Next Day

His meeting was over earlier than expected today so he just invited me for lunch.

Being a Ceo he really doesn't have much time to spend with me..but he still manages to make time to spend with me.

The garden terrace was a picture of elegance. Sunlight filtered through wide parasols, a gentle breeze carried the fragrance of roses planted along the fence, and the sound of cutlery against fine china created a delicate rhythm. Waiters in crisp uniforms glided from table to table, pouring wine into tall glasses.

Reid sat at the head of our table, the perfect image of authority even outside the office. His suit jacket was folded neatly over the back of his chair, his white shirt rolled at the sleeves, but power clung to him effortlessly. He looked like a man who owned the world.

I was still admiring him when Natalie arrived, Adrian walking confidently at her side. His smile was quick, charming, the kind that always felt a little too smooth.

“Reid,” Natalie greeted warmly. “Karline.”

Adrian gave me a longer look before pulling out his chair. “It’s been too long. Karline, you look radiant today. Reid must be very proud to have you by his side.”

Adrian the bestfriend of Natalie.. they used to work in the same hospital together.

He had come for a dinner or too in our home.. and that's where me and Reid knows him.

“Thank you,” I said politely, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

Reid’s hand shifted on the table, his fingers brushing mine briefly as if to remind me he was listening. “Sit. Let’s eat,” he said.

Once they were settled, Reid leaned toward Natalie. “Your case. Has it closed yet?”

Natalie shook her head, her expression somber. “No. It’s dragging on. Some days, I wonder if it’s worth fighting anymore.”

Reid’s voice was steady, reassuring. “You don’t quit. Not until every option is gone. We’ll go through it together again. There will be a way forward.”

Natalie’s lips curved into a faint, grateful smile. “You’ve always had that strength, Reid.”

Adrian cleared his throat and turned his attention to me. “And what about you, Karline? Does he show you that same strength at home, or does he let you see the softer side the rest of us never do?”

I gave a small laugh, glancing at Reid. “He’s… a little of both.”

Adrian leaned in slightly, lowering his voice in a way that still carried. “I envy that. To have both the protector and the man underneath… you’re lucky,.”

Reid’s eyes flicked to Adrian, then to me. He sipped his wine before speaking, calm but firmer this time. “She is more than lucky. She deserves all of me, and she has it.”

Adrian smiled as though the words amused him. “I can see that. Still, it’s rare to meet a woman who could match Reid’s presence. Most would be overshadowed. But you… you shine in your own light.”

The compliment was too direct to ignore. My cheeks warmed, but I managed to smile politely. “That’s kind of you, Adrian.”

Reid set his glass down, his gaze steady now. “Adrian, you’ve made your point. My kar doesn’t need anyone to tell her how remarkable she is.”

I reached for Reid’s hand under the table, giving it a light squeeze. “It’s alright,” I said softly. “He was only being kind.”

The waiter arrived just then with steaming plates of roasted lamb and bowls of pasta. Conversation shifted, but the tension lingered, wrapped in polite smiles and careful glances.

Adrian chuckled as he cut into his food. “Reid, you’re a fortunate man. If I were you, I wouldn’t let her out of my sight.”

This time, Reid only gave a small smile, his thumb brushing against the back of my hand. His voice was calm, but his words held weight. “You don’t have to worry about that. I never do.”

After that meal, Adrian flirted a bit more with me..and i kinda liked seeing jealous Reid...so he can feel now I feel him with Natalie.

even Adrian put his hands on mine for a photo and I let him for a selfie.

I can clearly see Reid's anger, god..

Then we left for home..

***

At night.

it's almost 10pm and we were under the blanket watching movie cuddling with eachother.

My head rested against Reid’s shoulder, his arm heavy and warm around me. His laughter at some silly commercial made my heart flutter, and I tilted my face to him with a smile.

“You’re not even watching,” I teased, poking his chest lightly.

“I’m watching you,” he replied smoothly, catching my hand and pressing a kiss against my knuckles. His lips trailed higher, to my wrist, then my neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

“Reid…” My voice broke into a soft sigh as he shifted, pressing me gently back against the cushions. His mouth found mine, hot and hungry, stealing every breath until I was clinging to him.

His hands moved with purpose, sliding beneath my blouse, skimming along my skin as if memorizing every inch. His kisses deepened, tasting of wine and want, pulling me further under his spell. When he pushed the fabric from my shoulder and his lips grazed the curve of my collarbone, I could only moan his name.

“Reid… don’t stop.”

“I don’t intend to,” he murmured against my skin, his voice thick with desire. He was already unbuttoning, his tshirt discarded, his body pressing closer, harder, until the shrill buzz of his personal phone shattered the moment.

He froze.

I blinked up at him, breathless, watching the frustration flicker across his face as he reached for the phone. “Ignore it,” I whispered, pulling him back down. “Please. Stay with me.”

But he had already seen the name flashing on the screen. His expression tightened. “I have to take this.”

The warmth between us chilled instantly. I knew without asking who it was. My stomach sank.

“Hello,” he said, his voice shifting from passionate to composed in an instant. He listened for a moment, then straightened, running a hand through his hair. “Alright. Stay calm. I’ll be there.”

My chest clenched. “Natalie,” I said flatly. “It’s her again.”

Reid didn’t deny it. “She’s at the police station. There’s been some kind of misunderstanding. She needs help.”

I sat up, my blouse still hanging loosely from one shoulder. “Now? Reid, it’s ten o’clock at night.”

He reached for his jacket. “I can’t leave her like that.”

I caught his arm, my voice low and trembling with frustration. “And what about me? What about us? I need you tonight. I…” My lips brushed his ear, desperate, aching. “I want you. Can’t you see? I’m burning for you. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

He closed his eyes briefly, pressing a kiss against my lips, slow and lingering. “Baby… we’ll continue after I come back. I promise.”

“I don’t want after,” I whispered, my hands fisting in his shirt. “I want now.”

For a moment, his resolve wavered, his breath hitching as my lips trailed his jaw. But then he pulled back, his voice steady. “Kar… I have to. She’s in trouble.”

The heat inside me twisted into anger. I shoved his chest lightly, my voice sharper than I intended. “Always her. Every time she calls, you run. Do you even hear yourself? It’s like she owns a part of you I can never touch.”

His eyes darkened, but not with anger. With something heavier. “That’s not true. Don’t ever think that.”

“Then prove it,” I hissed. “Stay.”

For a long second, silence stretched between us, broken only by the ticking clock on the wall. His hand brushed my cheek, tender despite the storm in my words. “You’re my wife. My only love. But right now, she needs me. And I can’t walk away from someone who’s asking for help.”

Tears burned in my eyes. “And I need you, Reid. Doesn’t that matter?”

His thumb caught the tear before it fell. “It matters more than anything. Which is why I’ll come back, no matter how late it is. And when I do, I’ll finish what we started.” His lips pressed one last, lingering kiss against mine.

Then he stood, his figure framed in the doorway as he grabbed his keys. “Wait for me, baby.”

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me in the silence, in the ache, in the fire that had nowhere left to burn.

I couldn’t sit in that empty house another second. The silence pressed against me like a cage, every tick of the clock mocking the fact that Reid had left me again. For her.

When the driver looked up in surprise as I came down the stairs in a fitted black dress and heels, I didn’t even give him the chance to ask.

“Take me to a club,” I ordered.

“Madam… at this hour?” he hesitated.

“Yes. And wait outside for me. Don’t follow me in,” I said sharply, sliding into the car.

The city lights blurred past the window, neon signs glowing against the dark sky. By the time we pulled up to the club, the music was already pulsing from inside, bass vibrating through the pavement. I stepped out, the night air brushing against my bare shoulders, and walked straight in without looking back.

Inside, it was chaos in the most intoxicating way, flashing lights, bodies pressed together, the smell of alcohol and perfume thick in the air. For the first time that night, I felt alive.

I made my way to the bar, ordering a glass of red wine, when a familiar voice caught me off guard.

“Well, if it isn’t Mrs. CEO,” Adrian drawled smoothly from a stool nearby, his glass of whiskey in hand.

I turned, startled, but quickly composed myself. “Adrian.”

He grinned, his eyes scanning me slowly. “You look… different tonight. Not the elegant hostess from the restaurant. More like a woman who came to forget something.”

I sipped my wine, meeting his gaze without flinching. “Maybe I did.”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Let me guess. Reid’s busy again?”

The way he said it, with that mocking edge, made my chest tighten. I gave a small laugh, more bitter than amused. “What else is new?”

Adrian chuckled, taking another sip of whiskey. “And so you came here. Alone. Brave… or dangerous?”

“I told the driver to wait outside,” I said casually, though my heart thudded faster under his gaze.

His lips curved. “So technically not alone. But still lonely.”

I turned away from him, letting the music pull me. “Maybe I don’t want to talk. Maybe I just want to feel.”

Before I could overthink it, I walked toward the stage where the DJ’s lights flashed and the beat was strongest. A few people were already dancing, but I climbed onto the platform, the spirit and anger giving me courage I didn’t know I had.

From the stage, my eyes caught Adrian’s. He was leaning back at the bar, his gaze locked on me, a slow smile spreading across his face. He lifted his glass in a silent toast.

I laughed, breathless, spinning under the lights, but inside my chest, something twisted. Freedom felt good, but it also burned. Because no matter how high the music lifted me, a part of me still wished Reid had been the one watching.

The club lights spun faster, colors bleeding together as I sat back at the bar. My glass of spirit was nearly empty, the last drops burning as they slid down my throat. I wanted the heat, the numbness, anything to quiet the storm inside me.

But as I set the glass down, the room tilted slightly. My vision blurred, the edges softening in a way that made my stomach twist.

“Another?” Adrian’s voice came smooth beside me, though it sounded far away, as if underwater.

I shook my head, pressing a hand to my temple. “No… I think I’ve had enough.”

He chuckled, low and amused. “Funny, I thought you came here to let go.”

I tried to laugh, but it came out weak. “Not like this…” My words slurred faintly, and I hated how heavy my tongue felt.

Adrian leaned closer, his face much too near. “Then how about a dance instead?”

I blinked, trying to steady my gaze. “No. I don’t… I don’t want to dance.”

But before I could push back, he was already tugging at my hand, strong and insistent. My legs wobbled as I stood, the floor swaying beneath me.

“Adrian..stop. I said no.” I tried to pull free, but my strength was slipping, my body betraying me. The music thundered in my ears, drowning out my words, drowning out everything.

He led me to the stage, my heels stumbling on the steps, my heart pounding in confusion. I wanted to resist, to shout, but all that came out was a faint, broken sound.

And then I felt it..his lips brushing against my cheek, his mouth grazing the sensitive skin of my neck.

“No…” I whispered, my hands pressing weakly against his chest. But my arms felt like water, useless, sliding off him.

“Shhh,” he murmured, the crowd cheering around us, mistaking my struggle for play.

The lights were too bright, the music too loud. My vision tunneled, his face the only thing clear, his breath hot against my skin. I tried again to push him away, but my body wouldn’t listen.

Everything blurred into noise, into heat, into helplessness. And then there was nothing but the dizzy thrum of the music and the weight of him holding me there.

Reid’s POV

By the time we stepped out of the police station, the clock on my dashboard read past midnight. The streets were quiet, the city lights muted, as though the world itself had gone to sleep while I was still running.

Natalie walked beside me, her steps heavy, her eyes red. Her hands fidgeted with the strap of her tote bag, the one she always carried to the hospital. I knew what was inside, scrubs, her stethoscope, half-used notepads. Even in her worst moments, she never left them behind.

“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” she whispered, voice breaking. “I spend all day saving lives, watching strangers breathe again because of me, and then I come home to… nothing. My house is gone. My parents are gone. And now the case keeps dragging on. I feel like I have nowhere left.”

She sank down on the curb, covering her face with her hands. The sob that tore out of her chest wasn’t graceful, wasn’t restrained it was raw, wounded.

“Natalie…” I crouched beside her, unsure what to do. I wasn’t the man to comfort with soft words, but seeing her break like that tugged at the part of me that remembered our childhood. She had once been a girl with scraped knees running after me in the fields, begging me to let her play with us. Now she was a woman who kept everyone else alive but couldn’t keep herself from falling apart.

“You can’t stay like this,” I said quietly. “Come to my house tonight. Rest. We’ll find a solution in the morning.”

She sniffled, lifting her face. “I can’t impose on you and Karline, especially not after the shift I just came from. I probably still smell like antiseptic.”

“You’re not imposing,” I cut in firmly. “You’re in trouble. And I help the people I care about. That’s final.”

She gave me a watery smile, murmuring a thank you, brushing at the sleeve of her cardigan where a pen was still clipped, another trace of the hospital she couldn’t leave behind. But my chest tightened. Because even as I said it, all I could think of was Kar waiting for me at home. The look in her eyes when I left her earlier… the anger, the hurt. I clenched my jaw, speeding the car toward my house.

When we finally arrived, I stepped out quickly, scanning the windows. The living room lights were off. The house was too still.

“Kar?” I called softly as I entered, placing Natalie’s bag by the door. My voice echoed through the hall. No answer.

My heartbeat picked up. She always waited for me, no matter how angry she was. Even if she pretended to sleep, I would still find her curled in our bed. But now, the house felt empty, wrong.

I checked the bedroom first, bed neatly made, no sign of her. The kitchen, plates untouched, the lasagna she’d made for me earlier still covered on the counter. My throat tightened at the sight.

“Natalie, stay here,” I ordered, sharper than I intended. She opened her mouth, but I didn’t wait.

I searched every room, calling out her name louder now. “Karline! Where are you?”

Nothing.

A flicker of panic shot through me. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, I saw a message from the driver.

“Sir, Madam is at the club. She told me to wait outside.”

My blood ran cold.

Reid’s POV

The car screeched to a halt outside the club, the neon lights burning against the night sky. The bass from inside throbbed in my chest before I even stepped out. My driver climbed quickly from his seat and hurried to me.

“Sir...Madam went inside hours ago. She hasn’t come back out.”

My jaw tightened. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

“I… I thought she only wanted to blow off steam,” he stammered.

I didn’t waste another word. I pushed through the entrance, the smell of sweat, alcohol, and smoke hitting me at once. Lights flashed across the packed dance floor where bodies moved in sync with the music.

“Karline!” I shouted above the noise, scanning the crowd. Faces blurred past me, strangers swaying, laughing, kissing, but not her. My chest ached as I shoved past the dancers, searching every corner, every table.

I pulled out my phone and dialed her, but the call went unanswered. Straight to voicemail.

“Damn it,” I muttered, raking a hand through my hair.

I went further in, toward the velvet ropes that marked the VIP section. A bouncer stepped in front of me until recognition flickered in his eyes. Being CEO had its advantages, I didn’t even need to argue. He stepped aside.

The VIP room was quieter, the music muffled, the air heavy with the scent of expensive liquor and perfume. Private booths lined the walls, curtains drawn on most. My gut twisted. Something felt wrong.

The curtain whipped back, and my world shattered.

Kar.

my karline.

My wife.

Curled against Adrian in the dim booth, her dress slipping off her shoulder, her hair wild, her lips parted as if she’d just been kissed. His arm was locked tight around her waist, his shirt unbuttoned halfway, smug satisfaction written all over his face.

I froze, my heart pounding like a war drum.

“Karline!” My voice roared above the muffled bass.

Her lashes fluttered. She stirred, blinking up at me with glassy eyes. “Reid?” Her voice was soft, slurred, like she was waking from a dream.

Adrian chuckled, stretching like a cat disturbed from its nap. “You’re loud.”

Rage surged through me. “What the hell is this?!”

She tried to push herself up, but her body swayed and collapsed back against the cushions. Her hand reached weakly toward me. “I don’t… I don’t know what happened. Reid, I was just dancing and then..”

Adrian cut her off smoothly, his voice dripping poison. “Don’t lie now, darling. You told me you were lonely. You said you were horny, begged me to touch you. You practically threw yourself at me.”

The words sliced me open.

Karline’s eyes widened in horror. “No! Reid, no, I never said that!” She struggled upright, her body trembling. “He’s lying..I swear on ..”

I stepped closer, my voice raw. “You’re not even drunk, Damnit. Don’t you dare pretend you don’t know what you were doing.”

Her face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m dizzy, my head is spinning..I swear something’s wrong with me. Please, believe me, Reid, I’d never_”

Adrian smirked over her shoulder. “You seemed fine when you were grinding on me a little while ago. Maybe your husband doesn’t know what his perfect wife really wants.”

“Shut your filthy mouth!” I lunged, fisting his collar and slamming him against the wall. My fury shook through my arms. “If you touched her without her consent, I’ll bury you.”

Adrian only laughed, his eyes gleaming. “Consent? She was begging, Reid. Why don’t you ask her?”

Karline’s voice cracked through sobs. “Reid, he’s lying! I tried, but my body wouldn’t listen. You have to believe me!”

But the sight, the sight of her in his arms, flushed and weak, his hands all over her, was burned into my brain.

“How can I believe you?” My chest heaved as the words ripped from me. “Do you know what I see right now? I see my wife, not drunk, not unconscious, but sitting in another man’s arms at midnight, letting him touch her. Do you know what that does to me?”

Her lips trembled. “I didn’t let him! I couldn’t stop him, please, you have to trust me!”

“Trust?” I barked a bitter laugh, hollow and broken. “You begged me to stay tonight, Kar. Do you remember? You said you needed me. And I left hating myself because I chose duty over you. But instead of waiting, you’re here. With him. Tell me, how the hell am I supposed to trust you after this?”

Her sobs tore through the booth, her hands reaching for me. “Because I love you, Reid. Only you. Please, don’t let one lie destroy us.”

I looked at her, really looked, and for one fleeting moment I almost believed her. Almost. But the image wouldn’t leave my head, Adrian’s lips grazing her cheek, her body limp and pliant under his arm.

I turned away, voice sharp, final. “Don’t speak. Every word out of your mouth right now feels like a lie.”

Her gasp broke me in half, but I forced my legs to move, storming out of the booth before I shattered completely.

Behind me, I heard her crying, Adrian’s low chuckle threading through it like a knife.

And in that moment, betrayal burned hotter than love.

Karline's POV

The booth door slammed behind Reid, leaving me breathless, my tears dripping hot down my face.

“Reid, wait..please!” I tried to stumble after him, but Adrian’s hand caught my wrist.

“Let him go,” he said smoothly, that smirk still plastered on his face. “He needed to see the truth tonight.”

Something inside me snapped.

I raised my hand and slapped him, hard enough that his head jerked to the side. The sting burned my palm, but the sound of it was worth it.

“You disgusting bastard!” My voice cracked with rage and grief. “You spiked my drink, didn’t you? You made me like this you ruined everything!”

Adrian only chuckled, rubbing his jaw where I struck him. “Ruined? No, sweetheart. I just gave Reid a reason to doubt. The rest was all you, your laugh, your flirting, the way you let me touch your hand. Don’t act innocent now.”

“Stay away from me!” I spat, ripping my hand free and stumbling toward the exit.

I burst out of the club into the cool night air, but Reid’s car was already gone. I caught sight of Natalie slipping into the passenger seat beside him before the vehicle disappeared into the street.

My chest caved. Natalie. With him.

“No, no, no…” My voice broke as I staggered to the curb, praying I was wrong.

The driver hurried toward me. “Madam, are you alright? Should I take you home?”

I nodded weakly, wiping my tears with trembling hands. “Yes… take me home. Please.”

The house was dark when I arrived. Empty.

“Reid?” I called out the moment I opened the door. My voice echoed through the silence. No answer.

I searched every room, the living room, the study, the bedroom. Nothing. His shoes weren’t even by the door. His phone was off when I tried calling.

“Reid, please pick up,” I whispered into the phone, my hands shaking. I tried again. Straight to voicemail. Again. And again.

By the fifth time, my sobs broke free.

I sank to the floor in the hallway, clutching the phone against my chest. The silence of the house pressed down on me, heavy, suffocating.

“Reid, I swear I didn’t betray you,” I whispered into the darkness. “I tried… I don’t even know what happened to me. Please believe me. Please don’t leave me.”

The memories of Adrian’s words came back to haunt me. She said she was horny. She begged me not to stop.

“No,” I whispered fiercely through tears. “I never said that. I never wanted that. Reid has to know. He has to believe me.”

But he was gone. With Natalie.

My breaths came in short gasps, panic clawing at my chest. What if he never came back? What if he truly believed Adrian?

I curled up on the cold floor, sobbing into my hands until exhaustion blurred my vision.

And in that darkness, one thought screamed louder than my heartbeat.

I was losing him.