CHAPTER 7

         This damn building… this damn apartment… Shawn pulled the car in front of the ‘crime scene’, Danielle’s house. The moment he set foot out of that infernal place; Shawn promised himself never to return again, not even for a simple visit. Danielle tried to play him and she almost had her way. He had an idea of how malicious, how vengeful she was, but by sending the photos to his wife, Danielle pushed this sick game to another level. This madness had to stop and she had to pay for all she had done to Belle and to him.    

        Shawn stayed near his car for a while, trying to calm down before going up to Danielle’s place and talk to her. Since she was the one sending those damn photos, surely, she will be at home, expecting his visit. He won’t yell or threaten her. These things did not work with his ex. He will just tell her that her nasty game is over since starting now Belle knows everything. Then he will go home and try to mend things with his wife.

       He raised his head and looked up at the apartment’s windows. The lights were off, a clear sign that she was somewhere partying. Or maybe, knowing Shawn’s temperament, she was just trying to avoid confrontation. Well, he’ll wait there until she will be back home. Even if all he wanted was to go and be with his wife, Shawn knew he had to solve this problem first and go back to Belle with the undisputed proof of his innocence.

          It was a huge mistake not telling his wife what had happened that night he went to see Danielle. Shawn chose to act like a gentleman and tell her face to face that all was over between them, that he had chosen Belle. But she was busy with that stupid party of hers and while waiting for her, Shawn got drunk and fell asleep in the guest room. He woke up naked in the same bed with Danielle and knew right then and there that nothing happened between them, but wanted to have proof that could support his certainty before talking to Belle about it.

          Trying not to think so much of what Belle said to him, at her expression filled with hurt while she was telling him about the effect that those damned photos and had on her, Shawn started to pace slowly next to his car. His love for Belle was so deep, so unique… he never felt like that for any other woman, not even for Jennifer. Her betrayal pushed him to treat women like a simple dalliance. Jennifer’s behavior canceled love, and romance from his heart. And he started treating women like dirt… every single one of them.

          When he allowed Danielle to get closer to him, Shawn did it because he knew exactly what to expect from her. She needed his name and money to become well-known in the high-society, but she never pretended more than this. Before that night, they shared a few… steamy moments, but Danielle never went further than a few kisses and some touching. NEVER. And for Shawn, all this worked perfectly.

          And now she came up with such bullshit?! Danielle barely bared his touch when he was sober, much less having sex with him while drunk. That’s why he was so sure that it was all just a pathetic lie. But he needed proof to put this story to rest once and for all. He needed proof to show his innocence to the world.  

          Shawn entered the car and looked at those photos again. Nothing he saw proved that they were having sex. Danielle had Shawn's arms around her naked body, but his eyes were closed. He seemed more asleep than awake. Nothing in those photos was true, not one single frame. Everything he was seeing was reeking of revenge on Danielle’s part.

          The last time they met, in Shawn's office, Danielle made it clear that she wouldn’t give up so easily on him, that she won’t go down without a fight. But Shawn also knew that she wasn’t alone in this. Who was her accomplice since she couldn't get close to the villa on that day? The envelope has no stamp on it… Finding this person will prove his point to Belle and she will understand that all this was all a jealous, revengeful woman’s duty. That it was all just a big lie meant to kill their happiness.

          He rested his head against the car seat, waiting for her to come back to her apartment. Shawn wanted so much to be somewhere else, but he knew that he would stay there, waiting for Danielle for a long while… She might stay out the whole night…

“Come on, Danielle,” he said checking the street for a sign of her, “come back here and show me what else do you have in mind. Do it quick, because I need to go back to my wife.”

          After waiting a couple of hours, he picked up his cellphone to call Belle. Shawn had to hear her voice, if only for a second. He had to know that he didn’t lose her trust entirely. It didn’t matter if she would tell him to go straight to hell for what she thought he had done. All Shawn desperately wanted was to hear her, to know that even if angry, she was still with him, she was still his wife.

          But she didn’t answer. Damnit! He didn’t realize that his cellphone’s battery was almost dead. It was better not to call again, because he might need it to record some evidence once he will come face to face with Danielle. So, Shawn left a text on her voice mail.

‘I will prove to you that I’m innocent, that I don’t want another woman who is not you. Baby, you are my greatest love. Don’t lose faith in me… in us. Don’t leave me again all alone in this world without you. I will return to you soon, my love, I promise you. I love you.’

          Once he was done with the text, he put the cellphone back in his pocket and continued to keep an eye on Danielle's apartment. After another couple of hours, Shawn saw a taxi parking not far from his car. He saw a couple of women getting out of it. They were a bit tipsy. Immediately, Shawn recognized Danielle. She was talking and laughing with the other woman. Danielle opened her clutch looking for something, probably her keys.

          Shawn opened the door and approach them slowly, without making too much noise. The two women were still talking quite loudly this time. Struggling a little, they began to climb the stairs to enter the building. Both stopped in front of the open door and after locking their eyes, the two women started... kissing heavily.

          There was nothing casual in that kiss, and for sure, it wasn’t happening because they were tipsy. Totally perplexed, Shawn continued to approach the two of them and to film that scene. He was now beginning to comprehend her coldness. He shook his head since he never saw that one coming. His ex-fiancée liked women more than she liked men.

          Filming them wasn’t right, but it was the only way to make Belle see that she had nothing to worry about. Danielle would never again be a problem for their marriage. The closer he got to the unexpected couple, the more he was getting a better shot of the scene. Even so, it was impossible to see the other woman’s face. At one point, she pinned Danielle against the railing and continued to devour her mouth, to lick her neck and in a second she slipped her hand under the short dress that Danielle had on.

“Baby,” he heard Danielle's voice, “I want to do you right here, right now... You are driving me insane with desire...”

"I want you too..." replied the other woman. “You are so sexy tonight... And this dress... I couldn’t wait to leave the party and come here to take it off and see you naked...” she added and kept kissing Danielle.

          What he just heard, left Shawn speechless. He had so much to say to Danielle, but he couldn’t… not now, at least. He stopped for a second and hid behind a tree. The kiss between the two became even more passionate and Shawn decided to get a little closer to see who the other woman was, but it wasn’t a successful move. While approaching them again, he made a noise that startled them. Danielle stared at Shawn's face and opened her mouth to say something to him, but Shawn shook his head, smiled, and decided to leave.

“Shawn...” he heard Danielle calling him, but he didn’t stop to look at her.

          There was no need anymore… He had all the proof he needed to clear his name and show his innocence.

PS. I apologize for the characters' size of the first 3 paragraphs. The app doesn't allow me to alter it for now. I hope I will be able to do it in the future.