tiny kitchen with his arms folded, st

gna

marri

so casually, like it was just another life update. But what gnawed at him wasn

Her silence. Her sharp questions. The way she looked at Tessa sometim

didn't s

r sleep on the couch, curled in a loose blanket, her pho

messages

s brain. Mark. His curiosity took over. He opened the laptop, typed in "Mark", then narrowed

n't ta

artner at Whitmore & Klein. Po

rr

was a photo. A company gala. Mark stood beside a woman in a b

ne

Vane

at the scr

ext door. The vague responses.

ad known

e it might answer the thousand questions running thr

n. Because no matter how twisted the story seemed, Vanessa had

e someth

ng. When she stepped out in a navy trench coat and da

locke

aid softly, not as an accusat

dn't flinc

you going to ke

e said, voice calm but weary. "

her closely. "

have. Why he left in pieces instead

was thick

osed to care abou

sion softened.

moment. "And now you kno

ut I'd like to think we're both

balanced on his knees. The glowing screen showed a news article from a corporate charity event. Hi

estraint. The smile didn't quite meet her e

aptop shut and ran

er marriage in silence. And the worst part? He di

ng laundry. She seemed lighter today-more hopeful. Ethan watche

'll leave his wife for

nds stille

is child. Do you really think

him. "He said

say anything when

d. "You don

d, "but I kn

ession shatt

y to her room, locking the door b

ainst it, bre

hem of her shirt as

out her drawer, rummaging beneath old receipts and pens, un

ned her

typed with f

allowa

result wa

they

rk's arm wrapped tightly around the same wom

mouth fe

no..." sh

n't just been sleeping with a married man - she had unknowingly let his wife into her life. Into her h

was a co

ad known

. She staggered toward the bathroom, splashing cold water on her fa

ad she

Vanessa

enge? A long

ibrated on the counte

e'll talk

d her anything about his wife. He had promised her something real. Even if it wa

known this w

ge of her bed, wrapping

t about

t know - not yet. But if h

s eyes when Vanessa left. H

oss. She was losing control of everything: Mark, Ethan's tr

n her hands, whisperi

have I

and walked away, unab

ide her door. When she opened

living room, lit only by th

d understand what made Mark turn away fr

er. "And do you u

red-rimmed eyes. "Yes. I wa

ng p

be it's time you stopped letti