Chapter 2

When Ethan came home smelling of cheap whiskey, I was curled up on the sofa watching TV.

Seeing me there, he instantly sobered up. He froze at the entryway for a long time. After a heavy silence, he turned and walked straight into the bathroom.

On the screen, the lovers were sharing a tender, sweet moment. Outside the screen, the air between us was freezing.

I didn't call him out on his guilt. I just sat on the couch, waiting quietly for an explanation.

I watched him walk out of the bathroom. He was six-foot-two, with a sharp jawline and a brilliant mind that made him the most sought-after man in the corporate world.

At thirty-four, he was the youngest CEO Vance Global had ever seen.

Time had been generous to him. After more than a decade, he was still dazzling.

Perhaps the only sign of aging was a slightly softer frame.

But time had been cruel to me. I was thirty-nine this year.

Biologically speaking, I wasn't young anymore.

The endless dermatologist visits, the Botox injections, and the faint lines at the corners of my eyes constantly reminded me that I needed to sleep by ten.

Clubbing and partying all night were meant for the young.

"Why are you still up?" Ethan asked, drying his hair with a towel, trying to sound casual.

"I couldn't sleep. I realized I haven't seen you in forever. I wanted to wait up so we could go to bed together."

When your schedules don't align, this is what happens: I hadn't seen Ethan in two weeks.

Before, I thought he was just working hard, leaving early and coming home late. I trusted him completely. But now...

"The company’s been crazy lately..."

Before Ethan could finish his sentence, his phone buzzed violently.

He took the call, grabbed his car keys, and rushed out the door without even drying his hair.

He left me with a single sentence: "Chloe, something came up at the office. I'll be back late."

I squeezed the medical report in my hand until it was a crumpled ball, then tossed it onto the sofa.

Then, I dialed the private investigator Rachel had set up for me.

Four hours later, I received a hotel room number.