NEXT DAY

GRAY'S POV 

I woke up as soon as my alarm began to ring. I couldn't catch an ounce of sleep last night. My thoughts made me stay awake until now.

I could see my Juvia sleeping but the relaxed aura was missing from her. It had been a month since we slept on the same bed.

It was my mistake for being stubborn and ignorant in reconciling first. If only, I was easy to approach. 

Juvia would have spoken about her issues and not stressed out by herself which took a toll on her health.

Slowly, I got out of the bed and made my way to the bathroom to get freshened up before I went downstairs to make breakfast.

After coming out of the shower, I saw Juvia sat on the bed and greeted me with her infectious smile.

"Good morning, Gray-sama"

"Good morning, Juvia" I greeted her back with a smile. 

Juvia stood up and went near the closet to get me a towel and clothes. Once she handed it to me, I pulled her towards me to hug her.

"Gray-sama, what are you doing?" Her voice broke and her face grew red due to embarrassment which made me feel happy to see her usual self.

"Just trying to embrace my wife, is that wrong, wifey?" I teased her.

She threw away her embarrassment and hugged me back. I felt a sense of relief wash over me having her in my arms.

"Juvia, how are you feeling now? All better" I asked her and kissed her forehead.

She lifted her head and looked at my eyes, "Yes Gray-sama. I'm alright. I feel rejuvenated. Thanks to my hubby." She tip-toed and kissed my cheeks which made me grow red.

"Gray-sama, looks so cute" She pinched my cheeks and began laughing, for once I decided to go along with her plays just to see her smiling adorably.

By the time I got dressed up and made breakfast for us, Juvia got freshened up and came downstairs to have breakfast.

While Juvia washed the dishes, I got a call from Lyon that he was going to start with the business trip. 

"You better keep me updated now and then," I told him while he hummed in response before cutting the call.

"Stupid fellow" His actions never fail to irritate me.

"Gray-sama, is everything alright?" I turned around when I heard Juvia talking.

"Yeah. It's just Lyon and his stupid behaviour. Well, now if you are comfortable, I'm all ears now. Talk to me about what's been bothering you." I said and went to sit next to her on the sofa.

JUVIA'S POV

Gray-sama sat next to me and caught hold of my palms and softly kept on caressing it.

I began to feel anxious about how Gray-sama would think of me when I disclosed Bora-kun's matter.

"Juvia, take your time. I will wait" He said without looking at me and kept on doing what he was doing.

I slowly began to speak as there was no way out of this trouble without asking for his help.

"Gray-sama, before I got married to you I was in a relationship with a guy called Bora who was my senior at that time.
    This happened a year before we got married. He was a well-known person on the college campus for bad stuff. But he treated the girls differently like a gentleman which people believed to be a rumour.
    There were a few instances that made me believe those rumours were lies but Meredy-chan didn't warn me back then not to believe him blindly.
     Of course, even I fell for his charms and confessed my liking to him. Surprisingly, he also felt the same towards me and soon we began dating." 

As I kept telling him about my past, Gray-sama never stopped caressing my palms nor looked at me. He just hummed in response, indicating to me to continue further.

I couldn't make out what he's been thinking of me now. Hopefully, he doesn't feel betrayed. I just hoped and prayed for it.

"It was after dating him for a month, I came to know about his true personality. He's a sadist and only uses girls in his favour.
     We broke up before he could take advantage of me. That was the last time I saw him until he appeared in front of me a month back." 

I stopped and looked at him only to find my hubby looking at me with a hurtful expression on his face which stung my heart.

"Then, what did he say to you after seeing you again?" Gray-sama asked.

"Bora-kun wanted to speak to me. I tried to avoid him but he tricked me in the name of apology. I agreed to talk to him for some time and get things sorted out between us.
    But somehow he noticed the ring on my finger. In between our conversations, he caught hold of my hand and began to apologise. That's when he removed the ring from my finger.
   Soon his acts came to a stop and his true intentions resurfaced." 

Tears began to flow as I remembered that incident.

FLASHBACK 

"Well, Juvia, what do we have here?" Bora smoothly removed the ring from my finger and took a close look at it.

"Give it back to me. It's nothing as you think it is." I tried to snatch it away from him forcefully but that was futile.

"Oh! From the look on your face, it looks more than what you say it to be, isn't it Juvia Fullbuster?" He smirked at me as he found out what that ring might be.

"So, you got married huh? Anyways, congratulations. As your wedding gift, I will introduce myself as your ex to your husband. And tell him how much of a slut you are?" He laughed wickedly.

"What are you saying? My Gray-sama knows I'm not what you are framing me to be. He wouldn't believe you and your lies" I said confidently and tried to catch him off guard.

"Gray-sama?? Don't tell me your husband's name is Gray Fullbuster, next heir to Silver Corps Pvt Ltd. Well Juvia, looks like I have hit the jackpot." I could sense the ill thoughts running in his mind.

Bora placed my ring into his pants pocket and began to demand money from me.

"See Juvia, you are the only bitch I couldn't get any benefit from, neither with money nor bodily pleasure. Today sure is my lucky day to encounter you.   
       If you want your ring back, get me 20,000J every week from now on or else, I will release a hoax in one of the famous tabloids that Gray Fullbuster's wife is whore. 
       Believe me, it's very easy to create morphed images. So, you better get going and arrange for the amount I had demanded."

After making his demand clear, he began to threaten me not to disclose this to anyone or else he would publish that stupid articles right away.

END OF FLASHBACK 

"So, that's the reason, I couldn't tell you right away because of his threatening. I feared that it would taint your and your father's name in public. I'm extremely sorry, Gray-sama. It's because of me that the situation has reached this level." I bowed down to him to express my sincere apology.

"He's still having the ring with him, huh?" Gray-sama asked me and let go of my hands.

I nodded in response and disclosed to him about yesterday's phone call.

That's when I saw the angry expression on my Gray-sama's face while tears streamed down my eyes.

Gray-sama got up and dialled someone's number on his mobile and informed them about everything I had told him a few moments back.

"Okay, I get it. Please register this complaint. Find him as soon as possible. I will inform you as soon as he calls her back. Jellal make sure you find him sooner before he uploads those photos in social media". He said before ending the call.

I hugged him from behind and decided to not let him go until he forgives me. This act of mine caught him off guard.

"Gray-sama, please forgive me" I hugged him while my tears were soaking his t-shirt.

"Juvia, just let go of me"

"Nope, not until, I hear what's in your mind and not until you forgive me," I said while crying and waiting for the worst thing to happen.

'What if Gray-sama doesn't want me anymore?' The very thought made me scared to face him. I couldn't lose him after all this happened.

He forcibly let go of my arms and caught hold of my shoulders.

"Why should I forgive you, Juvia? You have not done anything for me to forgive you. I'm angry that some bastard like him is making my wife suffer like this. As your husband, it's just now I'm finding out about it. 
    Don't worry, once we find him, I will make sure he doesn't cross your or any other girl's path ever again. This time I'm the one who will protect you, Juvia." 

Hearing his words, I couldn't control my emotions and soon hugged him while Gray-sama patted my back to console.

"Gray-sama, I love you. Thanks for believing me"

"I believe you just like you believed my love for you is genuine. I love you too" He said lovingly and kissed my lips which made me believe his words.

"Thank you Gray-sama" I could finally feel relieved and gained confidence that this problem will be solved without much hassle.