Lila woke to an empty bed. The space where Rowan usually lay was cold, the sheets barely disturbed. Her heart sank as she turned her head and spotted the note he’d left on the nightstand.


    “Early meeting. Late night. Don’t wait up.”


    It wasn’t much, but the bluntness of his words stung. She folded the note neatly, setting it aside as she slid out of bed. Her legs felt heavy as she made her way to the kitchen, her eyes falling on the dining table. The gifts she had so carefully chosen for him still sat there, untouched, their glossy wrapping paper mocking her.


    She pressed her hands against the counter, gripping the edge tightly. Last night’s accusations replayed in her mind, each word cutting deeper than the last. The memory of him calling her a liar, of his hand grabbing her arm, of the venom in his voice… it all left her chest aching.


    For the first time, anger began to bubble under the surface of her heartbreak.


    ---


    At his office, Rowan leaned over his drafting table, glaring at the sketches in front of him without seeing them. The normally soothing routine of his work offered no solace. His mind was too loud, looping back to the confrontation with Lila.


    He clenched his fist, pushing his chair back sharply. A part of him felt guilty—he hadn’t meant for things to get so heated. But the image of those extravagant gifts kept resurfacing. How could she afford them? The doubt gnawed at him, making it impossible to think clearly.


    “Hey, you good?”


    Rowan looked up to see Grant, his closest friend and business partner, standing in the doorway. Grant was holding a coffee cup, his brow furrowed with concern.


    “Fine,” Rowan muttered, sitting straighter.


    “Yeah, sure you are,” Grant said, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. “You’ve been snapping at everyone all morning. What’s going on?”


    Rowan hesitated. He didn’t want to drag their personal life into the office, but he needed to vent. “It’s Lila,” he admitted finally. “I think… I think she’s lying to me.”


    Grant raised an eyebrow, leaning against the edge of the desk. “About what?”Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    “Money,” Rowan said, his voice tight. “She’s been buying these insanely expensive things. Gifts I know she can’t afford. And… I think she might be getting the money from someone else.”


    “Like who?”


    Rowan hesitated, his jaw tightening. “I don’t know. Someone rich. Maybe… I don’t know.”


    Grant stared at him for a moment before sighing. “Look, man, I don’t know Lila that well, but from everything you’ve ever said about her, she doesn’t strike me as the cheating type. Maybe there’s a good explanation.”


    Rowan shook his head, frustration simmering beneath the surface. “If there’s a good explanation, why won’t she just tell me?”


    “Maybe she’s scared,” Grant suggested. “Or maybe you’re jumping to conclusions because you’re insecure about… well, a lot of things.”


    Rowan scowled, pushing back from the desk. “I’m not insecure.”


    Grant shrugged, holding his hands up in surrender. “Alright. But if you want to blow up your marriage over assumptions, that’s your call.”


    ---


    Later that day, Lila sat on the sofa, her phone buzzing in her lap. The screen lit up with a familiar name: Victoria Harper.


    She hesitated before answering, her mother’s clipped voice immediately filling her ear. “Lila, I just got off the phone with James. He mentioned you’ve been having trouble with your husband.”


    Lila sighed, leaning back into the cushions. “Of course he did. Is there anything my father doesn’t share with you?”


    “Don’t be flippant, Lila. I warned you about this years ago. A man like Rowan Pierce was never going to understand your world. He’s… limited.”


    Lila’s grip on the phone tightened. “He’s not limited. He’s hardworking, loyal, and everything you could never understand.”


    Victoria scoffed. “Loyal? Is that why you’re calling me in tears because he doesn’t trust you? Face it, darling. You made a mistake marrying beneath you. Come home. We’ll sort this out. You belong here, not playing house with someone who resents you.”


    “I’m not leaving him,” Lila snapped.


    “Suit yourself,” Victoria said coolly. “But remember, when he turns on you completely, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”


    The call ended, leaving Lila staring at the blank screen.


    ---


    Rowan came home late again. The apartment was quiet, the table cleared. Lila sat on the sofa, her knees tucked beneath her.


    “Hey,” she said softly as he walked through the door.


    “Hey,” he replied, his tone guarded. He dropped his keys onto the counter and avoided her gaze as he slipped off his shoes.


    “Can we talk?” she asked, standing.


    He paused, then shrugged. “Sure.”


    She took a deep breath, stepping closer. “I know you’re upset. I know I’ve been distant, and I know you don’t understand everything. But I need you to trust me.”


    “Trust you?” Rowan let out a bitter laugh. “How am I supposed to trust you when you can’t even be honest with me?”


    “That’s not fair,” she said, her voice trembling. “I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you. Last night was supposed to be—”


    “Was supposed to be what? Another performance? Another lie?”


    Her patience snapped. “You’re the one who’s lying to yourself, Rowan. You’ve convinced yourself I’m some villain because it’s easier than admitting you’re insecure about where we stand.”


    Rowan’s face hardened. “If that’s how you feel, maybe I shouldn’t be here.”


    He grabbed his coat and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.


    ---


    Later that night, Rowan saw her. Lila, stepping out of a black car in front of an upscale restaurant. She was wearing a sleek black dress, her hair cascading down her back as she walked inside to meet her father.


    He followed.


    Inside, he spotted her at a private table, sitting across from a distinguished older man. The man leaned forward, smiling as he spoke, and Lila’s expression softened in a way that made Rowan’s stomach churn.


    He turned and walked out, the image seared into his mind.


    Back at the apartment, Rowan waited. When Lila walked in, her eyes widened at the sight of him.


    “Who is he?” Rowan asked, his voice low and cold.


    “What?”


    “The man at the restaurant,” he said. “Who is he? Your lover? Your sugar daddy?”


    Her face paled.


    Rowan stepped closer. “I followed you, Lila. So don’t you dare lie to me again.”


    Her lips parted, but no words came out.


    The silence between them was deafening.