Chapter 1 Caught Her Husband Cheating in Bed

Snow was starting to fall as Quinn Ingram pulled into the hotel driveway. The crowd of reporters at the entrance stood in sharp contrast to the gloomy weather.

As soon as Carter Graham, Jacob Simmons's assistant, spotted her, he rushed over.

"Quinn? What are you doing here?"

Quinn, with her stunning, almost otherworldly beauty, had a knack for drawing attention without trying.

But her lack of smiles and no-nonsense attitude gave her an air of professionalism that kept people at a distance.

She peeled off her leather gloves with practiced calm.

"Where's Mr. Simmons?"

Carter hesitated, clearly uneasy.

"He's, uh... upstairs. In his room."

Without another word, Quinn walked past him and headed for the elevator.

At the door, she knocked sharply. A few moments later, it creaked open, revealing a young woman in her early twenties with red, puffy eyes.

The girl sniffled and glanced at Quinn, her voice soft and unsure.

"Are you here for Mr. Simmons? His... PR person?"

Quinn didn't bother with introductions, offering only a small nod before stepping inside.

The timing was impeccable-Jacob Simmons strolled out of the bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips. Droplets of water slid from his damp hair, tracing down his neck and disappearing under the towel. His natural charm was effortless, infuriatingly so.

He spotted Quinn immediately, a smirk curling at his lips. "Well, well. What a surprise."

Unfazed by his tone-or the fact that her husband of three months had just been caught in such a compromising situation-Quinn leveled him with her usual calm gaze.

"The situation downstairs is out of hand. Gossip reporters everywhere. Nobody else is willing to step in."

The dynamic between them was strange-cool, detached, yet oddly synchronized.

Carter, knew they were married. But it is not known to the public.

Jacob walked to the armchair and dropped into it, pulling a robe on lazily. Even then, it hung loosely, his collarbone still on display.

Lighting a cigarette, he exhaled slowly, his smirk deepening. "Find someone else to deal with it."

Ignoring him, Quinn shifted her attention to the girl standing awkwardly by the bed.

Quinn recognized her instantly. Piper Hayes. A fresh face under Simmons Media, infamous for using scandals to climb the ladder.

Recently, she'd made headlines after being called out by a director's wife on Facebook. Now, here she was, angling for another opportunity.

Piper fidgeted under Quinn's steady gaze but quickly recovered, batting her lashes.

"I mean, if the reporters are already here, maybe it's better if I just... admit it? You know, say Mr. Simmons and I are together. We can clear things up later when it blows over..."

Her intention was written all over her face-Piper wanted the publicity.

Before she could finish, Quinn's cold, clipped voice cut through. "I've already contacted your agent. They should be here by now. You're leaving."

Piper blinked, caught off guard.

"Leaving? But-"

"Yes," Quinn said firmly.

Walking past Piper, Quinn stopped in front of Jacob, plucked the cigarette from his lips, and stubbed it out.

"Mr. Simmons, your team is waiting next door for the meeting."

Jacob raised an eyebrow, his grin turning lazy.

"You've really thought this through, haven't you?"

Quinn didn't flinch.

"You've got five minutes. After that, hotel security will 'accidentally' let the reporters up."

They locked eyes for a few beats before Jacob chuckled softly, standing and heading for the door.

Piper gawked as he left without a second glance.

Quinn turned back to Piper, her tone sharper now.

"Still here?"

Piper swallowed hard, the commanding aura radiating from Quinn leaving no room for argument.

"But the reporters! If they see me-"

Quinn's response was as icy as ever.

"Your agent is taking you to a nearby shoot. A lipstick ad. You'll leave now."

Realizing there was no winning today, Piper grabbed her bag and scurried out.

Once the room was cleared, Quinn was ready to leave when her phone buzzed.

She answered without hesitation.

"Wesley."

Her voice carried no emotion as the commanding voice of Jacob's grandfather came through the line.

"Quinn. Bring Jacob home in thirty minutes."

"Yes," she replied simply, hanging up and heading downstairs.

Carter, who had been loitering in the lobby, watched her leave, nervously wiping the sweat off his brow.

Once outside, Quinn shot Jacob a text: Wesley wants us to go back home.

As usual, no response.

She didn't let it bother her and turned her focus to the day's entertainment headlines, confirming nothing about Jacob had leaked.

Lost in thought, she nearly jumped when the passenger door opened, and Jacob slid in. He had changed into a suit, though it was far from buttoned up. The open collar added to his devil-may-care attitude.

Quinn glanced at him briefly, but Jacob caught her looking, his voice teasing.

"See something you like, Quinn?"

His tone-deep, smooth, and magnetic-made her mind flicker back to that night. That one reckless, alcohol-fueled night.

"Quinn, that's it. Good girl."

"Relax, baby. You're gonna make me surrender."

The memory was fleeting, and Quinn quickly shoved it aside, her voice steady.

"We need to go back home."

Jacob leaned back, drumming his fingers on the window. "Fine."

As they drove, Quinn's phone buzzed again on the dashboard. Jacob glanced at the screen, catching the message preview.

Sawyer: "Quinn, does Jacob even satisfy you, or should I send someone over?

Jacob blinked.

Quinn, equally unimpressed, flipped the phone over, screen down, and kept driving.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the Simmons estate. Stepping out of the car, Jacob leaned in close, his voice low and dripping with mischief.

"Quinn, if you've got needs, you can always come to me, you know."