Her Heart Her Terms (Lily and Xavier)

Chapter 1

Cats were known to sneak out for a bite while men often strayed from fidelity.

Lily Joyner's mind echoed that sentiment as she watched the video of her husband's infidelity for what felt like the hundredth time after receiving it.

The footage showed a woman knocking on Xavier Fulton's hotel suite's door at 11:00 pm. He greeted her, clad in a robe, and invited her in. The door didn't open again until three hours later. It went perfectly with Xavier's persona.

The timestamp in the corner of the footage was from yesterday. It was his third day on a business trip.

She was probably someone he had called over to ease his loneliness and satisfy his physical needs.

After all, his desires at night were insatiable despite his refined and gentlemanly appearance. She had rarely been free in the two years since she married him.

Did this count as cheating if it was what she had thought?

This didn't count as cheating from the perspective of her mother's teachings. However, a barrier had formed in her heart.

Lily set down her phone and looked at the melting cake before her.

Xavier wasn't one for celebrations. He had never celebrated her birthday with her. Yet, it was his birthday today. She knew he disliked frosting, so she had deliberately learned to make an ice cream cake for him. He was like a fierce tiger to her. Hence, she had even learned to make a little fondant tiger.

The chill of late autumn seeped through the air. She had been waiting for too long. The cake was starting to melt, and the tiger sat lopsided on top, looking slightly silly.

She wasn't even thinking whether she should eat it or call to ask if he was coming back. She kept thinking about that video so much that she didn't even notice when his car pulled into the driveway.

The unlocking sound of the electronic door lock sounded before the familiar sound of his footsteps approached from afar.

Lily lifted her gaze and saw Xavier stepping out from the dimly lit foyer.

He had narrow brown eyes, a high-bridged nose, and thin lips. He was dressed in a tailored black suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and lean waist, exuding an air of elegance and distinction. It still made her heart race even though she had seen that face daily for the past two years.

He was handsome, well-built, privileged, and competent. Lily simply couldn't find a single flaw in him.

She had fallen for him without question the first time she met him and discovered he was the fiancé promised to her since childhood.

Therefore, she agreed to a secret marriage. She had given up her dreams to become his secret wife, and her days revolved entirely around him. She had turned into a devoted wife like her mother.

stepped in and agreed to honor their engagement two years ago when the Joyner family had plummeted after a failed investment

she thought he must have liked her

sender and blurry face made her think

birthday today. She decided to ask him about it

you supposed to be back by six?" Lily stepped forward to take the black blazer Xavier had just taken off. A strong scent of

she lifted her gaze

tersely and glanced at the cake

troubling thoughts while appearing gentle and calm. Two small dimples appeared at the

as usual. He ignored her friendly gesture as he tugged at his tie twice with his well-defined hand, revealing his tanned chest.

alcohol besides the strong

the kitchen. "You should go upstairs to wash up

respond. She turned around and realized he

like this. What once

mother had once told her that men were just like that, and

It was probably due to the video that she had seen today. It took her a while to suppress those

up the cake as she prepared the hangover soup

feeling too uncomfortable from drinking to notice

the cake once he had the hangover

prepared to call him downstairs when the cake

Group threw a lavish birthday bash for the vice president of his company. The two are suspected to

photos came

holding a woman's delicate

the woman in the photo as

had personally planned the birthday bash as

of the company's employees had even

day. They exchanged gifts and sang

had personally planned it. It was an

when he claimed to be busy with

while Lily was thoughtfully

for Sarah was jewelry from an

gave him a tie in return and personally fed him with

cold expression had softened. His eyes brimmed with tenderness

was only a few photos, Lily could still recognize that Sarah was the woman in the video who knocked on his hotel suite's door

and curvaceous