Chapter 4 Birthday Betrayal

"Why did you come to see me?" I asked as I sat down next to Vincent in his car.

The rain poured down heavily outside, drumming against the glass. The sky was dark and the sound was heavy as the rain poured.

Vincent didn't say anything. He handed me a tablet and I took it. It was some files along with information on his girlfriend,Hailey.

"Tomorrow, I am hosting a birthday party for my girlfriend, Hailey. You are invited. It's your chance to meet her and see what a wonderful girl she is. You can also use the opportunity to bring me proof of her being a spy." Vincent said staring at me.

I stared at him, the glow from the tablet casting a pale light on his sharp features.

"A party?" I asked, my voice tight. "You want me to show up at her birthday party with proof she's betraying you?"

Vincent tilted his head slightly, his lips curving into something that wasn't quite a smile. "You're the one who said she was."

I looked down at the tablet again, scrolling through the data he'd given me. Photos. Conversations. Bank records. But nothing solid. Nothing that proved she was a spy.

"She's smart," I muttered.

"Then be smarter," he said, turning to look out the window. "I'm giving you all the information you need. Use it."

The rain grew heavier. I could barely see the road ahead, but I already figured Vincent out. He already believed me.

"Why are you even with her if you don't trust her?" I asked, watching his reflection in the glass.

His jaw clenched. "I trust no one."

There was a beat of silence. Then he reached into the side pocket of his coat and pulled out a silver envelope. He held it out to me.

"Your invitation. Dress nice."

I stared at the envelope in my hand. This wasn't going to be easy at all.

I returned back home after the rain had stopped. Everyone had gone to bed and Jason was nowhere to be seen so I went to our bedroom. The moment I walked in, he fumbled with his phone and hid it. I walked past him and went to climb into bed.

"Lyra, who was that man?" Jason's voice cut through the silence like a knife.

I didn't answer right away. I slipped under the covers, the blanket making me warm.

"Don't pretend you didn't hear me," he said again, his voice sharper this time. "You got out of a stranger's car. At night. In the rain."

I turned slowly to face him, my expression calm but tired. "Are you asking because you're concerned... or just curious?"

Jason scoffed. "Is there a difference when it's my wife involved?"

I sat up, tucking my knees under the covers. "You're just now remembering I'm your wife?"

" What's that supposed to mean?"

He was still playing the good caring husband. It made me sick to my stomach but I didn't want to give away anything. Not until I got evidence of his affair with Vanessa.

I met his gaze without flinching. "It was Vincent Vale, our client."

"Our client? What's a client doing showing up at your house?" Jason asked, his voice clearly annoyed.

"He needed legal advice," I said, keeping my tone even. "And apparently, I'm the only one who can give it."

Jason's jaw clenched but he didn't say anything right away. He stood by the edge of the bed like he was interrogating a teenager.

"You've changed, Lyra. This isn't you. Talking back to mom, pushing Clarissa and walking off with a client. You're my wife." Jason said making me roll my eyes.

I slid into bed and kept my back to him. Even lying down in the same bed with him made me sick. However, I couldn't show it. Not now.

********************************

The party was already in full swing when Jason and I arrived. Jason had insisted on coming the moment he found out about the party and I agreed. He could help me with the perfect cover to meet Hailey, Vincent's girlfriend.

"Mrs. Douglas," Vincent said as he walked up to me and Jason wrapped his hand around my waist possessively.

Vincent's eyes dropped to Jason's arm, then slowly came back to mine. There was a flicker in his gaze. Annoyance? Amusement? Maybe both.

"Mr. Douglas," he added with a polite nod.

Jason didn't return the gesture. His grip on my waist tightened slightly, the message clear. I belonged to him. At least, that's what he wanted everyone to believe.

"I see the party's going well," I said, my voice smooth as I looked around. The lights were warm and low and the music was soft jazz that didn't match the sharp tension simmering between the three of us.

"Of course," Vincent replied coolly. "Only the best for Hailey."

He turned, waving for someone. "Speaking of which..."

Haileycame out of the crowd like a goddess. She was wearing long green dress hugging her figure, red lips curved into a flawless smile. Hailey. The supposed spy. The woman I had to expose.

Her eyes flicked to Jason, then to me, and her smile only deepened. "You must be Lyra. I've heard so much about you."

Jason took a small step forward, clearly impressed by her. "Pleasure to meet you. Happy birthday."

"This is my husband, he is a lawyer at the firm." I said introducing Jason.

Just then, the door opened and I caught sight of Vanessa as she walked into the room. Her hair was different from the way she usually wore it and she had put on a seductive red dress that had a slit in the front.

What was she doing here?

" On behalf of the firm, I got my assistant to get a little something." Jason said smiling as he reached out the bouquet of flowers and box from Vanessa.

I noticed as his hand touched her own for a second longer before he let go.

" Thank you so much." Hailey said as she took the flowers and the box smiling.

She seemed too innocent, too proper.

A few minutes later, the party continued and I watched as Jason mingled with the important guests at the party with Vanessa. My attention wasn't on them. It was Hailey. Hailey walked around talking to different people before she headed out.

I followed her.

Slipping past the crowd, I moved quietly through the hallway, keeping just enough distance so she wouldn't notice me. My heels clicked softly on the marble floor but Hailey didn't notice me. She pushed open the back door of the mansion and stepped out into the night.

The air outside was cooler, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the party. I stayed in the shadows, watching as Hailey walked quickly across the stone path, her green dress flowing behind her like a second skin. She didn't glance back. Didn't pause.

She was meeting someone.

She stopped near the garden, under a tall lamppost. A man stepped out from behind the hedge like he'd been waiting. I didn't recognize him at firs but then the light caught his face. Tall. Blond. Arrogant smile.

Damien Delmar.

Heir to the Delmar Group.

Damien reached out and kissed Hailey making a gasp escape my lips. The two of them were having an affair. Watching them get into the car, I brought out my phone and called Vincent asking him to meet me outside.

Hailey and Damien continued to make love in the car completely unaware as Vincent approached them with the guests. Suddenly, Vincent put on a torch pointing it right at them. Hailey immediately pulled away, her face pale and frozen. Damien cursed, scrambling for his shirt as the car door flung open.

The light from Vincent's torch didn't waver. He stood there, expression stone cold, surrounded by confused guests who had followed the commotion.

"So it's true. You are involved with Delmar Group." Vincent said clenching his hand into a fist.

Jason stood in the crowd stunned into silence. His gaze bounced between Hailey and Damien like he couldn't process what he was seeing.

And me?

I stayed in the dark, watching from the shadows.

Tonight was Hailey's turn. Next was Jason