Chapter 8 A Desperate Lie

Jane: POV

The insistent knocking on my hotel room door jolted me awake.

I glanced at the bedside clock—6:38 AM. Who the hell needed me this early?

"Jane! Open this fucking door right now!" Lucas's voice carried through the wood, sharp with rage.

I wrapped myself in the hotel robe and cautiously approached the door.

Whatever had him this worked up couldn't be good. Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door and pulled it open.

Lucas stood there, his face contorted with fury, phone clutched in his white-knuckled grip.

He shoved past me into the room without waiting for an invitation.

"Who the fuck is this?" he demanded, thrusting his phone in my face.

My stomach dropped.

On the screen was a photo of Ethan and me walking on the beach last night, his jacket draped around my shoulders, our silhouettes illuminated by moonlight.

"This man," Lucas jabbed his finger at Ethan's image. "Who is he?"

My mind raced. I couldn't drag Ethan into this mess—it would only make everything worse.

Lucas would investigate him, discover our arrangement, and potentially sabotage the hospital transfers for my family.

I needed a believable lie.

"That's just a security guard from the resort," I said, keeping my voice steady. "He saw me crying on the beach and came to check if I was okay. Gave me his jacket because I was cold."

Lucas's eyes narrowed. "A security guard?"

"He was off-duty," I countered, then quickly shifted to offense. "And why was I crying alone on a beach at midnight? Because you tried to force yourself on me yesterday, you piece of shit! If you hadn't attacked me in your room, none of this would have happened."

Serena, who had been hovering in the doorway, stepped into the room uninvited. Her eyes glittered with malice as she looked between us.

"That's not what it looked like to me," she said, her voice dripping with fake concern. "I saw them together, Lucas. They seemed... intimate. The way he looked at her, the way she leaned into him—it wasn't casual."

'Fucking bitch.' I should have known she'd be involved.

Lucas's face darkened. "You have some nerve," he snarled, advancing toward me. "We're still married, and you're already whoring around behind my back?"

The slap came without warning—a sharp crack across my cheek that sent me stumbling backward.

"Lucas!" I gasped, my hand flying to my stinging face.

The room fell silent. Even Serena looked shocked at his outburst.

I steadied myself against the dresser, my cheek throbbing.

"Don't you ever touch me again," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "I didn't cheat on you. That man was nothing—just someone who showed basic human decency when I was upset."

"Unlike my husband, who brings his mistress on our supposed reconciliation trip."

Lucas opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.

"And if you want to keep pushing this bullshit narrative," I continued, gaining momentum, "I'll call every gossip columnist in New York right now and tell them we're getting divorced.“

”I'll tell them how you brought your mistress on our Hawaiian 'reconciliation' trip, how you've been keeping her in a separate room, how you tried to rape me yesterday to get me pregnant while fucking your side piece every night."

I reached for my phone. "I wonder how Shaw Enterprises stock will fare when that headline hits tomorrow morning. We both know how much your position depends on maintaining that perfect public image."

Lucas's face paled slightly. The mention of media exposure was always his weak spot.

"Fine," he finally said, his voice flat. "But I'm watching you, Jane. If I find out you're lying—if I discover you're seeing someone behind my back—you'll regret it. Remember, your family still needs me."

The threat hung in the air between us.

"Just leave me alone, Lucas," I said tiredly. "Let's just stay out of each other's way."

He nodded stiffly and turned to leave, grabbing Serena's arm as he went.

At the door, he paused.

"Don't forget what's at stake," he said without looking back.

After they left, I collapsed onto the bed, my hands shaking.

I'd dodged a bullet, but just barely.

The slap still stung on my cheek, a physical reminder of how dangerous Lucas could be when threatened.

The remainder of the trip passed in blessed isolation.

Lucas kept his distance, spending his time with Serena while I enjoyed the beach, the spa, and room service—all charged to his account, of course. Small revenge, but satisfying nonetheless.

On our final day in Hawaii, we barely exchanged ten words.

The flight back to New York was equally silent, with Lucas and Serena seated in first class while I chose a seat in premium economy, as far from them as possible.

The moment our plane touched down at JFK, I felt a weight lift.

Being back in New York meant I was one step closer to freedom.

Lucas didn't offer me a ride back to the apartment, and I didn't ask for one.

I took a separate cab, arriving at the penthouse nearly an hour after them.

By then, Lucas had already shut himself in his study, and Serena was nowhere to be seen—probably sent back to whatever hole she crawled out of.

I was hanging up my coat when my phone rang. Christina's name flashed on the screen.

"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded the second I answered. "I've been trying to reach you for days!"

"Hawaii," I said, sinking onto the living room sofa. "With Lucas."

"Hawaii?" Her voice rose an octave. "What happened to 'I'm leaving that bastard as soon as possible'? Why are you going on tropical vacations with him?"

I sighed, massaging my temples. "It wasn't by choice. His mother orchestrated the whole thing after a false pregnancy scare. It's... complicated."

"Jane," Christina's voice softened with concern, "I'm worried about you. This back-and-forth isn't healthy. One minute you're filing for divorce, the next you're in Hawaii with him. What's your plan here?"

I glanced around the penthouse that had never felt like home, taking in the cold, impersonal furnishings that reflected the emptiness of my marriage.

"My plan?" I said, a new determination hardening my voice. "I'm moving out. I'm getting as far away from that manipulative bastard as possible."

And this time, I meant it.