Chapter 3

I shoved the bag deep into the closet.

Cassian took off his suit jacket, his eyes locking onto me.

"Why did you leave early?" His voice was doting.

He walked over and pulled a velvet box from his pocket.

"Saw this in a boutique. Thought it'd look perfect on you."

I opened the box. A plain silver bracelet. Not even a luxury brand.

He leaned in to kiss my cheek.

The moment he got close, a sickly sweet scent hit my nose.

Gardenia perfume. Bianca's favorite.

And right above his collarbone was a glaring red mark. A woman's scratch.

My stomach churned. I snapped my head away, dodging his kiss.

"I'm going to take my makeup off." I kept my voice steady and turned around.

I sat at my vanity, hands shaking.

I reached for my usual rose perfume to mask that disgusting scent.

It was gone.

In its place sat a brand-new bottle of gardenia perfume. Next to it was a whole new skincare set. The exact brands Bianca bragged about.

My breath hitched.

This was my sanctuary. And another woman was quietly invading it.

Shaking, I checked Bianca's private account.

She had just posted.

In the photo, a hotel bed was covered in stacks of velvet boxes. The high-end jewelry from tonight's auction.

The caption read: [I just looked at it a second too long, and he bought me the whole catalog.]

I zoomed in on the photo.

In the corner, crumpled on the rug, was a small shopping bag.

It matched the box with the silver bracelet in my hand perfectly.

It was a cheap freebie from the jeweler. Trash Bianca wouldn't even glance at.

And Cassian had picked up his mistress's unwanted trash, played it off as a gift, and gave it to me with eyes full of love.

In the comments, Bianca replied to a friend.

[I bought some special lingerie to reward him. He's going to lose his mind tonight.]

I sat in the chair, my blood running cold.

Cassian walked into the closet. He saw my pale face in the mirror and frowned, his eyes filling with genuine worry.

"Aria, what's wrong? You look awful."

He walked over to hug me from behind.

Right before his hands touched my shoulders, his phone lit up on the vanity.

I caught it out of the corner of my eye.

It was an explicit photo. Bianca in black lace, her legs wrapped around a man's waist.

Cassian froze.

In a flash, he snatched the phone and slammed it face-down.

He didn't blink. His breathing didn't even hitch. He just added a perfectly measured touch of apology to his voice.

"Aria, family emergency. A shipment got seized at the docks. I have to go."

I looked at this perfect liar. I slowly stood up and grabbed his wrist.

"Cassian," I stared dead into his eyes. My voice was soft. "Don't go. I'm really not feeling well tonight. Stay with me, please?"

This was my final test.

Cassian looked down at me.

His eyes were full of gentle conflict. He stroked my cheek.

"Be good, Aria. Take some meds and get some sleep."

He pressed a devoted kiss to my forehead.

"Tomorrow, I'll charter a jet. We'll fly to Paris for the whole day."