Chapter Thirty-One

Hunter’s POV

My grip tightened on the phone. “I see. My mistake then. Thanks.”

I hung up, a cold feeling settling in my stomach. She’d lied. Not a white lie, not an exaggeration. A complete fabrication about where she’d be tonight.

The whiskey burned going down as I finished it in one swallow. Was she with someone else? Was that what was going on? Or was I letting my imagination run wild because of some damn birth control pills and my own... complicated feelings?

Had she gotten the dates mixed up in our shared calendar? Fuck, was I seeing ghosts where there weren’t any? Was I secretly hoping something was going on so I could justify my own actions and thoughts?

I poured another drink, staring at the amber liquid. Following her would be insane. The act of a jealous, insecure husband. I’d never been that guy, never wanted to be that guy, and if I’m being honest with myself, I’m not even jealous. Which seemed wrong. Helena is my wife… I should be jealous at the thought of her with another man.

I set the glass down, untouched. No. Whatever was happening with Helena, tracking her like some suspicious asshole wasn’t the answer. We needed to talk—really talk—about the growing distance between us.

But not tonight. Not before Chicago. Not when I was feeling this raw, this confused. This fucking messed up. Chicago would give me a chance to get my shit together.

The housekeeper came in with a plate of food. I ate it, not really paying attention to what I was eating. I tried to focus on the stack of papers in front of me.

I heard Helena enter hours later, her heels clicking on the marble foyer. I knew it was her by the sound of her walk. I didn’t get up to greet her. Didn’t call out. Just sat in my study, waiting to see if she’d come find me.

She didn’t. I heard her go straight upstairs. I looked at the clock. 10 p.m.

I frowned. Why would she not come and say hi or goodnight? The light was on, she had to know I was in here.

I sat there for a moment, then followed, turning off the light. The shower was running by the time I entered our room.

Washing away evidence? Or just the normal routine of someone who’d been out all evening?

I closed my eyes. This was going to drive me insane if I kept at it. I needed to compartmentalize. Get through Chicago. Focus on work. Then deal with... whatever this was.

I checked the bathroom door. It was locked. She never locked the door.

I undressed and sat on the end of the bed, waiting for her to come out.

She walked out naked. “Hi, baby.”

I got up, moving past her to the bathroom to brush my teeth. “How was your committee dinner?”

A beat of silence. “Fine. Boring, actually. Just finalizing details for the auction.”

The lie slid off her tongue so easily. Had she always been this way? Had I just never noticed?

Coming back into the bedroom, I said, “I tried calling your phone, but it went to voicemail.”

Her expression didn’t change. “I’m sorry, darling, you know how involved I am with my charities.” She set her phone aside. “You look tense. Long day?”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I slipped into bed, keeping to my side. She got in beside me.

“Chicago will be good for you,” she said, turning off her lamp. “A change of scenery. Though I’ll miss you, of course.”

I made a noncommittal sound, staring at the ceiling.

“Goodnight, Hunter,” she said, like she wasn’t sure why I hadn’t reached for her or kissed her goodnight at least.

“Night,” I replied, knowing sleep would be a long time coming.

As I lay there in the dark, listening to Helena’s breathing, waiting for her to drift off, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my marriage was built on sand—and the tide was coming in.

Helena’s POV

Hunter wasn’t asleep. His back was too rigid, his breathing too controlled. He was brooding about something… He couldn’t know where I was tonight… I was always careful. I covered my tracks. But maybe I needed to cut my sexual activities to when Hunter was at work or away.

Smiling… remembering the times Hunter had been away on a business trip, I had fucked men and I do mean men, more than one—on our bed… The thrill had really increased my sexual pleasure. Knowing I could control Hunter but live the life I had always wanted.

I was a very rich man’s wife, who I had wrapped around my little finger. If a better option came along… a richer man, nothing would stop me from leaving Hunter. But men richer than Hunter were very few. No one I had come across, at least. Unless I could lower myself to sleep with an eighty-year-old man. No, Hunter was a catch—hot and sexy. For now. Women envied me. I liked that. I had something they wanted.

I turned away, facing the window. My hand drifted to my stomach automatically, a gesture I’d caught myself making since the doctor’s news. Pregnant. A parasite threatening everything.

The appointment was scheduled for Thursday, while Hunter and Grace were in Chicago. No one would ever know. Paulo needed to be controlled. He had gotten all emotional about it. Maybe I should invite him over on Wednesday night.

It wasn’t me that was going to carry Hunter’s baby… Poor, stupid Grace. Always so eager to please, so desperate for approval. She had no idea she was just a pawn. No idea I’d never intended for her to actually have Hunter’s child. I would destroy her in Hunter’s eyes.

The surrogacy had been genius. It kept Hunter’s baby fever at bay while ensuring I wouldn’t have to ruin my body. And it kept Grace close, where I could watch her pathetic crush on my husband. It’s one of the reasons I had moved her into our home. I loved watching Grace losing. I had what she wanted.

Oh, she thought no one knew. It made me sick, the way she looked at him when she thought no one was watching. The way she jumped to do anything he asked. It was almost sad how obvious she was.

Hunter, of course, had been oblivious. Too honorable to notice, too focused on his perfect wife to see what was right in front of him.

But lately, something had been different between them. I’d caught him watching her, his eyes lingering too long. I’m sure it was just the baby the little bitch had growing inside of her.

It was... annoying. Hunter having any type of feelings for Grace wasn’t part of my plan. I’d brought her into our home to maintain control, not create competition for Hunter’s attention.

Still, it wasn’t a real threat. Hunter was in love with me. And Grace was too loyal, too guilty to make a move.

I smiled to myself in the darkness. Fucking rats, the lot of them.

Men like Hunter needed to believe in the façade. They needed to think their wives were as perfect as they appeared. It was easier than facing the truth—that the woman they married existed only in their imagination.

I sighed, closing my eyes. I’d have to be more careful for the next few days. Hunter might have suspicions, Grace’s watchfulness, Paulo’s clingy bullshit… all little problems to manage. But I’d always been good at juggling multiple lies. It was practically my superpower.

Thursday couldn’t come soon enough. Once the parasite was gone, I could refocus. Keep Hunter distracted with work and social crap while I enjoyed my freedom. Keep Grace feeling grateful, indebted, in her place.

I’d built this life piece by piece. The perfect husband, the perfect home, the perfect image. And no one—not my super-smart rich husband, not a lovesick sister, and definitely not an unwanted pregnancy—was going to take it from me. I will do anything to keep this life, and no one was going to get in my way.

I drifted to sleep, confident in my control, certain that my secrets were still mine alone. If Paulo needed to be managed, that was easy enough.