Chapter 3

I turned on my heel, the sound of my own footsteps echoing loudly in the vast, silent penthouse. I didn't spare them another glance. The door slammed shut behind me, the sharp crack reverberating through the marble hallway. My legs carried me blindly to my bedroom, the sanctuary that no longer felt like one. The moment the lock clicked into place, the dam broke. Tears streamed down my face, hot and furious, a torrent of all the pain, the humiliation, the sheer, crushing weight of their betrayal.

I slid down the door, burying my face in my knees, sobbing until my throat was raw and my body ached.

Callen never came to my room that night. Not a knock, not a text, not a whispered apology through the door. Nothing. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Of course he didn't. He was punishing me. Punishing me for daring to challenge him, for witnessing his infidelity, for not playing along with Daniella's pathetic charade. It was always like this. I was supposed to be grateful for his attention, for the crumbs of affection he tossed my way.

I looked around the room, the same room I'd inhabited for years. It was technically "my" room, but it always felt provisional, a luxurious holding cell. Callen's room, across the hall, was off-limits, a sacred space I was rarely allowed to enter. It was a physical manifestation of our entire relationship: him, walled off and untouchable; me, always available but never truly invited in. His coldness, his indifference, had always been my burden to bear. Any sign of displeasure from him and I was instantly on edge, walking on eggshells.

But now? Now, it felt... right. His absence, his cold shoulder, it was exactly what I needed. I didn't want him there. I didn't want his fake apologies or his empty promises. I was done.

The next morning, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon wafted from the kitchen. Callen was already at the breakfast table, impeccably dressed, as if nothing had happened. He looked up as I entered, a faint, almost imperceptible frown on his perfect brow. His eyes flickered over my tired face, my swollen eyes.

"Kinsley," he said, his voice smooth, even. "Come, sit. Cook prepared your favorite, scrambled eggs with chives." He gestured to the empty chair beside him, a subtle invitation.

It was his usual play. After every argument, every minor transgression on my part-or what he perceived as such-he would offer reconciliation through comfort, through routine. A new designer dress, a weekend getaway he'd send Daniella to plan, or simply my favorite breakfast. And for eight years, I'd fallen for it, every single time. I'd come to the table, accepted the peace offering, and buried my hurt a little deeper.

Not this time.

I walked past the chair next to him, past his outstretched hand that hovered over the sugar bowl, and pulled out a chair directly opposite him. The wooden legs scraped loudly against the polished floor, the sound jarring the morning quiet.

"I'll have my own, thank you," I said, my voice flat, devoid of emotion. I looked at the house staff, who were usually invisible, hovering in the periphery. "Maria, could I get some plain toast and black coffee, please?"

Callen's jaw tightened. "Kinsley, what is this childish behavior? Don't be ridiculous." His voice was low, warning. "Daniella is essential to my operations. You need to understand that. And you certainly owe her an apology for your outburst yesterday."

My breath hitched. The words hit me like a fresh wave of humiliation. Childish. Ridiculous. Apologize to her. My mind raced back in time, to the beginning, to the days when he had courted me with such intensity. He was a brilliant, charismatic entrepreneur, and I, a bright-eyed marketing graduate still finding my feet, had been utterly captivated. He'd been so attentive, so charming, promising a future I could only dream of. He had told me I was different, special, not like the other women who flocked to his wealth.

I remembered the early days, when he would call me late at night, just to hear my voice, before his schedule became too "demanding." The thoughtful gifts he chose himself, before Daniella took over. The way his eyes used to crinkle at the corners when I made him laugh, before they became cold, assessing. I had loved him, truly. My heart had poured itself into this man, believing in his potential, his vision, and in our shared future.

But that Callen? He was a ghost, a memory. His "love" had become a luxury item, outsourced and managed, something to be dispensed through a third party. It had withered, starved of genuine connection, leaving behind only the husk of a relationship.

"You know what, Callen?" I finally said, my voice trembling slightly, but firm. "Maybe you should just marry Daniella. She seems to understand your 'operations' perfectly."

His frown deepened, his eyes narrowing. "Kinsley, don't be absurd." He stood up, his chair scraping back with a sharp noise. "I don't have time for this drama. You're being irrational."

Before I could retort, before I could finally utter the words that had been building inside me for months, the words that would shatter the facade of our life together, the elevator doors slid open. Daniella emerged, crisp and efficient, carrying a tablet.

"Mr. House, your 8 AM teleconference with the Tokyo office is about to begin," she announced, her voice perfectly modulated, ignoring my presence entirely. "And your 9 AM with the New York team requires your immediate review of these documents."

Callen merely nodded, his gaze hardening as it flickered from Daniella to me. He picked up his briefcase, his face a mask of cold professionalism. "We'll discuss this later, Kinsley. When you've calmed down." He turned, following Daniella out of the room, his long strides swift and purposeful.

The elevator doors closed, sealing me in the silent apartment, the lingering scent of his expensive cologne a cruel reminder of his presence, his absence. My chest felt tight, suffocated. The words I yearned to speak, the truth I needed to unleash, were trapped in my throat, choked by his indifference, by her omnipresent interference. The anger, the grief, the humiliation, all swirled together, a toxic cocktail that left me feeling utterly, profoundly alone.