All Chapters of The Perfect Wife’s Affair : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

~SERENA POV~The underground parking garage was cold and quiet.I sat in the driver's seat of my car, my hands gripping the leather steering wheel so tightly my fingers had gone completely numb. I hadn't turned the key in the ignition. I just sat there in the dim, echoing space, listening to the deep, ragged sound of my own breathing.I was angry.I was so angry my chest felt like it was going to burst. I was irritated that Cassian hadn't pulled me into his arms. I was angry that he hadn't pinned me against his leather couch, kissed me until I couldn't think, and demanded that I belong to him.I had walked into his penthouse expecting a fight. I had walked in expecting him to manipulate me, to tease me, to push me into a corner where I'd have to choose between two brothers.Instead, he had stood there, looking at me with those dark, arrogant eyes, and handed me total control over my own life.'Figure out your marriage, Serena.'His voice kept playing in my mind, deep, smooth, and an

~SERENA POV~I didn't call Cassian first.I drove straight from The Saint Regis to his residential tower, my hands tight on the wheel the entire way. Helena's final words echoed in the quiet cab of my car like a relentless beat.'Ask Cassian.'I didn't know who I was angrier with....Ryker for the years of lies, Helena for her icy attitude, or Cassian for standing in the shadows of my life while keeping secrets of his own.The front desk guard didn't question me. He made a brief call upstairs, nodded, and tapped his keycard against the private elevator panel.When the doors slid open at the top floor, Cassian was already waiting in the entrance.He wore a dark shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, with one hand resting casually in his trouser pocket. His usual arrogant smirk was halfway formed on his face.The second he caught my expression, the smirk vanished."That's a dangerous look," he said softly.I stepped out of the elevator, walking right past him without waiting for an invitation.

~SERENA POV~The quiet in the penthouse was so strong it felt like it was pushing on my chest.I stayed there, barely breathing, looking at the man before me. My question from just before still waited in the chilly air between us, not answered.'How long did they betray you?'Cassian didn't speak. The sharp, arrogant defense he usually wore had completely vanished, leaving his dark eyes shadowed and distant.I saw him differently now.Before today, he was my husband's reckless, unbothered younger brother. Then he became the dangerous temptation I couldn't stop thinking about.Now, looking at his stiff posture, I saw the scar underneath the playboy act. Cassian caught me staring. His jaw flexed once before he looked down at his glass."What?" he asked quietly."Nothing," I murmured.I almost asked him if he still loved Helena. The question sat right on the tip of my tongue, sharp and dangerous.I stopped myself. I couldn't bring myself to say her name again.Cassian didn't push. He did

~SERENA POV~When I unlocked the door to our penthouse later that evening, I expected the quiet, echoing stillness that usually greeted me.I expected the dim lighting, the empty living room, and the silence of a home built for two people who lived separate lives.Instead, I noticed a pair of dark dress shoes neatly placed near the entrance. I heard the quiet hum of the range hood and the continuous scratch of a spatula against stainless steel coming from the kitchen.I stopped in the hallway, squeezing my bag against my hip, taking a quiet breath to steady myself before stepping into the light.Ryker was standing at the kitchen island. He had rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, exposing his forearms, his dark hair slightly ruffled.He looked up as the floorboards creaked under my heels. A soft, genuine smile touched his face."You're home early," I said, unable to hide the small wrinkle of surprise between my eyebrows."I know." Ryker glanced down at his watch, setting h

~SERENA POV~The hallway smelled like used air and old carpet, the kind of scent that clung to the back of my throat.I stood outside Cassian's door, my purse strap gripped tight enough in my fingers that my knuckles turned white. My pulse beat against my chest like a scared bird.I shouldn't have been here. Every instinct screamed at me to turn around, walk down the corridor, get in my car, and drive back to the penthouse I shared with Ryker.I had discovered the private resort transaction four hours ago. I could have stayed home and searched through more financial records. I could have called a friend. I could have woken Ryker up and demanded the truth.Instead, I drove straight to Cassian's building on autopilot, guided by a hunger that scared me more than Ryker's betrayal ever did.I knocked. Two quick, quiet raps.The big door opened.Cassian stood on the threshold, wearing low-slung grey sweatpants and an unbuttoned black shirt. He looked surprised to see me, but he didn't pu