ログインI woke up to the feeling of an unfamiliar ceiling. For a split second, my mind drifted, reaching for the familiar warmth of the body usually next to mine, the scent of expensive cologne, and the heavy weight of Eric’s arm across my waist.I sat up, my head swimming. The guest room was unfamiliar, stripped of the personal touches. I felt a rush of emotions—anger, grief, and a cold, hard resolve. I remembered the sound of Eric’s fist against the door last night, the desperate, angry edge to his voice.‘I must be imagining things,’ I thought, pulling myself out of bed. ‘He wasn't knocking to apologize. He was knocking to reclaim his property.’ I checked the clock. It was getting late. I didn't want to be late for work.I dressed quickly, choosing a professional outfit. As I walked down the grand staircase, the low hum of chatter reached my ears. I stopped dead in my tracks. It sounded like Chloe. A small, genuine smile touched my lips; I needed my sister righ
It was around 3:00 AM when the low hum of the engine cut through the silence in the estate. The sound of tires against asphalt alerted the security detail that the master of the house had returned, but Eric didn't care who he alerted. He was dead tired, his bones aching from a day of corporate warfare that felt like it would never end.His footsteps were heavy, echoing off the marble floors as he walked into the house. He was greeted by a cold, empty, hollow silence residing within the place he called home. Usually, there was a faint scent of Autumn’s perfume or a light left on in the parlor, but tonight, the mansion felt devoid of life. It felt like a museum,beautiful, expensive, and dead.He walked straight toward the kitchen, the dim night lights casting long, distorted shadows on the walls. He poured himself a glass of water, his hand trembling slightly from fatigue. He stood there in the dark, staring out the window at the moonlit grounds, contemplating everything.The stress of
“Sister-in-law... who was that man who dropped you off?”Sophia’s voice was like honey poured over a razor blade. I turned toward her, giving her the nastiest glare I could muster. She was standing in the center of the foyer, looking entirely too comfortable in my home.“Sister-in-law, does Bro not satisfy you anymore?” she added, gasping dramatically with her hand covering her mouth as if she’d stumbled upon a scandalous secret. “Is that why you’re taking late-night rides with strangers?”The sheer nerve of her. The absolute, unadulterated audacity. “Are you so shameless that you assume everyone is as filthy as you are?” I said, my voice cutting through the air like a knife. I didn't care about being polite anymore. My marriage was on life support, and I wasn't going to let this parasite pick at the remains.“Sister-in-law, what are you talking about?” Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second, her eyes darting to Eric before she regained her composure. “Me and Bro are just frien
I stepped into the building with a somber expression that felt like a permanent mask. I tried my best to interact with the other employees, offering small nods and forced smiles, but it was like they could sense the radioactive cloud of my mood. They gave me a wide berth, sensing that I wasn't in the spirit for the usual morning pleasantries.The weekend had been a grueling exercise in faking it. I’d spent Saturday bonding with my son, trying to lose myself in his laughter and the simple logic of fishing, but my mind was a million miles away. Sunday had been even worse, spent with Chloe. I tried to be in high spirits, but both of them could see right through my bullshit. They chose not to say anything, but the silence was heavy.I knew Chloe sensed the tectonic plates of my marriage shifting. She stayed out of it, refusing to pick a side, but her quiet withdrawal told me exactly whose "side" she was in at that moment. You could never outrun blood, no matter how muc
“Didn’t I ask you a question?”He roared out. The sound vibrated in the space of the bedroom, shattering the calm I’d tried to build in the shower. I stood there, frozen like a deer in headlights, the damp towel suddenly feeling like lead against my skin. This was not how I wanted this to go. I had planned for a conversation, a bridge back to "us." Instead, I was staring at a bridge that was currently being burned to the ground.“Autumn, am I not speaking to you, or have you suddenly gone mute?” He moved faster than I could track, his hand seizing my arm. His grip was a vice, a physical manifestation of the control he was losing over the situation.I was suddenly afraid. Not just of his anger, but of the realization that I didn’t know this man as well as I thought. “It’s a compliance firm,” I managed to stutter out. I tried to sound convincing, tried to sound brave but it was mostly for my own benefit. I sounded small. I hated it.“A compliance firm. And let me guess—Sebastian Thorne
I stared absentmindedly at my computer screen, the flickering cursor mocking my lack of productivity. My thoughts kept reversing back to Eric’s behavior from yesterday—the cold, calculated way he’d dismantled Eleanor until she ran away like she’d seen a ghost. I’d seen him angry before, but that? That was a different beast. It was a predator asserting dominance without even raising his voice.I ran my hand through my hair, a habit I’d been repeating all morning until my scalp felt raw. One thing was for sure: I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that particular brand of fury.But even as the fear prickled at my skin, a deeper, more jagged resentment was taking root. I was already contemplating this entire marriage. Yes, I loved him—God help me, I did—but I was never going to play second fiddle to some "pick-me" bitch like Sophia. The necklace he’d given her, the house he’d provided... It was the last straw. The dismissive way he’d acted lately sealed it for me. I felt like a tr
I had spent the last few days trying to settle into the new house in Edinburgh. On the outside, everything looked perfect. The stone walls were strong, the air was fresh, and we were far away from the chaos of London. But inside the house, a different kind of war was starting.I had tried to get to
Eric’s POVWe sat in her modest living room and talked about a few things. As the hours went by, I got to know so much more about Autumn’s childhood than I ever expected. If the stellar grades I had seen in the files were not enough, the physical proof of her achievements sparked even more respect
Autumn’s POVWe had finally arrived in Edinburgh. After the flight and the long drive from the private airfield, I was physically exhausted. The city was beautiful even in the dark, with its old stone streets and the looming castle in the distance, but I was too tired to truly appreciate
Eric’s POV"—so that's why it's important I go do this alone," I said to Autumn. I didn't look at her as I spoke, focusing instead on the metal teeth of my suitcase as I pulled the zipper shut. The sound was loud in the quiet bedroom, echoing like a final decision."But still, I







