CHAPTER 4

​Adrian’s kiss was deep and firm, pulling Amelia tightly against his chest in the quiet foyer.

​For a moment, all the stress from the evening melted away. Amelia wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss and leaning into his familiar warmth. She felt a massive wave of relief wash over her body. He was here with her, he was hers, and she had worried over nothing. Natalie’s wild assumptions, the blurry photo, the strange watch—it was all just a huge misunderstanding.

​Adrian pulled back just an inch, his warm breath fanning against her lips. He smiled down at her in the dim light of the hallway, his eyes dark with desire.

​"Let's move this to the bedroom," he murmured softly, his voice low and raspy.

Amelia nodded and ​he took her hand, his warm fingers interlacing with hers, and led her down the quiet hallway into their master bedroom. The space was softly lit by the ambient glow of streetlights filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Adrian closed the heavy door behind them, instantly cutting off the rest of the silent penthouse.

The moment the bedroom ​clicked shut he wrapped his arms around her waist again, pulling her flush against his chest as his lips landed on hers agin. They moved toward the king-sized bed and he leaned her down against the sheets, pressing soft, slow kisses against the side of her neck, his hands moving gently down her back.

​Amelia relaxed completely into his embrace, letting all her defenses drop. She buried her fingers in his dark hair, pulling him closer. Eight years of marriage, and moments like this still made her heart beat faster. Everything felt safe again. Everything felt right.

Adrian's hands drifted under the hem of her cardigan, sliding up her skin to cup her breast.... when, his phone on the nightstand buzzed.

​It wasn't a short, quiet text chime. It was a violent, relentless vibration against the hard wood of the nightstand, cutting through the heavy silence of the bedroom like a loud alarm.

​Adrian froze instantly.

​His entire body went completely rigid against hers. For a fraction of a second, his grip on her waist stiffened, his fingers digging into her sweater before slipping away entirely. Before Amelia could even open her mouth to ask who could possibly be calling at midnight, Adrian pulled back from her—fast, sharp, and almost pushing himself away.

​He reached over and snatched the phone off the nightstand.

​Amelia sat up slowly on the edge of the bed, smoothing down her sweater and tossing her hair back over her shoulder. She looked at his face, fully expecting him to tap the mute button or toss the phone back onto the mattress so they could get back to what they were doing.

​Instead, the moment Adrian looked down at the bright screen, his expression transformed.

​The warm, romantic haze from just seconds ago completely vanished. His eyes narrowed into tight slits, his jaw clenched hard, and a cold, rigid tension took over his features.

​He didn't answer it right away. His thumb hovered over the phone for a long second before he slid it to accept the call. But he didn't bring the phone up to his ear yet.

​"I need to take this," he said, his voice flat, clipped, and devoid of any softness.

​Amelia blinked at him, the sudden shift leaving her disoriented. "Now?" she asked softly, looking up at him from the bed. "Adrian, it's midnight. Who is calling you at this hour?"

​"It's about the company's stock," Adrian said quickly, his eyes darting toward the door, avoiding her gaze entirely. "There's an emergency with an overseas account. Just give me a minute."

​Without waiting for her to say another word, he turned on his heel and walked straight toward the glass balcony door. He slid the heavy door open, stepped out into the freezing night air, and immediately pulled the door shut behind him, sealing himself outside.

​Amelia sat alone on the edge of the large bed, her hands resting flat on the mattress as she watched him through the glass.

​Outside on the balcony, Adrian began pacing back and forth across the cold concrete. He pressed the phone tight against his ear, his head turned completely away from the bedroom windows. Even through the double-paned glass, Amelia could see the sharp, angry movements of his jaw as he spoke. His voice was low and fast. Every few seconds, he ran his hand through his hair in frustration, stepping further into the dark shadow of the corner where the streetlights couldn't reach him.

​Five minutes passed.

​Amelia stayed completely still on the bed, her fingers tightening against the bedsheet.

​Ten minutes passed, then ​fifteen minutes.

​Amelia's chest tightened with every tick of the clock. The warm, peaceful feeling that had filled her in the foyer was completely gone now, replaced by a quiet, uncomfortable chill. If it was just a simple work call about stock numbers and overseas accounts, why did he have to run out into the freezing cold to talk? Why couldn't he speak in front of her? She was the executive assistant at Cross Enterprises. She knew their financial structure inside and out. There was no market news that required a secret, hushed conversation on a dark balcony at midnight.

​She looked at the clock on the nightstand. Twenty full minutes had gone by before the balcony door finally slid open with a soft rustle.

​Adrian stepped back into the bedroom, bringing a draft of freezing night air in with him. He slipped his phone deep into his pants pocket, his face pale, distant, and completely drained.

​The intimacy, the romance, and the warmth were entirely dead.

​"Is everything okay with the company?" Amelia asked, keeping her tone as gentle and non-confrontational as possible.

​Adrian didn't look at her. He unbuttoned his shirt with quick, jerky movements, tossed it carelessly over the back of a chair, and walked around to his side of the bed.

​"Yeah. It's handled," he muttered, his voice hollow and tired. "Just some stupid mix-up with the figures. I need to get some sleep. I have an early meeting tomorrow."

"But we were..."

​Adrian slid under the covers and immediately turned his back to her, facing the dark wall.

"I'm sorry Amelia, but l really need to sleep."

​Amelia swallowed hard and sat up in the dim light for a long moment, staring at the hard line of his back. The loving, attentive husband who had held her so tightly in the foyer felt like a complete stranger now.

​She slowly lay back down, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders. Adrian didn't reach out to cuddle her. He didn't offer a gentle kiss on her forehead, nor did he whisper goodnight like he always did. Within two minutes, his breathing slowed down into a heavy, steady rhythm as he fell asleep.

​Amelia lay wide awake in the dark, staring up at the shadows on the ceiling. "What exactly was that call about? and why do I feel so bothered?"