I could hear was the low murmur of voices from behind the half-closed door of the private lo

s silk, drifted through the gap. "Three years, and he still t

ell, a sound that made the blood in my veins r

mix of affection and contempt. "A perfect, respectable shield. Fa

m tired of playing the part, Danny. Tired of his doe-eyed looks, his gentle tou

launch. Once it's stable, we won't need the Hayes Architecture connect

dust in a matter of seconds. Every shared smile, every public kiss, every whispered promise of a futur

hest. My breath hitched, but I made no sound. They couldn't know I

d from my mind. I turned and walked away, my footsteps silent on the plush carpet of the hotel corridor. I didn

cessful architect, the lucky husband of the brilliant Olivia Sterling. They saw

y hands were shaking, but my finger was steady as I scrolled to a specific contact: Mr.

econd ring, his voic

s there a

let stand, my voice as

eement i

pause on t

t? The contracts are bindi

ing up to the curb. I tossed the keys to the valet. "I'm talking about the other

respond, sliding into th

our wedding, her hand in mine. Olivia, bringing me coffee in my studio late at night, telling me how proud she was of my work. Olivia, explaining her need fo

lie. A sick,

didn't even respect me.

orbidden affair. The love I felt, the future I had invested all my hop

d house I had designed for us, a single, clear thought had formed i

as

a new feeling was taking root. A cold, hard resolve. I had been a