Chapter 2:

KAYLA’S POV:

After the call with Marie, I knew I couldn’t bring myself to go home to Archie. I couldn’t face him. Yes, he was a useless man, but cheating on him still didn’t feel right, even though he was a two-faced, lying bastard. I took a deep breath as I realised my emotions were beginning to get the best of me. My mind drifted back to Lucan. The inside of my thighs was still coated in my juices, evidence of what had happened between us. My thoughts pulled me back to him again. He was a powerful man, powerful but also shady, but unlike Archie, He didn’t hide under a mask. He had always been vocal about what he wanted from the start.

I remember the night I met Lucan Vesley. Archie had organized a gala to celebrate his twenty-eighth birthday. Only a narcissist like Archie would throw such a glamorous event to mark something as trivial as turning twenty-eight. It was a glamorous event indeed; there were high-end London socialites everywhere dressed in their finest, all desperately trying to outshine each other. Polished shoes, shimmering gowns, and ironed tuxedos filled the room. I hated how everyone was nice to each other as if they were not enemies in the corporate world.

I entered the gala with my usual grace, trying to ignore the stares and murmurs of disgust that followed me. I was not new to it; these stares had followed me all my life, being a bastard daughter of one of the most influential families in London did not come easy. My father spent his whole life protecting and sheltering me; if only he knew, the people I needed protection from were within his circle. If I thought being a bastard was enough to get stigma, I got married to Archie Williams. One of the most successful and eligible bachelors in London. If only they knew, I had done the society a favor by marrying that piece of shit. I ignored their stares of disgust as I walked around the gala, smiling politely at familiar faces and exchanging pleasantries with those who cared. In everything, I tried to maintain my composure, but I hated every single one of their guts.

Archie approached me from behind, placing his hands around my small waist, planting a kiss behind my neck. I smiled politely, turning fully towards him so he didn’t have access to my neck.

“Darling, you look ravishing tonight.” He said, going in for another kiss on my forehead. “Thank you, my love. Happy birthday.” I smiled at him, looking deeply into his blue eyes. His eyes that once held so much promise, but now, looking into them, they looked so empty, I couldn’t find the charm that drew me in in the first place. How could he still be normal after all the lies and deceit? “Come with me, I have someone I want you to meet.” I followed him, a part of me curious.

It was then that I saw him, Lucan Vesley; something made him stand out in the crowd. Apart from the fact that he was extremely tall, He was 6ft5 with shoulders so broad I could see his muscles bulging through his tuxedo. His dark hair was neatly swept back, highlighting high cheekbones and a jaw so sharp it seemed it could prick my finger if I touched it. But it wasn’t just his face that stood out; there was this aura about him that screamed danger and power all in one. As Archie and I approached, he didn’t seem interested in us as he simply observed his surroundings, looking bored. Before I knew it, we were in front of him.

“Lucan Vesley, I want you to meet my wife, Kayla.” Archie’s hand slid to my waist as he pulled me closer, his lips brushing my forehead in a possessive display that was meant to fool the public, but certainly not the man standing before us because he wasn’t interested in us in the slightest. Lucan’s gaze barely touched me; it was a cold, brief, dismissive sweep. No curiosity or acknowledgement whatsoever. Just… nothing.

Archie waited for Lucan’s approval like a schoolboy desperate for praise, and that was what he was, Archie never failed to carry me around like the perfect trophy wife. Lucan gave a single nod. Cold, that is the word to describe the man in front of me. A gesture that felt less like acknowledgment and more like pure disinterest. Archie’s fingers dug harder into my waist, a light bruise forming. I held my smile in place, hoping it wouldn’t turn into a grimace.

“Archie Williams.” It was the first time I heard Lucan speak, and his voice was smooth like silk, his tone was calm yet it commanded attention. “I was informed you’re seeking a partnership with Vesley Bullion Refinery.” His eyes eventually returned to Archie, cutting through him with obvious disinterest. “After the party, we’ll speak. You can present whatever it is you think will be beneficial to both of us.”

He didn’t wait for an agreement. His attention simply flicked to me just once, and then he walked away. Then he walked away, and somehow the room felt colder behind him.

I saw the vein pulsing hard along the left side of Archie’s forehead. I knew if I didn’t calm him down, he would explode, and even after two years of marriage, his anger still came like a storm I was never prepared for. His fingers dug into my waist, bruising me more than he already had. I turned slowly to face him, lifting a steady hand to his chin despite the pain I felt, trying to soften his rage. I pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Don’t le—” Before the words formed, his hand snapped up, clamping around my chin. His fingers crushed into my jaw, forcing my face upward. And then he kissed me. Violently, not in the passionate, desirable way spouses kiss their significant other. It was his way of punishing me for his humiliation.

His mouth slammed against mine, bruising and tearing my flesh. His teeth scraped and crushed my lips, not in any form of seduction, but in pure, unfiltered anger, Archie’s anger. In that twisted, narcissistic mind of his, this was my fault. I was to blame for Lucan Vesley treating us like we were insignificant. My lips burned with each rough drag of his mouth, and when I tasted blood, I swallowed it quietly. I kept my composure because we were surrounded by people; to outsiders, Archie was passionately making out with his partner, but after experiencing Archie behind closed doors, there was nothing passionate about this encounter. So I stood there and let him take out his fury on me, because in that moment, I wasn’t his wife. I was his outlet.

“Mr. Archie Williams! The man of the night,” an older gentleman boomed as he walked up to us from behind. “And I truly admire how much you cherish your wife.” He said with a knowing glint in his eyes. Archie released me gently, a stark contrast to how he had just handled me, his charming facade back in place. “Mr Vincent Rhode, I am so glad you could make it.” I politely excused myself, kissing Archie on his cheeks despite how bruised my lips felt. As I moved farther away from them, their conversation became faint.

I needed alcohol. I moved towards the bar at the far end of the room. I felt the tingling in my system from the thought of alcohol. I wasn’t an addict, but when you are married to someone like Archie Williams. Alcohol becomes your best friend. “Please, give me your strongest alcohol,” I smiled politely to the bartender. He nodded, heading back to mix what I hoped would be strong enough to make this night more bearable.

As I waited for my drink, a sharp, high-pitched laugh cut through the background music. Oh God, please, let this not be who I think it is. But of course, because my night wasn’t bad enough, the universe answered with the one voice I prayed never to hear again. “Well, well… Kayla Williams. Drinking alone? Where is your husband?” The voice belonged to none other than Vanessa Crest. Her name alone made my spine stiffen. She slid beside me with the confidence of someone who knew she could have the world at her feet, and she could.

Vanessa was the heir of the Crest jewels, the biggest dealers in all kinds of rare gemstones in the whole of London. We used to be best of friends growing up, but Vanessa woke up on a fateful day and decided we were better off enemies with no explanation, and our relationship wasn’t the same. She gave me a slow, mocking once-over. “That dress is… brave.” My jaw clenched, I didn’t mind her because I knew my dress was beautiful, it was simple but elegant, a black long halter neck corporate gown that left my back bare showcasing my black floral tattoo, and also the back of my thighs exposed, it was moderate but provocative in a teasing kind of way. I didn’t reply her; I impatiently tapped my fingers, waiting for the bartender to bring my drink, and I ignored her, hoping she would get the hint. She didn’t. “Oh, don’t sulk,” she chirped, tapping the bar with her manicured nail. “Tell me, did your darling Archie forget you here? Or maybe he finally traded you in for something… far better?” I bit my already bruised lips to keep my irritation in check. “Vanessa, not tonight,” I muttered under my breath. She laughed so loud, we caught the attention of an older couple, who, like bees attracted to honey, began to approach.