تسجيل الدخولSELENE Ever since that picture of Sebastian and me began circulating online, my phone hadn’t known a moment of peace. Notifications flooded the screen nonstop. Messages. Mentions. Tags. Most of them were from television producers requesting interviews. Others were from people I didn’t even know, tagging me in posts and articles with dramatic headlines. Sebastian Kingsley’s Mystery Wife. The Hidden Mrs. Kingsley Finally Appears. I stood in the hallway of the gallery, leaning lightly against the wall as I scrolled through yet another notification. One of the tags led to a video, and curiosity got the better of me. I tapped on it. A group of hosts sat around a table, enthusiastically dissecting my marriage like it was a puzzle they had been waiting years to solve. They tossed around theories—why Sebastian had never shown me in public before, why he had kept me hidden for so long. My eyes lingered on the screen.Hidden wife. The words left a faint bitternes
SELENE I took a slow breath, steadying myself before knocking on the door. My fingers lingered on the knob for a second before I twisted it and stepped inside. Jordan was already there, lounging comfortably on the couch. Father sat behind his office desk, his attention fixed on the television mounted on the wall. The soft glow from the screen flickered across the room. "You’re here," Father acknowledged without looking at me. I nodded. But as I moved to take a seat, the conversation coming from the television made me stop mid-step. "Has the reclusive wife finally gained the spotlight?" one of the TV hosts asked, turning toward the others with obvious curiosity. "I was so shocked when I saw the picture of Sebastian Kingsley and his wife last night," another host added. "Especially since the two of them have never been spotted together before." A shaky breath slipped from my lungs. My eyes instinctively shifted to Father. He was watching the television with
SEBASTIAN The moment the bathroom door closed behind me, I braced both hands against the sink and stared at my reflection. My pulse was still racing. Jesus Christ. I dragged a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly, but Selene's scent still clung stubbornly to my lungs. One more second in that bed and I would have kissed her. Worse than that, I wasn't sure I would have stopped there. I tipped my head back with a long sigh, the image replaying in my mind whether I wanted it to or not — Selene on the bed, her lips slightly parted, her body leaning toward mine as if she had no idea what she was doing to me. "Fuck." The word slipped out under my breath. I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the shower, twisting the knob until the water came rushing down. Cold water splashed over my body. It should have helped. It should have cleared my head. It should have shocked my system back into control. But it didn't. If anything, the memory of her le
I learned two things during that drive. First, Sebastian notices far too much about me. And second, apparently I bite my lip when I'm nervous. SELENE The date might not have gone the way I imagined it would. In fact, it had been nothing like the version I had played over and over in my head before tonight. But strangely, it made me realize things I had never really noticed before. Like the way Sebastian was still struggling with whatever this was between us. And with my feelings for him. I had always known I loved Sebastian. That part had never been uncertain. I had been sure of it since the first day I set my eyes on him. But tonight made me realize something I hadn't understood before. Loving someone once wasn't the end of it. You could keep falling in love with the same person again... and again... and again. There weren't really words to explain it. Only the quiet, terrifying certainty that I was already far too deep in it. So deep that the thought of ever
SELENE The moment Sebastian walked away, the table felt too big. Too quiet. Too empty. I stared at the half-finished glasses between us, my fingers tightening around the edge of the table as if gripping it could steady the strange feeling settling in my chest. What just happened? One moment he had been sitting across from me, his gaze distant, like he was listening to something only he could hear. The next moment he was gone.Just like that. He hadn't even looked at me when he stood up. My mind immediately replayed my words, over and over again. What is your instinct telling you right now? Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that. Maybe that question crossed some invisible line I didn't know existed. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, the faint headache forming behind my eyes. This wasn’t how I imagined our date turning out. Not even close.I needed to fix it. But how? What could I possibly say—or do—that would dissolve this sudden tension hangin
ASHLEY I rubbed at my tired eyes and finally shut down my system, the screen fading to black with a quiet hum. The office had emptied out over an hour ago, but I'd stayed behind as usual, determined to finish everything before heading home. I was always the last to leave.With a sigh, I stretched, feeling the stiffness pull at my shoulders, then grabbed my handbag and made my way toward the exit. My heels clicked sharply against the polished floor, the sound echoing through the deserted hallway. The building felt different at night. Hollow. Watching. I pushed the exit door open and stepped outside, inhaling deeply. The cool night air hit my face, carrying the faint scent of cigarette. I wrinkled my nose, glancing around, trying to place where it was coming from— "Finally out, huh?" I jumped. My heart slammed against my ribs as I spun toward the voice. Anton leaned casually against the wall, half-hidden in shadow, a cigarette glowing faintly between his finge
The Night Before the DateSEBASTIAN I'd kissed Selene. And I wouldn't pretend I didn't know how it had happened. I'd thought about it before, more than once, if I was being honest. Ever since the day she'd worn my shirt, the image of her lips had lingered somewhere in the back of my mind, l
I thought I had buried that part of my life.Apparently, it had only been waiting for a dramatic entrance.SELENE "It's been a while, Sel." Sel. That simple nickname was enough to set everything ablaze. No one else reacted. They didn't know. But I did. And Anton knew
An Hour Before the DateSEBASTIAN "Can you find this person?" I slid the photograph across the desk toward him. Vincent took it carefully, adjusting his glasses as his eyes sharpened over the image. He studied it longer than I expected, his expression tightening with concentration. "Who is
SELENE I didn't move when he said her name. I didn't trust myself to. Sebastian slept on, unaware that with a single word he had undone everything I had just promised. His breathing remained slow and even, his weight warm against me—peaceful, untouched by the damage he'd caused. How long







