1: Cold

That was the only nice thin

e gown-custom, satin, lace-fit her like second skin. And yet, she felt like a ma

Clean-cut jawline. That serious, unreadable face. Not once had he smiled during the ceremony. Not when s

ered under her breath,

Of cours

s voice low and clipped. "We've

t cheek twitched as she forced

-

the hotel

She didn't want to look at him. Or speak to him. She knew what he thought of her: too flashy, too

aid. "I prefer women who don't ne

people who laughed with their mouths open. People who didn't sta

Floor-to-ceiling windows. Views of the city, the

vier said, tossing his ja

linked,

'll sleep better without your

hen, sharp eyes darkening

-

wo weeks sinc

their shared home. They had separate bathrooms. Separate w

avier left for his law firm before sunrise and returned

f-finished glass on the kitchen counter with a neat coaster underneath. So typical. He didn

ay morning, the

id, standing in the bathroom doorway, holdin

at her vanity,

re ki

disgus

ok the tissue and dropped

e. Ha

ve been treating thi

like you live alone. W

rel

ke a slap. Not l

I have no intention of pretending we

dded once

-sandalwood and sharp citrus-lingering

-

Andrea cou

d. Social media flooded with wedding photos. People fawn

a j

o perfect, so lucky, power couple,

Just...something tight and heavy. She missed affec

om this marriage. But she hadn't

-

office, lights dimmed.

tract dispute, but Andrea's wor

pretending we're anythin

rapped as he was. Their families had planned this union for months, sealing dea

ted to marry som

arkled. She wore hig

ed bed, eyes flashing with anger, something shifted

-

bumped into each other

irts, unbuttoned low, legs bare

d at the

ingers

up. He lo

d between them.

it wa

d walked away, but her h