Chapter 22

In our six years of marriage, we’d only dined out for family holidays. Most nights we ate at home, though often interrupted by his endless phone calls. I’d cooked elaborate meals that went untouched.

Now that we had private servants preparing perfectly balanced dinners every night, he suddenly wanted to take me out.

I’d endured years of loneliness, disappointment, and the quiet heartbreak of constant rejection. Now it was his turn to taste that bitterness.

“Can’t. My plate’s full. Ask someone else.” I kept my eyes on my work, feigning concentration.

Jared went completely still. The polite smile froze on his face. He’d anticipated delight, not this offhand rejection.

“The work will still be there after dinner,” he said, with uncharacteristic patience.

“I’m not hungry.” I glanced up with a bland smile. “Had dessert earlier.”

Some of the tension left his posture when he realized this was about schedules, not rejection.

“I’ll head back for Yvonne then. Don’t work too late.” With that, he left without another word, and I returned to my files,

Jared said he needed to call a board meeting to decide on the appointment, but I knew it was just a formality.

He ruled the company with absolute authority. His competence left no room for challenges.

Our personal relationship blurred professional lines, but I believed that Jared could silence critics effortlessly.

It was 11 p.m. when I got home, arms full of documents. Jared had already tucked Yvonne in and was lounging on the sofa in his pajamas, sipping coffee.

and crossing his long legs. His piercing eyes fixed on me as he said, “You’re back

kicked off

stayed frozen for a beat before slowly following

bedroom, I grabbed

I finally stepped out, he was propped against the headboard

for him, aching for this very moment. But when he finally lay beside me and I reached out, he’d catch my wrist, push it away, and murmur, “Not tonight. I’m

mirror looked different now -her eyes held no trace of their old shadows, only

into his voice. I’d taken longer than usual, and he

knew he was thinking about sex. Was he going to make the

curves accentuated. Men always noticed those things. He might not

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exhaled sharply, clearly annoyed at the wait. The moment I settled in, he threw his

me under the

over my body, fingers burning against the curve of

caught his wrist. “Too tired tonight,” I mumbled

tensed. “It’s been three months,”

that,” I muttered, not wanting

Normally, I’d be crawling out

all anymore. Jared used to be the one losing interest, but now

one word of refusal would

tonight was different. His fingers only tightened around me. Angry as he clearly was, none of his usual gentlemanly restraint

was suddenly at my

and self–assured, was actually reduced to

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