FINDING HER

I didn't sleep that night.

I lay in the guest bedroom, which had become my usual bedroom even though I was supposed to be married, and I listened to the sounds of the mansion settling around me. I listened to Damon's footsteps as he moved through the house. I listened to him talking on the phone to someone, his voice lower and softer than it ever was when he spoke to me.

By the next morning, I had made a decision.

I was going to find out who this woman was. Not because that would make him want me back. Not because I still believed in saving the marriage. But because I needed to understand. I needed to know who was important enough to him that he's change completely like this. Who was worth the intentional gifts and the softness in his voice.

Around 4pm, Damon left the house.

I watched from the upstairs window as he got into his car. He was wearing a black shirt that looked similar to the one he wore the day before, freshly pressed. His hair was styled. He looked like a man going to meet someone he cared about.

I waited fifteen minutes, then got dressed quickly and quietly. I took one of the spare cars from the garage, the one he rarely used, and followed him across the city.

I knew where he was going before we even arrived. The Velvet Room. The underground club where most of the mafia families conducted business. Neutral ground. Dangerous ground.

But I didn't care about danger anymore. I cared about answers.

The bouncer recognized me immediately. "Mrs. Moretti," he said with a nod, letting me in without question.

Inside, the music was loud and the lights were low. Smoke and expensive perfume hung in the air. I kept my head down and moved carefully toward the VIP section. My heart was pounding so hard I thought I might be sick.

I found a spot behind a thick red velvet curtain near their usual table. From there, I could see everything but no one could see me.

Damon was already there with three of his closest friends. Bottles of whiskey and cigars covered the table. They were laughing loudly, the way men do when they feel powerful and untouchable.

I held my breath and listened.

One of his friends, Marco, slapped Damon on the back. "So boss, tell us the truth. How serious is this thing with Silver? You've been acting differently lately."

Damon leaned back with a drink in his hand and smiled. A real smile. The kind of smile that made my stomach twist painfully because I had never seen him smile like that at me.

"Yeah, she's just different," Damon said, and his voice was low but I strained to hear every word. "I've wanted her for a long time and she finally came back in town and fuck, man. She gets me. No drama. No crying. No desperate trying to fix me. Just pure fire. I bought her that diamond necklace last night. You should've seen her face when I put it on her."

The guys cheered and laughed.

Another friend, Rico, raised his glass. "Silver, huh? The one who used to dance at Eclipse? She's bad as hell. So you're finally dropping the dead weight at home?"

My breath caught in my throat.

Dead weight? Was that what Damon allowed his friends call me?

Damon took a slow sip of his whiskey. "Hazel? Yeah. I've been trying to get rid of her for three years. The girl just won't let go. She keeps cooking, buying gifts, waiting up like some loyal puppy. It's pathetic at this point."

The third guy, someone I recognized as Vincent, leaned forward. "So what's the plan? Are you bringing Silver home soon?"

"Already planning it," Damon replied, and there was excitement in his voice. "I want her in my bed. In my house. In my life. Hazel can cry about it or finally sign the papers. Either way, I'm done. Silver is the one I want. She knows this life. She knows how to stand beside a man like me."

They clinked their glasses together and laughed.

But then Vincent leaned back in his chair and his expression shifted.

"Look," he said, and his voice was different from the others. More serious. "I'm going to say something because I'm your friend and I actually give a shit about you. What you're doing to Hazel isn't good, man. It's not cool."

Marco rolled his eyes. "Here we go."

"No, seriously," Vincent continued, ignoring him. "She's a good woman. She's loyal. She's trying. And you're treating her like she's nothing. That's not who you are. That's not the man I know."

"The man I know is finally taking what he wants," Damon said coldly. "And what I want is Silver."

"Silver's a dancer," Vincent said. "She doesn't know you. She's interested in what you can give her. Hazel actually cares about you."

"Hazel's boring," Marco interjected. "Silver's got fire. Vincent, come on, you can't tell me you wouldn't choose Silver over some timid housewife."

"Hazel isn't timid," Vincent said. "She's just patient. And she's better than Silver in every way that matters."

"Then why don't you marry her?" Rico asked mockingly.

Vincent didn't respond. He just looked at Damon with something that looked like disappointment.

"You're going to regret this," Vincent said quietly. "I'm telling you right now, you're going to regret letting her go."

Damon raised his glass. "Then I'll regret it. But at least I'll be happy doing it."

The other guys laughed and moved on to another topic, but Vincent stayed quiet. He sat there nursing his drink and looking like he wanted to be anywhere else.

I pressed myself further into the shadows, my chest heaving with emotion I couldn't quite name. I couldn't believe my ears, I suspected something like this but having it confirm only made my chest feel heavy. I couldn't stay to hear any more, I needed to leave here before I would do something I might regret later.

But as I turned to leave, my foot caught on the edge of the curtain.

It moved. Just slightly. But it was enough to make their heads turn towards my direction.

Damon's head snapped in my direction. His eyes narrowed as he tried to see through the darkness.

I didn't wait.

I turned and walked as fast as I could toward the exit, my heart hammering in my throat. I didn't know if he had seen me. I didn't know if he recognized me.

All I knew was that I couldn't stay there another second.

The cool night air hit my face as I practically ran to the car. I locked the doors and gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white as I let myself cry.

Silver.

The name echoed in my head. A woman who used to dance at Eclipse, a woman with fire. A woman who knew this life and could stand beside him.

My phone started ringing.

It was Damon.

I hesitated before I answered with a shaky voice, trying to sound like I hadn't just ran away from the club like a teenager who had been caught making out in public.

"Hello?" I said.

"Where the fuck are you, Hazel?" His tone was sharp and angry. "I thought I saw you at the club. Were you following me?"

"Me? Following you? No, that wasn't me," I said, and I was surprised at how steady my voice sounded. "I'm still at home. I've been here all day."

There was a pause on his end. "Are you sure? I thought I saw someone who looked just like you."

"Well, I already said it wasn't me," I replied. "It's late. What time are you coming home? I've been..."

But the line went dead before he could answer.

I sat in the car with my hands shaking and my mind racing.

Silver.

Eclipse.

Someone who used to dance there.

There was only one person I knew who fit that description. Only one woman who used to work at Eclipse as a dancer and that was Melissa.

My stepsister.

But no. It couldn't be. Melissa wouldn't do that to me. We had grown up together as sisters. She had held me while I cried about my marriage and encouraged me. She knew how much I loved Damon. She was family. She wouldn't do that to me right?

Even as the thought formed, It sounded like I was trying to convince myself.

Because deep down, I had always known that Melissa was capable of anything. I had just never wanted to believe that anything included betraying me.