Chapter 5

Cole yanked the blanket over himself while I pulled the sheets up to my chest. My heart was still racing, but the reason had changed. The heat from earlier had been replaced by sharp, cold alertness. For a moment, neither of us spoke. We simply stared at the door, listening to the commotion outside.

“How did he find us?” Cole asked under his breath, his voice tight with disbelief.

“I really don’t know,” I whispered.

I stared at the door as though it might suddenly open and reveal the answer. I wasn’t afraid of being caught, not after what Ethan had done. If anything, a part of me wanted him to experience the same humiliation I had endured. However, this wasn’t how I had imagined things unfolding.

I had wanted to keep control of this game a little longer. I wanted to decide when everything would come out, how much I would reveal and, most importantly, how far I would allow Ethan to see into my plans. I hadn’t expected him to discover me so soon.

I glanced at Cole.

“Should I go and open it?”

He turned towards me, looking as though I had just suggested something completely ridiculous.

“Oh my God, are you cra—”

Before he could finish, raised voices filled the hallway. We heard two men speaking in firm, official tones.

“Sir, you need to leave. It is not allowed to disrupt the peace of our guests.”

“My wife is in there with another man!” Ethan shouted. “That isn’t allowed either. Let me get her!”

I exchanged a look with Cole.

Was this man seriously trying to act like the victim?

There was a short scuffle, followed by the sound of someone being restrained. Ethan’s voice grew more frantic as they attempted to pull him away.

“My wife is inside! You can’t just—”

His words gradually faded as they moved him down the corridor.

I touched my forehead and released a shaky breath. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Of all the things Ethan could have done, he had chosen to make a scene at the hotel, loudly announcing that his wife was inside with another man.

“Is he for real?” I muttered, shaking my head. “Cheating on me and now acting like a saint.”

I looked towards Cole, who seemed equally surprised by the entire situation.

“I don’t know how he found out I was here, but I’m going to deny it until the end. After all, I learned from the best.”

Cole gave a short, humourless laugh. He was already reaching for his clothes.

“Mrs. Sienna, what if he has a video of you entering? What if he followed you himself? Then there would be nothing left to hide. He does the same thing, after all.”

I paused while pulling my blouse back on and looked at him.

“Why are you still calling me Mrs.? There’s no point in respecting me like that after what just happened.”

He raised an eyebrow but didn’t immediately respond.

I turned away and continued dressing, buttoning my blouse before reaching for my other clothes. My mind was still occupied with Ethan’s sudden appearance. How had he known? Had someone recognised me despite the mask? Or had he somehow managed to follow me?

I couldn’t settle on an answer.

When I finally slipped my mask back into place, I glanced at Cole. As much as I hated to admit it, my body still felt relaxed and warm. There was a strange satisfaction beneath all the tension, something I hadn’t expected to experience.

At least, for once, the exchange had been fair.

Ethan had spent months, perhaps even longer, enjoying himself behind my back while expecting me to remain the devoted wife who knew nothing. Now, I had done something he would never have imagined me capable of doing.

Perhaps that was what made the experience feel different.

“Are we meeting again?” Cole asked.

I had almost reached the door when his question stopped me.

I turned slightly, resting my hand on the handle.

“It will depend.”

I didn’t wait for his response. I opened the door, stepped outside and closed it behind me.

Rather than use the main entrance, I decided to take the back exit. I moved quickly but didn’t run, constantly looking around as though Ethan might suddenly appear from somewhere. The last thing I wanted was another confrontation at the hotel.

Thankfully, I had taken a cab instead of using my own car. At least that was one decision I wouldn’t regret.

Even so, the entire ride home, my mind kept turning over the same questions. How had Ethan known? Who had seen me? And if he truly had proof, how was I going to handle the situation without losing the small advantage I had just gained?

I leaned against the back seat, staring through the window as the familiar streets passed by.

I had gone to that hotel expecting to do something that would make Ethan regret betraying me. I hadn’t expected him to discover it so quickly. Worse, I didn’t know what he would do with whatever information he had received.

For now, I needed to remain calm.

When I finally stepped into the house, I found him pacing the living room.

He looked terrible.

Sweat darkened the front of his shirt, his hair was messy, and his face was flushed with anger. He seemed to have been walking back and forth for quite some time, unable to settle down.

The sight of him like that should have frightened me. Instead, it steadied me.

How ironic.

I took a moment to compose myself before walking further into the room. My fingers were curled into fists, so I deliberately relaxed them and arranged a smile on my face.

“Honey, you’re back already?”

He immediately turned towards me.

Before I could take another step, he crossed the room in a few quick strides and grabbed my shoulders.

“Where have you been?”

His voice was sharper than usual, and his grip was uncomfortable.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out? You were with a man at the hotel. Someone saw you go in and called me.”

For a second, my stomach dropped.

I had been prepared to abandon my pretence if he told me he had seen me entering the hotel himself. But he hadn’t. According to him, someone else had called.

That single detail gave me room to breathe.

I kept my expression confused, looking at him as though I couldn’t understand what he was accusing me of.

“What are you talking about? Me? A hotel?”

I let out a small, disbelieving laugh.

“I was at the hospital the whole day. You can ask my doctor if you don’t believe me.”

He stared at me, seemingly trying to determine whether I was telling the truth. His hands remained on my shoulders, and I could see the frustration building in his expression.

“This perfume…” He leaned closer, taking another breath. “I don’t recognise it. Why do you smell like that?”

I immediately cut him off.

“Please, Ethan. I met a lot of people today. Who knows what I brushed against? I’ve been at the hospital the entire day, struggling with my own issues. The last thing I need is to come home and start defending myself against accusations.”

I deliberately allowed exhaustion to creep into my voice.

I knew I had to be careful. One wrong reaction could make him suspicious, and I wasn’t prepared to let him discover anything.

His eyes searched my face.

Slowly, some of the certainty in them began to fade. He looked less like a man who had caught his wife and more like someone who was no longer sure of the information he had received.

I could almost see the accusation beginning to crumble in his mind.

I tilted my head, allowing a small, incredulous laugh to escape.

“Wait… are you accusing me of cheating on you?”

I took a step closer, close enough that he had to look directly at me. My voice remained calm, but I allowed just enough hurt to edge into it.

“What happened to the loyalty, honesty, and trust in this marriage? Or do those things only matter when you’re the one asking the questions?”