Chapter 3 Behind Closed Doors

It was a loaded moment.

Mia's fingers froze above Alex's phone as her heartbeat crashed against coral and reached her ribs. The message remained onscreen, glowing in the low bedroom light.

"You were incredible tonight. She doesn't suspect a thing."

She became shrouded by a sickening heaviness on her chest.

As she reached for the device, a shadow shifted.

Alex.

His voice pierced the silence. "What are you doing?"

Mia flinched, attempting to cover the shock on her face. "Nothing. Only... putting your phone on charge."

Alex's eyes darted between her and the phone, his face inscrutable. Then he picked it up with studied nonchalance and swiped the message away. Just like that. Like it never existed.

Mia forced a breath. "Who was that?"

A beat of silence. Then a smirk. "Work. Nothing for you to worry about."

A typical response. Dismissive. Polished. Carefully crafted.

But Mia wasn't stupid.

She nodded, faking acquiescence, her mind already speeding ahead.

Alex had always kept work close to the chest, but this was different. But this wasn't about business meetings or contracts. This was personal.

And she had to know the truth.

Doubt Takes Root

That night sleep was out of the question.

Alex lay next to her, breathing steady, guiltless in a way at least he had the ability to fake it. As for Mia, she simply kept looking up at the ceiling, her mind going over and over every weird detail she could remember from the last few weeks.

The late-night calls.

The last-minute "business trips."

His fingers twitched like they'd done the last time she mentioned Rachel's name.

Things weren't lining up.

At dawn, she made a decision.

She was done expecting the truth to show itself.

She would find it herself.

A Dangerous Ally

Later that morning, Mia had sat down with her best friend, Sophia Grant, at a quiet café hidden away from the chaos of the city.

Sophia, a sharp-witted journalist with a knack for scandal, had never trusted Alex. "I hate to say I told you so," she said, stirring her coffee, "but... I told you so."

Mia rubbed her temple. "I don't want an 'I told you so.' I need answers."

Sophia leaned in, dropping her voice. "Then let's start digging."

Mia hesitated. She was not sure she was prepared for the discoveries they might make.

"Or," said Sophia, tilting her head, "you can just pretend. Just keep playing the perfect wife in your perfect marriage."

Mia clenched her jaw. No. She wouldn't allow herself to be blind anymore.

"What do we do first?"

Sophia's smile twisted into a sardonic grin. "We follow him."

A Shadowed Trail

That night, when Alex was leaving their penthouse, Mia followed.

She clamped her fingers around the steering wheel and swerved, following his black sports car through the city. He drove cleanly, without hesitation, like he'd practiced this route a million times.

When he finally turned up at a fancy hotel, Mia's stomach knotted.

He came out, too well-dressed for a low-key meeting. He walked with a confident stride over to the lobby doors. He wasn't here for business.

Mia felt her heart pounding in her ears. But every instinct was screaming for her to go home, to stop this before she saw something she couldn't unsee.

But then, Rachel appeared.

She entered the hotel, swapping her gala red dress for a sleek black coat. She didn't hesitate. She knew precisely where she was headed.

Mia held the door handle of her car, her breath shaky.

This was it.

The confirmation she had feared.

Then the phone buzzed.

Sophia: You're not the only one watching him right now. Be careful.

Mia's blood ran cold.

Someone was also trailing Alex.

Who else is watching Alex? And why?