3

The TV was on, low volume, just noise filling the room. I wasn’t really watching or listening, I just lay on the couch of the studio apartment I had been secretly paying for behind everyone’s back, it was the only thing I had to my name, and I’d felt so guilty each time I removed a small portion of my monthly allowance to pay for it, it felt disloyal to have property behind my husband’s back, after all we were a team, but little did I know the asshole was cheating on me and this place would come in handy at my lowest.

It was at an old building on the outskirts of the city, so immediately after the club, I got an drove to a secured location and parked my car before getting a cab that brought me here, it was the only way I was going to get away from everyone and figure out a way forward without being tracked down by either my lunatic husband, his family or mine.

I hadn’t even bothered to check my phone in the last week, all I wanted was peace and quiet and I made sure of it cause on the second day, I switched off my phone and the TV, I’d only turned it on today to help me keep touch with reality cause I felt like I was going to run mad being unable to figure out a plan for my life.

I stared absent mindedly at the small screen till something caught my attention and I sat up straight to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Lo and behold, on the screen was my picture, and name with a heading at the top, CEO Lucas Xavier’s wife goes missing.

Was this a fucking joke.

Angry, I took my phone out of the drawer, switched it on and called the one person that caused all this.

“What the hell is wrong with you!” I snapped at Lucas the second he picked up the phone.

“Took you long enough.” He responded calmly like he’d been waiting for this moment. “I knew that would have you crawling out of whatever hole you’re hiding in.”

“…sources close to the family say concern is growing…” I read what was on the screen out loud. “Lucas!”

“Where are you?” He answered unbothered by my reaction. “The driver will come and get you.”

 “Why am I on the news, Lucas?” My voice came out louder than I meant. “Why does it say I’m missing?”

“You are missing,” he said simply.

“I am not missing!”

“You left without telling anyone,” he replied. “What would you call that?”

Anger burned through my chest.

god he was a lunatic, how on earth had I not seen this earlier?

“This is just the beginning, Eva.”

The way he said it made my stomach twist with fear and disgust.

“If you don’t come to my office in the next hour,” he continued, his tone dropping slightly, “things are going to get much worse for you.”

And with that, the line went dead.

My brain froze for a moment as I stared at my picture, missing person, things will get much worse for me…. Lucas truly wasn’t messing around, he was pissed off and he was going to show it. I sighed shaking my head, I should have known better than to disappear for a week and think he’d let me be and focus on his mistress.

His office was at the last floor of the building, the executives floor, a place I felt pride walking into each time I came here, but now, all I felt was anger and shame, had Lucas brought her here too, paraded her in front of everyone and the looks they’d always given me weren’t of admiration, but pity.

I shook away the thoughts and walked through the building not bothering to look at anyone, I was on a mission, I was going to end things with my husband once and for all and I was going to walk away freely. I stepped into the elevator but before the doors could close, a hand held it open, it was the CFO, and behind her were people I’d never seen before, except one man, I almost didn’t recognize him at first, but his defined jaw, dark hair and muscular build were almost impossible to miss.

“Good morning Mrs. Xavier,” The CFO greeted as he let the 5 people, 2 women and 3 men enter then she did the same.

“Morning.” I mumbled trying to hide my face but it was too late, from the heated sensation, I could tell he’d already seen me.

I was never one to believe in luck, be it good or bad, but today, I truly believed my name had been written on the unlucky list a trillion times, it was the only way to explain what was happening here, why the hell was the handsome stranger from the club here, at my husband’s office riding in the same flipping elevator as me.

After we both came off the intoxicating high of the last mind blowing orgasm and reality came crashing in on me, I quickly slipped on his shirt grabbed my dress off the floor and ran out the door faster than Bolt before he could catch me or say a word. For the past few days all I could think about was how I’d cheated too and how Lucas was going to ruin me if he found out, the only thing that made me feel at ease was that I was never going to see him again in my life, but guess what—the universe was not my best friend.

“Ladies, and gentlemen, apologies for the informal introduction, this is the CEO Mr. Xavier’s wife, Mrs. Evangeline Xavier.” She introduced.

Carrying the Xavier name had always given me much pride from the moment I got married, I barely even used my last name, but for some reason, it took everything in me not to correct her, I didn’t want anything to do with the name Xavier or title of ‘the CEO’s wife’ and it wasn’t because of the cheating.

“Mrs. Xavier, this is Mr. Duke-”

“Duke?” I repeated my eyes going wide, it was impossible to keep composure when bomb after bomb kept being dropped on me.

How did I not realize this, he was the Mr. Duke, a man that owned an investment firm, Lucas had been talking about him for weeks on end. In my mind he had to be an old man to have become that rich and important, not a tall, handsome, well-mannered man built like a Greek god who goes to clubs and has sex with a woman he just met. Someone with the amount of power and influence he had shouldn’t be that reckless.

“You can call me Theo or Theodore.” Theodore smirked offering a hand and I stared at it for a long moment before taking it.

It’s like he was electricity because the second my hand touched his, I was taken back to the night at the club when he…..

“Stop it Evangeline.” I scolded myself and pulled away my hand before the flashbacks of how he ruined me filled my mind.

This was neither the time nor place to be reminiscing over a reckless night.

“Mr. Duke is just fine.” I stated making his smirk only widen with amusement.

“He and his team will be here for a while, I was just showing them around.” The CFO said pulling my attention away from the sexy man standing inches from me his earthy and leather scent infiltrating my nose.

“Ok.” I nodded curtly maintaining composure.

For the rest of the ride, I remained quiet and looked straight ahead making sure to ignore his heated gaze that was on me the entire time, it was as though he cared less for what his tour guide was saying about the company he was about to pour his money into.

“Are you not going to say hi to me, angel?” He whispered loud enough for only me to hear.

I didn’t respond, I just kept my focus on the silver surface despite how my insides clenched at the sound of his husky voice.

‘It was just a few minute, ok, hours of sex Evangeline, get a grip.’ My subconscious scolded.

“Are you just going to ignore me?” He quizzed amusement laced in his tone, and I swear I wanted to smack him, what was there to be amused about, my misery?

The ride up felt like it was taking forever and I didn’t know for how long I could keep my silence, but finally at the 25th floor, the elevator doors slid open and they started making their way out only for Theodore to hold the door open and turn to face me.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, again, Mrs. Xavier,” my titled rolled off his tongue with a look of distaste, it appeared and was gone so fast I thought I’d imagined it. “I look forward to having more interactions with you.”

I chocked on air at his words, what that a promise or a threat? Either way I didn’t want to find out and I wasn’t going to, I was going to do everything in my power to make sure this was the last interaction I ever had with him, as great and explosive as our night was together, I didn’t want anything to do with him be it in bed or business.

He was a one night stand, and it was going to remain like that…..right?

Well that was a question to be answered at another time, for now, I needed to focus all my energy on facing my soon to be ex-husband.