2 - Infidelity

Freya's Pov

The first light of dawn pierced through the curtains, stirring me awake. The soft wind played with the curtains but my focus stayed on the man beside me. Caleb’s face looked peaceful, his features relaxed in a way I rarely saw during the day. For a fleeting moment, I let myself enjoy this quiet, his steady breathing the only sound in the room.

Slipping out of bed, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand as I moved gently, careful not to wake him from his sleep. In the kitchen, I got started with making coffee, the rich aroma quickly filling the space.

As the coffee brewed, I put a call across to my PA.

She picked on the first ring, “Tiana, has my dress been delivered?”

“Yes ma'am,” Her calm voice spoke from the other end of the phone, “Your photo shoot is scheduled for twelve noon today ma'am, and we also have the board of…”

“Cancel it.”

The line went quiet for a few seconds.

“Ma'am, we are already behind on the agreeded day for the shoot, the contract states that it should be done…”

“I don't care what the contract states, cancel the shoot, clear all my meetings. I will let you know when I'm ready.”

I ended the call without waiting for her response.

I needed more time with Caleb, work can wait.

With two steaming mugs in hand, I returned to the bedroom. Caleb stirred as I approached, his lips curling into a sleepy smile that sent a thrill down my spine.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

“Good morning, my love.” I sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in to press a kiss to his neck. “How did you sleep?”

“Better. I love having you here.” He replied, his hand slipping around my waist. His fingers, warm and firm, ignited a familiar pull within me.

“Careful,” I teased, a playful smirk dancing on my lips. “We will never leave this room at this rate.”

His answering grin was wicked. “Who said I wanted to?”

The hours that followed blurred into a haze of whispered words and tangled sheets. Caleb knew exactly how to unravel me, his touch both commanding and tender, leaves me breathless and wanting more.

By the time we finally let go, the sun was high in the sky, casting golden light across the room.

“You should head back,” Caleb said softly, brushing a hand through my disheveled hair.

I groaned, stretching my limbs. “I know.”

But I didn’t move. Not yet.

Instead, I lingered, watching him as he sifted through papers at his desk. The sight of him engrossed in work was as intoxicating as his touch.

“Freya,” he said without looking up, “About the plan...”

I stiffened slightly, the bubble of our morning intimacy fading as I waited for him to continue. “What about it?”

He turned to me, his expression unreadable. “We are moving slower than I expected. Once we take everything from Zayn, there is no going back.”

For months, we had been looking into Zayn’s empire, piece by piece. The idea had been brought up by Caleb, at first, I wasn't comfortable with the plan, but my love for Caleb outweighed whatever doubt I had.

So now, it has become our project.

“Caleb,” I began hesitantly, “Do we have to take everything? Couldn’t we leave him something? Twenty percent, maybe?”

His sharp gaze met mine, disbelief flickering in his eyes. “Freya, don’t tell me you are growing a soft spot now.”

“It’s not about growing a soft spot,” I argued, “It’s about strategy. If we leave him with nothing, he will retaliate. But if we throw him a bone, he might back off.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened, the lines of his face hardening. “Zayn doesn’t back off. He fights. And if we leave him even a shred of power, he will use it to destroy us.”

I wanted to protest, to tell him that Zayn wasn’t as ruthless as he believed. But was that true? The Zayn I know, though a charming, generous man, would never stop at nothing until he gets his own pound of flesh.

“Trust me, Freya,” Caleb said, his tone softer now. “This is the only way.”

After giving it more thoughts, I nodded. “I trust you.”

Caleb’s hand found mine, his touch soothing me. “Good.”

We spent the next few hours going over documents, mapping out the final stages of our plan. It was time consuming, but we needed to get it right. We needed the work to be so perfect that left little room for doubt. 

A knock at the door pulled our focus from the paper littering the desk. 

“Come in.” Caleb called out, and the butler stepped in, carrying a pink shopping bag.

“This was delivered for you, sir,” the butler said, placing the bag on the table, his eyes flickering to my face before exiting the room.

“What’s that?” I asked, eyeing the bag curiously.

Caleb smirked, a hint of mischief in his expression. “A surprise for you, my love.”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Opening the bag, I found a small black box inside. My breath hitched as I lifted the lid, revealing a delicate silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, touched by the gesture.

Caleb stepped behind me, taking the necklace from the box. “Turn around.”

I obeyed, gathering my hair as he fastened the clasp. His fingers lingered against my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it,” I said, turning to hug him tightly.

His lips brushed my temple. “Good. I want you to remember how much you mean to me, Freya. Always.”

We lingered in the warmth of the moment, I hated that I had to be away from him.

“Let's get you fed before you leave.” 

He stood to his feet, his palm stretched out to me. I took it, allowing him to lead me to the dining table.

Caleb insisted on an elaborate lunch, my mouth watered as I saw my favorite meal on the table.

The chefs excused themselves, allowing us to have the room to ourselves.

After lunch, I relaxed on the seat, bringing him up to speed with my work.

“I should go." I said softly, standing from the table.

Caleb’s expression softened, he stood to his feet, “I will book you a ride back.”

My head dipped in a nod, my eyes focused on him as he got busy on his phone.

“Caleb,” I started, my voice barely above a whisper. 

“What is it my love?”

“When are we making this official, I'm tired of playing hide and seek?”

His eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion, “I can promise you that I'm working on it babe,” He walked to where I stood, pulling me into a hug, “We just need to sort out Zayn first and then we will be ready.”

“Okay.” My voice was still frail.

“Freya, I love you and I don't want you to ever doubt that, okay?”

I gave him a smile, how dare I think for a minute that this man doesn't love me enough.

“I love you too Caleb.”

His lips found mine, and I shut me eyes, savouring the moment.

“Let's get you home before I loose control.” He winked at me, a sly smile on his face.

The ride back was long and uneventful, I busied myself with catching up with ‘the girls’ as I tried not to think about Caleb. I miss him already.

 When I finally stepped into the house, Kamila and Kamrin greeted me with excited shouts.

“Mummy!”

I forced a smile, hugging them briefly, they definitely look adorable in their matching clothes.

“How are my babies doing?”

“We are fine mummy, we miss you so much.” Kamila spoke for her and her twin, bright smiles dancing on their faces.

“What did you buy for us?”

She asked.

“Darling, mummy forgot your candy at the office, but not to worry, I will have the driver go fetch it okay?” I lied but it worked as she nodded her head excitedly.

“Are you going back to work again?”

Kamrin asked, his eyes hopeful.

“Yes baby, mummy has to work.” I ran my finger through his dark curls.

“But you just got back mummy, can you please stay for a week, let's bake cookies together, and also prepare pancakes.”

He pleaded.

“Baby, mummy is tired and would love to rest now, you both should do same.”

I called the nanny over and she came to get them while I retreated upstairs. 

The silence of the bedroom was an opposite of Caleb’s home, and for a moment, I allowed myself to feel the emptiness, wanting nothing more than to be in his arms.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, jolting me from my thoughts. Caleb’s name lit up the screen.

“Hey,” I answered, a small smile tugging at my lips.

“Are you home?”

“Yes,” I replied, sinking onto the bed.

There was a pause,

“Where is your husband?” Caleb asked, his voice low and sharp. “Is Zayn with you?”

I glanced at the empty space beside me, letting out a breath before responding, “Your brother isn’t home yet, Caleb.”