Chapter 3

Nolan pushed the door open slowly. The sound of loud, obnoxious music and raucous laughter spilled out.

My house. My sanctuary. Invaded.

I jumped out of the car, ignoring Nolan's warning glance.

The scene in my living room was like something out of a nightmare. Bryce, Kelli, Jayden, and at least a dozen of Bryce's sleazy friends were sprawled across my custom-made furniture. Beer cans and pizza boxes littered my antique Persian rug. Someone had put a cigarette out on my coffee table.

My limited-edition surfboard, a prized possession, was propped in a corner, covered in what looked like sticky handprints and... was that a drawing in permanent marker?

Bryce looked up, a sloppy grin on his face. "Emily! Hey! Didn't expect you back so soon. Come on in, join the party! We're celebrating!"

Kelli, perched on Bryce's lap, giggled. "Yeah, Emily. Don't be a party pooper. Bryce was just saying how this place is way better than his crappy apartment."

Jayden was using one of my expensive photography art books as a coloring book.

"Get out," I said, my voice dangerously low.

Bryce's grin faded. "Hey, now. No need to be like that. We're just having a little fun. This place was going to be ours anyway, right? Just starting the honeymoon a bit early."

One of his friends, a lanky guy with greasy hair, chimed in, "Yeah, lighten up, sweetheart. Bryce deserves some happiness after putting up with you."

Rage, cold and sharp, surged through me.

Nolan stepped forward, placing himself slightly in front of me. His voice was quiet, but it cut through the noise like a razor. "The party's over. I suggest you all leave. Now."

Bryce scoffed. "And who are you, buddy? Her new boy toy?"

"I'm her husband," Nolan stated, his gaze unwavering.

A stunned silence fell over the room. Even the music seemed to falter.

Kelli was the first to recover, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Husband? Oh, Emily, you work fast. Desperate, much?"

Jayden, taking his cue from Kelli, picked up one of my delicate ceramic sculptures and threw it. It smashed against the wall near my head.

That was it.

"You have three seconds to get out of my house," I said, my voice shaking with fury, "before I call the police and have every single one of you arrested for trespassing and vandalism."

Bryce actually laughed. "Oh, come on, Em. Don't be so dramatic. It's just a little mess. We'll clean it up... eventually."

"One," Nolan said, his voice like ice.

Some of Bryce's friends started to look uneasy.

"Two," Nolan continued, taking a step forward.

Bryce scrambled to his feet, pulling Kelli up with him. "Alright, alright, we're going. No need to get your panties in a twist." He still sounded arrogant, but there was a flicker of fear in his eyes.

As they started to shuffle out, Kelli deliberately knocked over a vase, sending water and flowers cascading onto the floor. She smirked at me.

Jayden, emboldened, ran past and kicked my shin, hard.

"You little brat!" I yelped, more surprised than hurt.

Before I could react further, Nolan had Bryce by the collar, his knuckles white. "You'll pay for every bit of damage. And if your son ever touches my wife again, you'll answer to me directly."

Bryce paled. "Hey, man, I didn't... he's just a kid."

Nolan practically threw him out the door. The rest of his friends scurried after him like rats.

Kelli paused on the threshold. "This isn't over, Emily. Bryce is mine. This house should be mine." She then pulled out her phone, snapped a few pictures of the trashed living room, and sent them with a message I saw pop up on my phone screen a second later: "Looks like you're not much of a housekeeper, darling. Enjoy cleaning up OUR mess. XOXO, the future Mrs. Jenkins."

I blocked her number, my hands trembling.

The silence that descended was deafening, broken only by the drip of water from the overturned vase.

I surveyed the wreckage of my living room, my beautiful home, defiled. My vision blurred.

Nolan's arms came around me. "It's okay, Emily. We'll fix this."

I leaned into him, a sob escaping. "He... they... my things..."

"Shhh," he murmured, stroking my hair. "It's just stuff. Replaceable. You're not. That's all that matters."

He led me towards the stairs. "Let's check the rest of the house. Then we'll call a cleaning crew and the police."

My bedroom. My most private space.

The door was open.

My heart sank.

Kelli had clearly been in here. My clothes were pulled from the closet, strewn across the floor. My perfume bottles were smashed on the vanity. And on my bed, on my silk sheets, someone had scrawled "BRYCE + KELLI 4EVA" in what looked like my most expensive red lipstick.

A wave of nausea hit me. This was more than vandalism. This was a violation.

"I can't stay here tonight," I whispered, backing out of the room. "I feel... contaminated."

Nolan's jaw was tight. "We won't. I'll book us a suite at the Peninsula. And tomorrow, I'm calling a specialist cleaning service. And a locksmith. And a security company."

He gently guided me out of the house. As we waited for another car, I saw movement at the end of the cul-de-sac. Bryce's car. He was watching.

I felt a chill despite the warm California air.