At this point, I didn’t even know what to say.He was sitting there, eyes soft, voice low, just waiting for me to talk about my first heartbreak. And I wanted to. I really did. But my throat felt tight. My chest was heavy. My heart was beating so loud, I was sure he could hear it.I didn’t want to lose him. Not now. Not when things were finally starting to feel right.But how do you even begin to say I’m still married? That my husband is Ashton—the same Ashton funding the very project Jace is managing. The same Ashton I’ve been trying to leave for months but still haven’t cut off completely.He didn’t know. Not a clue.And if I told him now? Would he walk? Would he pull back all the softness, the attention, the peace he’s given me?I blinked hard and looked away.“Can we… talk about something else?” I said, my voice barely there.He paused.“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “We don’t have to go there.”I gave him a small smile, grateful. “Thanks.”He reached out, touched my hand—light, easy,
Now we get to this place… and it’s calm. Very peaceful. The building’s tall, really tall. All glass. The entrance is spotless, sleek. Security in black suits stand near the doors like they’re guarding treasure.As the car slows down, a guy in uniform steps up and opens my door like I’m royalty. I step out, taking it all in.“Where are we?” I ask, staring up.Jace just smiles. “Wait and see.”We walk in. The lobby’s glowing. Marble floors. A chandelier the size of a car hanging from above. The air smells like fresh-cut flowers and money. Smooth jazz plays low in the background.“This is... fancy,” I whisper.He taps the elevator button. “Only the best. For the best, of course.”“I thought we were getting food.”He laughs. “We are.”The elevator doors open, and we step inside. He presses the button for the top floor.“Penthouse?” I ask, raising a brow.“Maybe.”I roll my eyes, but I’m grinning. The ride up is smooth. When the doors open, there’s just one hallway. Then one door.He pull
“Thank you,” I said quietly, sliding into the passenger seat.He gave me that soft smile as he closed the door gently, like I was something he didn’t want to break. Then he walked around, got in on his side, and started the car. The engine hummed, and soft music filled the space. Afterwards, the A/C kicked in low.“I’m glad you made time for me tonight,” he smiled, giving me that look, warm, familiar, steady. “I know your schedule’s insane.”I leaned my head back, smiling. “Please. Like you’re not just as busy.”He shook his head as he pulled out of the driveway. “Nah. You’re on another level. You’re like... a CEO or something.”I laughed. “CEO of what exactly?”“Everything,” he answered, grinning. “You’ve got meetings, shoots, interviews, events... and somehow still manage to light up Instagram like it's your main hustle.”I laughed harder. “You’re ridiculous.”He glanced at me, amused. “I’m just saying... when you start your empire, I’m buying stock.”I looked at him, raising a bro
I was just moving to the beat, trying to push the world out of my head. The crowd was thick, the lights spinning, music loud enough to numb everything. I had told myself I needed this. I needed to breathe. I needed to forget.But that was before I saw her.Before my entire world flipped in one blink.I caught it out of the corner of my eye—movement, a flash of black, a familiar curve in a silhouette. My eyes shifted fast. My body paused like it had hit an invisible wall.And there she was."Fuck..." I whispered it to myself, barely able to hear my own voice over the bass.But I knew what I was seeing.Helen.My Helen.Right there, not twenty feet from me. Not in my dreams. Not in some tabloid photo. Right there.Dancing.With him.The same damn guy I saw her with in the article. The same man who got to stand beside her, laugh with her, talk to her like they shared something.And now?Now they were dancing.She was laughing, her arms casually draped around his neck like they’d done thi
I was just moving to the beat, trying to push the world out of my head. The crowd was thick, the lights spinning, music loud enough to numb everything. I had told myself I needed this. I needed to breathe. I needed to forget.But that was before I saw her.Before my entire world flipped in one blink.I caught it out of the corner of my eye—movement, a flash of black, a familiar curve in a silhouette. My eyes shifted fast. My body paused like it had hit an invisible wall.And there she was."Fuck..." I whispered it to myself, barely able to hear my own voice over the bass.But I knew what I was seeing.Helen.My Helen.Right there, not twenty feet from me. Not in my dreams. Not in some tabloid photo. Right there.Dancing.With him.The same damn guy I saw her with in the article. The same man who got to stand beside her, laugh with her, talk to her like they shared something.And now?Now they were dancing.She was laughing, her arms casually draped around his neck like they’d done thi
I needed air.No, scratch that—I needed a whole damn reset. My head was spinning, my chest tight, and if I stared at one more spreadsheet, I was going to lose it completely.I leaned back in my chair, eyes closed, trying to breathe. Helen’s smile—that smile—was still in my head, replaying on a loop. And that man standing next to her? I didn’t even know his name, but I wanted to erase his face from existence."Nah," I muttered under my breath. "I need out."I stood up, pushed my chair back, and marched toward the office door. Dan’s desk was just a few steps down the hall. I found him leaning over his monitor, typing like he was finally trying to finish that damn presentation I’d asked for days ago."Dan," I called out to him. He looked up, raising a brow. "Yeah?""We’re going to the club."He paused, eyes widening. "Wait, what?""The club," I said again, grabbing my phone and tossing it into my coat pocket. "I need to clear my head."Dan leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Oh, now