I'll Teach You, Marianne.

During dinner, Anne did not smile at all. She continued to focus on the delicious food one after another. Not eating since noon allowed her to eat a lot of food and that made Jack happy. He secretly noticed Anne's body which was much thinner than three years ago. That was why he asked the chef to cook a variety of delicious dishes tonight. Jack prepared everything thoroughly for Anne.

"Why are you stopping?"

Anne suddenly put her fork on the plate and looked at Jack with hostility. "Have you put anything dangerous in these foods?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Since earlier I have been eating voraciously, I tried almost every dish that was served. But you didn't, you just kept looking at me with that evil smile of yours. Now tell me, what have you put in these foods?" Anne came to her own conclusions and immediately interrogated Jack.

"I know I wronged you, Anne, but please don't use that excuse to keep accusing me of such unreasonable things. I love you so much, how could I hurt the woman I love so much? Since our first meeting at Newcastle Upon Tyne, I have sworn to make you mine, so it is impossible for me to harm you. In what other way should I apologize to you? Is the punishment you have given me for these past three years not enough? Is the sadness and guilt that I have experienced during these three years not enough to get rid of all your anger at me, Anne?" Jack demanded. His eyes were wet as he spoke at length like that.

Anne was silent. She clenched her fists under the table tightly. She felt like a suspect at the moment, when it was clear that Jack was the culprit.

"You know, Anne, when I found out you were pregnant at that time I almost went crazy. I mobilized all my men to look for you in Luxembourg, Germany, and England, all three countries at once. I even hired several private detectives to find your whereabouts for the past three years and to no avail, because you hid really well with Paul and Linda until yesterday, finally Erick told me that he managed to find you in this town. You know, Anne, I feel like a man who was reborn when I know that you're fine in this town. Even when I saw Christian, it felt like my life was being refilled to 1000 years, all my sadness immediately disappeared when I saw Christian has grown into a healthy and cheerful boy. For the past three years, almost every night I always woke up every two hours. I really can't sleep well, almost every night I always dream of our last fight before you finally leave. I'm so sorry, Anne, if I could turn back time I would have asked to return to that time back then, so I didn't make that stupidest mistake. I should have investigated the truth of the photos first instead of getting angry at you for finally making Christian's brother died. The only person who is to blame for the death of our first child is me. I'm the one who should be blamed for his departure, not you, Anne." Jack spoke again at length, trying to explain to her about his condition for the last three years in Switzerland. The tears he had been holding back for a long time finally rolled down his face.

Anne was instantly speechless. All of her voice was caught in her throat. The words that Jack said made her chest ache. She suddenly felt guilty for what Jack had experienced for the last three years. It felt like everything she had experienced was incomparable to all that Jack had gone through. Even though life was simple, Anne was happy because she had Christian and her two friends who always support her, while Jack was really tormented by himself. Her chest felt even tighter when she saw Jack was crying.

When she was in a dilemma of what to do, Anne was suddenly surprised by Jack's actions as he immediately kneeled on the ground before her. Jackson Knight Clarke who was cruel and cold to all his business rivals had now humbled himself in front of a woman. 

"J-Jack..."

Jack grabbed Anne's hand and gripped it tightly. "Come back to me, Anne, come back to our house. Give me a chance to be a good father to Christian, let me feel what other men who have children feel. I beg of you, come back to me. If you can't forgive me, just tell me what else I should do? What punishment should I accept so that you forgive all my past mistakes? I will accept all the punishments you give me with pleasure. I will do everything for you if it can make you happy, as long as you and Christian come home with me to our house in Switzerland."

"I-I..."

"I promise I won't repeat the same mistake again, Anne. I've even given punishment to the person who slandered you for doing that terrible thing, Anne," said Jack quickly cutting Anne's words.

Anne frowned. "Punish the culprit?"

"Yes, I've punished the mastermind behind the photos."

Anne raised one eyebrow. "Do you mean Leon?"

Jack shook his head. "At first I also thought that Leon was the one responsible for the photos, but apparently I was wrong, because the person who made the photos and sent them to me turned out to be the same person who hurt us in the past."

"Why don't you just tell me his name, Jack, don't make me think anymore," said Anne curtly.

Jack chuckled. He slowly brought both of Anne's hands that he had been holding to his lips. Jack gave Anne a long kiss on both hands, alternately.

"Jack," sighed Anne impatiently.

"It's Sophia Higgins, that woman has kept us apart for 3 years."

Anne's eyes widened perfectly when she heard Jack's words. She spontaneously got down from the chair and immediately knelt in front of Jack. However, Anne forgot that the slit on the dress she was wearing was handmade and not from the tailor's hands, so that when Anne knelt down in front of Jack the unexpected thing happened. The slit was torn higher and higher and exposed almost all of Anne's left thigh.

"Ahhh..."

"Shit... you're reckless Anne!"

Jack immediately took off the coat he was wearing to cover Anne's exposed thighs. Being treated like that by Jack made Anne's heart beat faster and not only that, Jack was apparently grabbed Anne's body and carried her bridal style.

"Put me down, Jack."

"And let other men's eyes see your exposed body like that? Oh, no, thanks, that kind of thing will never happen as long as I'm alive." Jack answered Anne's words quickly.

"But Jack..."

"Shut up, Anne, obey me. Trust me the lion that has been fasting for three years won't be able to hold himself back any longer if you keep moving like that."

Fasting lion? What does that mean? This man was really annoying.

To be continued