Ethan Barnes’s one-sided violence because he had no power to fight back.

Under Ethan Barnes’s fierce assault, his gentleness made him seem like a weakling.

Celeste Linden had quickly gotten out of bed. She knew that if this continued, Ethan Barnes would beat Dominic Reynolds half to death, "That’s enough, Ethan, stop hitting him!"

Ethan Barnes looked at Celeste Linden’s small, swollen face from the slap she received from Dominic Reynolds, and he wanted to punch Dominic Reynolds again right away.

"Ethan, stop!" Celeste Linden rushed over, hugging Ethan Barnes tightly, "Stop, I’m begging you."

Only then did Ethan Barnes stop, giving Dominic Reynolds a cold look, "Get lost!"

Dominic Reynolds, extremely embarrassed, got up from the ground and left, slamming the door without looking back.

Celeste Linden released Ethan Barnes, wanting to chase after Dominic Reynolds, but Ethan Barnes called out to her, "Where are you going? You still want to chase after that domestic abuser?"

Celeste Linden stopped in her tracks.

Ethan Barnes reached out to touch her swollen face, "Does it hurt?"

Celeste Linden didn’t dodge but looked at him coldly, "Haven’t you hit me before? When you slapped me, choked me, ordered people to break my legs, and raped me, did you ever ask if it hurt?"

Ethan Barnes’s hand stiffened in mid-air, her face so close yet unreachable.

Celeste Linden’s face was pale and expressionless, "Clearly, all the storms in my life were given by you, yet you pretend to be my safe harbor, it’s really laughable."

Ethan Barnes lowered his dazzling eyes; he admitted she was right, but it was because she wasn’t obedient and always wanted to escape.

If she were obedient, he would build a grand palace, let her pluck the stars.

"Celeste, are you venting at me because you were wronged by Dominic, thinking I’m easy to bully?"

Celeste Linden smiled bitterly, a pained confusion in her eyes, "Do you know, the Dominic in my memory wasn’t like this. He used to be my light. He wasn’t like this."

"I’m very sad, really sad. I dragged him into this abyss step by step; I can’t escape myself and can only watch him fall deeper. I don’t know how to save him; I’m powerless."

Celeste Linden felt deeply apologetic and painful for Dominic Reynolds, a feeling of helplessness and suffocation, lost on what to do.

Ethan Barnes stepped forward, gently embraced the frail Celeste Linden in his arms, "Celeste, it’s really simple. Just let go of Dominic and come to my side. No one will get hurt, or one day blood will be shed because of you. You’re so smart, you must understand what I mean, right?"

Ethan Barnes gently stroked Celeste Linden’s soft black hair as if whispering sweet words between lovers.

But Celeste Linden shuddered, a coldness from her bones. She knew she’d never escape from this demon; he would always entangle her, dragging her into hell.

...

Bar.

Dominic Reynolds was drinking, his table soon cluttered with empty bottles, already drunk.

Every time he thought of being brutally beaten by Ethan Barnes, thoroughly crushed, and the scene of Celeste Linden in Ethan’s arms, he didn’t want to wake up, wanting to stay drunk.

Just then, a pretty young girl approached, "CEO, are you okay? Why did you drink so much?"

Dominic Reynolds looked up and somewhat recognized her; she was Irma, the new administrative secretary at the company.

"My business is none of your concern, leave." Dominic Reynolds said coldly.

Irma looked at Dominic Reynolds admiringly, her voice soft, carrying a hint of tea, "CEO, don’t drink, it’s bad for your stomach. You’re drunk, let me take you home."

Dominic Reynolds was drunk and looked at Irma, her face slowly overlapping with Celeste Linden’s.

After their marriage, they were sweet. Once, after a business dinner, he was drunk, and spurred Celeste’s heartache, she said the same thing.

At that time, he promised Celeste he wouldn’t drink again.

Dominic Reynolds reached out, touched Irma’s face, "Wife, is that you? You came looking for me?"

Irma paused, then smiled gently, "Yes, it’s me. I came to take you home."

Dominic Reynolds hugged Irma tightly and kissed her hard.

...

Ethan Barnes left the next day, but Dominic Reynolds didn’t come home all night.

Celeste Linden was anxious and waited at home for Dominic Reynolds to return. In his current state, something might happen if he was out, but when she called him, his phone was continuously off.

What was he doing?