LOGINNoah’s POVDelia was in the kitchen when I got home. She stood at the counter with a glass of water in her hands, the lights dimmed. She looked up when I closed the door, but she didn’t smile.“You’re late,” she said.“I was with Julian,” I replied.“About what?” she asked.“My father.”She set her glass down, the sound barely audible in the quiet house. “What did he say?”I remained by the door, still holding my keys. “I called him and asked about Tessa. He didn’t deny anything. He told me she was useful and that I should tell you to stop driving past his house.”Delia fell silent, her hands resting on the counter. She didn’t look surprised. Instead, she looked like someone who had been waiting to hear those words but still wished she hadn’t.“Useful,” she repeated. “That’s what he called her?”“Yes,” I confirmed.“And you believe him?”“I believe he didn’t deny seeing her.”She nodded slightly. “So what happens now?”“Now you stop,” I told her. “No more driving past his house, check
Julian’s POVNoah called just after six. I was still at the office. Katia had texted an hour earlier to say she was home with the kids and that I shouldn’t rush. I answered on the second ring.“I spoke to him,” Noah said.“And?” I asked.“He didn’t deny it. He told me Tessa was useful and that I should tell Delia to stop driving past his house.”I closed the folder in front of me. “Did he say anything else?”“He said tools don’t require explanations. Then he hung up.”“Where are you?” I asked.“Still at the office. Marcus is here.”“Stay there. I’m on my way.”I ended the call and texted Katia. Running late. Don’t wait up. She replied with a single word. Okay. I locked the folder in the drawer, turned off the lights, and drove across town with the radio off.Marcus and Noah were in the small conference room when I arrived. The folder was open on the table between them. Noah looked exhausted, while Marcus had the same expression he always wore when he’d already made up his mind about s
Noah's POVDelia was already gone when I woke up. Her side of the bed was cold. I lay there for a minute, listening to the house. The shower was not running, and the kitchen was quiet. I got up, pulled on a shirt, and went downstairs. Her keys were missing from the bowl by the door. I stood in the kitchen, staring at the empty coffee machine, trying to remember the last time she had left without saying anything.My phone was on the counter. I picked it up and scrolled through the messages. Nothing from her. There was one from Marcus about a meeting later. I set the phone down and started the coffee. While it brewed, I opened the laptop that had been left closed on the counter the night before. The calendar was still open on the screen. I scrolled through it the way she must have. Most of the entries were short. One lunch was marked with a single letter. T. No location. No notes. I stared at it until the screen dimmed, then closed the laptop and poured myself some coffee.I called her.
DeliaI told myself I was not going back. I said it out loud in the car on the way home the first time, then again the second time. By the third afternoon, the words had stopped meaning anything. The road past Elliot's house was still the longer route. I took it anyway.The light was different this time. It was later, and the sky had already started to fade at the edges. Tessa's car was parked in the driveway when I slowed down. My stomach tightened. Then the front door opened, and Tessa stepped outside. She was alone, her coat hanging open. She turned once toward the house before walking to her car, the way someone turns when they are still half in a conversation. Elliot did not come outside. She got in, started the engine, and pulled out of the driveway. I kept driving. My hands were steady on the wheel, but my stomach was not.At home, Noah was already in the kitchen. He had made pasta, and the pot was still on the stove. He looked up when I came in and smiled the way he always did
Delia’s POVI took the long way home on purpose. The road that passed Elliot’s house wasn’t the fastest route, but it was the one I kept choosing. I told myself it was because the traffic was lighter, although lately, I had been telling myself a lot of things.Tessa’s car was in the driveway again. It wasn’t parked near the gate like it had been the last two times. This time, it was closer to the house, the way someone parks when they’ve been invited inside and have no reason to leave in a hurry. I slowed down without meaning to. The windows were dark, and nobody came outside.I had seen her leaving once before, late at night, with her coat draped over her arm and the ends of her hair still wet. That night, I had convinced myself it was a meeting that had run late, and I was still trying to believe that explanation. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and kept driving.When I got home, I stood in front of the open fridge longer than necessary, feeling the cold air against my fac
Julian’s POVMarcus called while I was still sitting in my car outside the office, and I answered on the first ring.“He checked in two days ago,” Marcus informed me. “Different hotel, different name. He left a message with the front desk saying he was ready to talk if I came alone.”I pulled over before asking, “Which hotel?”“The one on the west side. Room 412. He hasn’t left since he arrived. Housekeeping went in once, but he told them to leave the towels and get out.”“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I told him.“Do you want me to come with you?” Marcus asked.“No. Stay at the office. If this is another game, I don’t want him seeing both of us.”Marcus was quiet for a moment before continuing. “He said he has the folder.”“I know,” I replied.I ended the call and turned the car around. The hotel was a mid-range place with a parking lot facing the highway. I took the stairs instead of the elevator and found Room 412 at the end of the hallway. I knocked once, and Jude opened the d
~Katia~“Get out!” my mom screamed, her voice tearing through the hallway like a bomb going off in a small room.The sound hit the walls and bounced back so violently, like the house itself was flinching. Even the air felt startled, buzzing with the kind of tension that makes your skin crawl. My he
~Katia~I woke up to the sour taste of bile creeping up my throat, and my legs threw me out of bed before my brain could even catch up. The morning light seared into my eyes like punishment, and I stumbled across the cold floor, my feet slapping against the wood, straight into the bathroom. My knee
~Katia~"Do you know how hard I've been holding myself?" I didn't answer because all I wanted was to get laid. I could still feel the ache between my legs. He carried my bridal style and led me to his hotel room. "Now, I can fuck you however I want because you are now my wife, princess." The room
KatiaI woke up to the sound of people singing badly.“Happy birthday to you...” I blinked hard against the sunlight filtering through the curtains, my brain slow to reboot. The voices were getting louder, and for a second, I thought I was dreaming. A really weird, off-key dream.“Happy birthday, d







