[5]

Dalia remained still under the covers while a faint sound of movement came from the other side of the room.

Caius thought she was asleep. She knew because he moved carefully. He barely made a sound as he moved.

Dalia’s heart tightened as she listened to the rustling of clothes, the soft click of his watch against the nightstand, and the sound of his shoes touching the floor.

She was tempted to open her eyes. She wanted to ask him where he was going, she wanted to demand an explanation for everything that had happened since his return.

But she controlled herself by clenching her fist and biting her lip.

Caius's phone began ringing and he answered immediately. “Hello?”

Dalia’s fingers curled beneath the blanket. There was a brief silence before Caius spoke again. His voice was low.

“Yes I’m leaving now,” he paused. “I’ll soon be there.”

Dalia’s heart began beating faster. Where? Where was he going so early? Who would book an appointment before sunrise?

She listened carefully but Caius ended the call before she could grasp anything else.

Caius approached her and leaned over. He placed a kiss on her forehead, “Sleep well, my love.”

Dalia didn’t move as she heard him walk away. The door opened and he left.

Only after minutes did Dalia open her eyes. She stared at the ceiling, and her heart ached.

‘I’ll soon be there,”

Who had called him? Where was he going? And why had he sounded so eager to leave?

Dalia finally sat up. She wiped her eyes and looked toward the empty side of the bed.

For five years, she had woken beside Caius believing she knew the man sleeping next to her. Now, every little thing he did seemed to carry a meaning she couldn’t understand.

She couldn’t remain at home waiting for answers. She needed to see for herself.

After getting dressed, Dalia went to Sylvette’s room and gently woke her. “Sweetheart, wake up.”

Sylvette rubbed her eyes. “Mommy is Daddy here?”

Dalia paused. “No, Daddy already left.”

The sleepy girl's expression fell. “Again?”

Dalia forced a smile. “He had some work to do.”

She helped Sylvette get ready for school, prepared her breakfast, and drove her to school.

At the school entrance, Sylvette hugged her tightly. “When is Daddy coming to pick me up?”

Dalia’s smile weakened. “I’m not sure, sweetheart, but I’ll come for you.”

“Okay.” Sylvette ran toward the school entrance before turning around and waving.

Dalia waved back. The moment the little girl disappeared inside, Dalia’s smile disappeared.

Her hands rested against the steering wheel while her mind battled itself. She could stay home and wait for Caius to return. She could pretend everything was normal.

Or she could go to the company. The company she had handed to her husband because she believed they were building a future together.

Her jaw tightened and she started the engine. She was going to the company. She needed answers!!

***

Something felt wrong as Dalia entered the company. “The Ashbourne Group.” She stopped and looked at the reception area.

The faces were unfamiliar. Almost every person she saw was a stranger. The receptionist behind the front desk looked up at her briefly before returning her attention to the computer.

Dalia slowly looked around. The walls were the same, the floors were the same and the enormous Ashbourne Group emblem still stood behind the reception desk.

But the people were different…completely different. Her heart began to pound. What on earth happened here?

She knew the assistants who had worked beside her when the company was still struggling to establish itself. She remembered celebrating promotions here, conducting meetings in these halls and staying until midnight when important projects needed to be completed. Now, it felt like she had walked into somebody else’s company.

Dalia swallowed. Had Caius replaced the staff? Maybe he had dismissed them after taking over. The thought made her heart ache.

She walked toward the elevators but before she could reach them, a receptionist stepped from behind the desk. “Excuse me, ma’am.”

Dalia stopped. “Yes?”

“Where are you going?”

Dalia looked at her in confusion. “I’m going upstairs.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

Dalia almost laughed. An appointment? She had built this company. “I don’t need an appointment.”

The receptionist’s expression hardened. “Everyone needs an appointment to see Mr. Ashbourne.”

Dalia’s heart skipped. “Mr. Ashbourne?”

The receptionist’s voice was stern.“Yes.”

Dalia remained polite.“I want to see my husband.”

There was a brief silence in the hall. As if she had said something funny. Then one of the employees nearby snorted while another laughed.

Dalia stared at them. “What’s funny?”

The receptionist exchanged a look with her colleague. “Ma’am, if you’re here for business, you need to state your purpose.”

“I just told you.” Dalia’s voice trembled. “I want to see my husband, Caius Ashbourne.”

The laughter grew louder and Dalia’s face flushed. She couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Why are you laughing?”

One of the staff members shook his head. “Ma’am, you can’t just walk in here claiming that you’re Mr. Ashbourne’s wife.”

Dalia stared at him. “Claiming?” The word cut deeper than he could have known. “I am his wife.”

The receptionist sighed. “Please leave.”

Dalia looked around the reception area. “This is my husband’s company I need to see him.”

“You can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because Mr. Ashbourne is busy.”

Dalia’s eyes filled with tears. “Then tell him I’m here.”

The receptionist shook her head. “Ma’am, we’re not going to do that.”

Dalia stepped closer. “Please.” The desperation in her voice made the room quiet. “I only need a few minutes with him.”

The receptionist looked uncomfortable but remained firm. “If you don’t leave, I’ll call security.”

Dalia stood frozen. Security? In her own company. She looked toward the elevators. The same elevators she had used countless times, the same lobby where she had once been welcomed with smiles. Now strangers were threatening to have her removed.

Her eyes burned. “Caius did this?”

The receptionist frowned. “Did what?”

Dalia shook her head. “Nothing.”

She stepped backward. Then another thought occurred to her. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe the employees genuinely didn’t know her because Caius had recently changed the company’s structure. Maybe the situation wasn’t what it seemed.

She wiped the corner of her eye. “Please, just tell me where Caius is.”

The receptionist sighed. “Ma’am, I already told you that you can’t see him.”

Dalia’s voice broke. “I am not asking to see anyone else. I am asking for my husband.”

The words echoed through the reception area and she didn’t care who heard. She didn’t care how desperate she sounded.

She needed Caius. She needed to look into his eyes and ask him what was happening.

One of the employees who had been watching the exchange suddenly spoke. “Mr. Ashbourne isn’t here anymore.”

Dalia turned toward him. “What?”

“He left.” The employee checked his phone. “Just five minutes ago.”

Dalia’s heart sank. “Where did he go?”

The employee shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Dalia stepped closer. “Please.”

The employee looked at her curiously before answering. “He just left with his wife.”

Dalia froze and her entire body went still. “What did you say?”

The employee repeated himself without realizing what his words had done to her. “Mr. Ashbourne just left with his wife, right now.”

Dalia stared at him. His wife?