LOGINI started pacing the room, more irritated than afraid. Every few seconds I glanced at the security feed, waiting to see whether Nova and Silas would finally leave or try their luck again. “You said she hadn’t been here in years,” I said, anger sharpening my voice. “How did she show up so fast?” I wanted them to feel what they had been putting us through for years, but not like this. I still needed time. The revenge had to be perfect, and the timing had to be right. Tristan wrapped the towel around his waist calmly. “I agree. Now isn’t the right time. But don’t worry—I changed the password. They’re not getting in.” I let out a short, humorless breath. “Good.” Even so, a quiet frustration lingered. Part of me still wished we could have had more time alone. Then his phone started ringing. Nova’s name lit up the screen. I looked at him, unimpressed. “Are you going to answer her?” “Obviously not. Either way, we need to leave before they see us. We’ll use the back door.” I nodded. We
I knocked twice the following evening, glancing around anxiously. I had lied to Silas and told him I was staying at my parents’ house. The apartment sat in a remote area where almost no one passed by. I had taken a cab so I wouldn’t leave any traces. Honestly, I still wasn’t sure what I had come here to do, but I was here anyway.The door opened. Tristan stood there as if he had been expecting me. He wore loose sweater pants and a simple vest. My eyes dropped for a second to the clear shape of his body before I forced them back up. A strange mix of discomfort and something sharper passed through me.“You’re welcome,” he said, holding the door open.“Thank you.” I stepped inside slowly.“You can have a seat.”I sat down, still feeling out of place. The house was large and quiet. I didn’t know what to say. When he handed me a glass of wine I took it, sipped once, and set it on the table.“Did you have any trouble finding the place?”“No,” I answered quickly.“Alright. Do you mind if I s
“What are you talking about?” I stammered, unable to process everything. “You knew?”He let out a low, breathy laugh under his breath. Slowly, he stood and walked around his desk before leaning against the edge, his expression completely calm, almost as if he had been waiting for this day to come. He crossed his arms, adjusted his glasses, and looked directly at me.“Yes, Mrs. Valarie. I’ve known everything for the past five months.”“What?” My eyes widened. “How? How come you never told me anything?”“Because I didn’t want you to think I was trying to ruin your marriage. Or your friendship with Nova. I saw how close the two of you were.”“Jesus Christ.” I pressed a hand against my forehead. “And what about the child? Did you know about him too?”“Yes.” He paused, watching me carefully, knowing I wanted to know more. “It was actually through the child that I found out about them. Nova told me she was going to visit her parents, so I stayed home with Leo for a week. Then he fell sick a
By the time I reached home, evening had already settled over the house. God knows how I managed the drive. The entire way back had been nothing but painful screams and raw, breathless crying. My lungs felt heavy, my thoughts tangled and sharp, and I barely remembered the roads I took. One truth, however, stood out with brutal clarity: Nova had been cheating with my husband for years . I remembered how she had always given me advice about my marriage, especially on how to spice up our sex life. Once she had even suggested role-play. When I tried it, Silas claimed he had a phobia for it and refused to touch me for days afterward. Now I was certain she had known exactly what she was doing. She simply hadn’t wanted him touching me. I also remembered how she comforted me every time a pregnancy test came back negative, telling me God would bless me just as He had blessed her. I was pretty by that time she had known Silas was switching my pills, and she had known the child she carried bel
Valerie’s POVHad I known that cleaning my husband’s study, something I rarely did, would uncover the first crack in our seemingly perfect marriage, I would never have done it.Because there, inside a half-opened drawer, my eyes widened at the sight of a stack of documents. I pulled them out slightly, my heart beginning to pound as my eyes landed on the words printed across the first page: “Dissolution of Marriage.” “Child Custody.” My breath caught in my throat.Before I could pull the documents out completely, a voice interrupted me.“Honey?”I froze.“Have you seen my watch?” Silas called softly.I immediately shoved the documents back into the drawer and rushed out of his study, making my way into the hallway before he could see where I had been.“Honey, where have you been? I’ve been calling you.”“Uhmm…” I swallowed, trying to steady my voice. “I was downstairs.”Then I looked at him properly. He was fully dressed, wearing his favorite shirt.“Where are you going?” I asked.He w







