Mag-log inRichard's POVMandy was always Melanie’s shield. The one who hyped her up. The one who covered for her. The one who justified every ridiculous thing Melanie ever did.So why break loyalty now?Guilt?Fear?A conscience finally waking up?Or… something darker?I gripped the wheel tighter.I hated that I was even thinking this way.Hated that suspicion had turned into something feral inside me.But I couldn’t turn it off.I couldn’t unhear Sam’s voice.I couldn’t forget the way Melanie panicked when the call came in.I couldn’t unsee her slipping into the bathroom the moment I walked toward the room.Everything pointed to something.Something she didn’t want me to know.As the hotel came into view in the distance, a small, nagging voice in my head whispered—What if Mandy tells you exactly what you’ve been trying not to believe?I drove into the parking lot and killed the engine.For a moment, I didn’t move.I sat there with my hands resting on the steering wheel, staring at the entranc
Richard's POV“Richard,” he said slowly, “do you hear yourself? You’re talking like you’ve already been replaced.”I clenched my teeth. “Then explain why she jumps when her phone rings. Explain why she hides where she goes. Explain why she looks like she’s afraid to breathe around me.”“Maybe therapy shook her a little,” Vincent suggested. “Maybe she’s thinking. Processing. Maybe she’s scared you’ll leave her.”“She should be scared,” I muttered before I could stop myself.Vincent’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Careful.”I exhaled, bitter. “I didn’t mean it like that.”“Didn’t you?” he asked simply.I didn’t answer.Because maybe part of me did.The silence stretched for a moment before Vincent broke it.“Okay. Let’s talk strategy.”I straightened a bit.“First,” he said, “we wait for the spy’s update. That’s the most practical step.”“And second?” I asked.“Second…” He paused. “You keep acting normal.”I blinked. “Normal?”“Yes,” he said with irritating calmness. “If you act suspicious,
Richard's POV Vincent raised his glass and took a sip. “And if she is?” I looked up at him, and for a moment, the room was silent. Pain settled heavy in my chest, heavier than expected. "If she's having an affair," I said slowly, "then I'll know what to do next. I haven't figured that part out yet." Vincent didn't probe into what that meant. He didn't have to. He'd known me long enough to read my silences. "So," he said after a beat, "what was she doing when Sam called?" "Acting nervous," I said without hesitation. "Too nervous. She said the call wasn't important but she hesitated. She looked guilty before she even said a word." “And you?” Vincent asked. “What did you do?” "I asked her to pick up with loudspeaker." He smirked a little. “Of course you did.” “She demurred,” I went on. “Too much. The phone stopped ringing and she acted relieved. But I told her to call him back. Vincent cocked his head. "Bold. “She called him,” I said. “And the second he picked, her tone chan
Richard's POVI left Melanie in the room and went to my study. I tried to study for a while, flipping through the pages like the words could distract me, but my mind refused to settle. Everything felt messy, inside my head. The expression in the therapy session made my thoughts spin. The tremble, in her voice when Sam called made me nervous. The way her eyes darted away when I pressed her for answers made the confusion grow. I could not find a path through the jumble of feelings that the expression, the tremble and the eyes left behind.I leaned back in the chair. I closed my eyes for a moment.Something made me look at the door. I saw the faintest glimpse of Melanie’s face peeking at me from the hallway. My heart beat faster.I grabbed my phone. Called Vincent. Vincent picked up on the ring.I heard the man say, "Hey Richie what is the matter?”"We need to meet," I said.There was a pause. I heard the tone shift. The speaker said, "Alright. You can come to the place.”“I’ll be on
Melanie's POVI swallowed and forced myself to breathe evenly.“It wasn’t important,” I told Richard, keeping my voice steady even though my pulse was everywhere but calm.Richard didn’t look convinced for even a second.His eyes narrowed slightly, unreadable. “Who’s Sam? Is that the same Sam I know?”My breath hitched. I nodded, even though every fiber in my body screamed to avoid this conversation. “Yes… he’s the same Sam.”Richard exhaled slowly and placed his hand on his waist, that posture he always took when he was trying very hard not to lose his temper.“Alright,” he said. “Pick up the call. Put it on loudspeaker.”My stomach dropped. “Richard—”“No.” His voice was calm, firm, inarguable. “Pick it up. Loudspeaker.”My fingers felt cold. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want Sam involved in anything that concerned my relationship. I didn’t want Richard thinking something that wasn’t true. I didn’t want drama on a day that had already drained me mentally.I hesitated, but Richard d
Melanie's POVFinally, I forced myself to speak.“It’s… been a while,” I admitted. My voice was small. Almost embarrassed.Richard didn’t add anything. He didn’t correct me. He didn’t disagree. That alone was enough confirmation.Shea nodded, not with judgment, but with professional concern.“You need to work on that as well,” she said. “Physical intimacy isn’t just sex, it’s connection. Distance in that area often reveals emotional tension that hasn’t been addressed.”I swallowed. Hard.She wasn’t wrong.“Sexual tension that builds without release can become dangerous,” she added with a firm but calm tone. “Not just physically, but emotionally. It creates room for resentment, suspicion, and disconnect.”Her gaze shifted between the two of us.“I’m not saying you must force anything. But you do need to rebuild closeness little by little. Create opportunities for softness, for touch, for familiarity. Because intimacy dies long before the relationship does, and you two are on that brink







