I didn’t know what to do.My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest. The music from the speakers was loud, bodies swayed around us, lights flashing across the dance floor, but all I could see was him.Ashton.Sitting at the bar like he owned the damn place.What the hell was he doing here?He wasn’t supposed to be here. Not tonight. Not at this club. Not when I was just trying to escape everything he reminded me of.I could barely keep my feet from trembling. I blinked a few times, thinking maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe it was just someone who looked like him.But no.It was him.The way he sat. The sharp jawline. The shoulders that held stress like armor. The subtle way he scanned the room like he was above it all. Yeah. That was Ashton.My throat went dry.I shifted closer to Jace, but my mind was still racing.Was Ashton watching? Did he see me yet? What would he think? What would he do?Why am I even thinking like this?We’re not together. He has no right to even have an o
I pulled away from him slowly, heart racing, breath uneven, guilt gnawing at my insides like I’d just committed a crime. Because maybe I had. Not legally. But emotionally.Jace leaned back just a little, his eyes scanning mine with worry. He wasn’t upset. He wasn’t angry. He just looked... confused. And a little hurt.“Hey,” he said softly, brushing a thumb across the back of my hand. “Are you okay?”I nodded quickly, then added, “Yeah. I’m okay.”He tilted his head. “Are you sure?”“I just… I'm fine… I promise”His features relaxed a little, but the concern was still there. “Alright then,” he said gently. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push anything. That was on me.”I quickly shook my head. “No, no, you didn’t do anything wrong. I kissed you back. I just—I got in my head.”He nodded, squeezing my hand lightly. “I get it. Seriously. I shouldn’t have gone there without checking first. I was caught in the moment.”“It was a nice moment,” I admitted, giving him a small smile.He chuckled
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