Ray’s smile vanished completely when he saw the image on Samira's phone. His jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened with concern. He stepped closer, dropping down the towel from around his neck and sitting on the edge of the bed beside her.
"Samira," he began, his voice steady but tinged with urgency. "I was going to tell you about the ring. I left it in Canada during my last business trip after our wedding, but I had planned to get it back. I had no idea who has it now, or how it ended up in someone else’s hands." He searched her face, trying to gauge her reaction, but she remained stone-faced. Samira's fingers clenched around the phone as she studied his expression. There was something genuine about the way he said it. His voice didn’t waver, and his body language remained calm, during other times Ray would have asked her if she was jealous, but at the moment she could clearly see he wasn't feigning, but her trust was fragile—frayed at the edges by dRay woke up just as the first light of dawn crept into the suite, casting soft shadows across the luxurious space. Samira lay beside him, her breathing steady, her face softened by sleep. The events of the night before still swirled in his mind, the mix of emotions lingering in the air between them. He had done his best to reassure her, to convince her of his commitment, but he knew there were still cracks in their fragile bond. Quietly, he slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb her. He needed space to clear his head, to work through the tension that had been building inside him for days. After dressing in workout gear, he left a note on the bedside table for Samira, letting her know he was headed to the hotel gym and would be back in a couple of hours. The hotel gym was empty when Ray arrived, the soft hum of machines filling the room as he set himself up on the treadmill. The rhythmic pounding of his feet against the belt helped him focus, helped him push everything else to
The soft click of the door echoed in the silence of the suite. Samira lay on her side of the bed, the covers pulled up to her chin, her body rigid beneath the sheets. She heard Ray’s footsteps as he entered the room, the sound muffled as he tried to be quiet. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath shallow as she squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. The bed dipped slightly as Ray sat down on the edge, his presence heavy beside her. For a moment, there was only silence, the room filled with the sound of his breathing. Samira felt the weight of his gaze on her back, his hesitation palpable. She knew he was watching her, likely wondering if she was truly asleep or just pretending. The events of the evening was still fresh in her mind—the sight of Delly’s leg draped across Ray’s lap, his lack of resistance, the mocking smile on Delly’s face. It all gnawed at her, an ache in her chest that wouldn’t go away. Ray shifted slightly, his hand hovering over her as though cont
Ray left early that morning, the tension from the previous night and that morning was still clinging to him like a dark cloud. He barely said goodbye to Samira, his words clipped and formal as he gathered his things for his trip to Canada. It wasn’t a long trip—just a few days for business meetings at his company’s headquarters—but the distance between them felt far more than just the miles separating their cities. The door clicked shut behind him, Samira relaxed on the couch for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, feeling the hollow emptiness that had taken residence in her chest. Ray’s parting words echoed in her mind: “I’ll be back soon. We’ll talk when I return.” But she didn’t want to wait. She couldn’t. The betrayal she felt when she saw Delly’s legs sprawled across Ray’s lap haunted her, an image she couldn’t erase. And worse, the fact that Ray hadn’t pushed her away—the fact that he let it happen—burned like acid. She needed to leave. Samira sat up, her decision clear as
The day had gone from bad to worse. Samira stood frozen outside Charlie’s office, her mind still reeling from what had just happened. Fired. She’d been fired from her position on the perfume production team. The words felt heavy in her chest, sinking deep into her bones. She tried to swallow down the bitterness, but it stayed there, clinging to her throat. Her career had always been something she held onto with pride. It was the one constant, the one place where she had control, creativity, and respect. But now? Now it was all gone, like smoke dissipating in the wind. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, though. After days of tension with Ray, the lack of communication, and then the trip to the airport that never happened, her focus had slipped. She had been absent from work without notice and made the reckless decision to enter an external competition with a fragrance she’d developed. A side project. It had seemed harmless at
As Samira pushed through the heavy glass doors of Joey's company, the cool breeze from outside kissed her flushed skin, offering a momentary reprieve from the heat bubbling inside her. Fired. She couldn't get that word out of her head. It echoed over and over, like a cruel joke that she couldn't escape. She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to steady her racing heart. But just as she was about to make her way to where she'd parked the new mountain bike she'd chosen to drive today, since the day she bought it with Ray's credit cards, her eyes landed on a familiar figure standing by the entrance—a tall, elegant woman with dark hair tied neatly into a bun. Her posture was regal, her gaze sharp, and her lips set in a soft, knowing smile. Elena. Ray's mother. Samira's chest tightened. Of all the people she wanted to avoid today, Elena ranked high on the list. But there was no turning back now. She forced a smile onto her face as she approach
Ray had always envisioned a grand proposal, one that would sweep Samira off her feet, leaving her breathless and undeniably sure that he was her forever. But as the plane descended back into the city, he realized that what mattered most wasn’t the grandeur, but the sincerity. Samira wasn’t the kind of woman who needed extravagant displays of love; she needed honesty, commitment, and a promise that he would be by her side, no matter how rocky the road got. When Ray finally made it back to their shared home, he found Samira sitting in the living room, lost in her thoughts. Her gaze was fixed out the window, and he couldn’t help but feel the sadness around her considering she'd just lost a competition and her job. But tonight, he was determined to change that. “Hey,” he said softly as he entered the room. Samira turned her head slightly but didn’t fully meet his eyes. “You’re back,” she said quietly, her tone neutral, revealing nothing of what she was feeling. Ray sat beside her on
Samira’s hands trembled as she set her phone down on the table, her mind swirling in a storm of confusion and betrayal. She had wanted to believe Ray, to hold onto the warmth of his proposal, the hope of a future filled with love and forgiveness. But now looking at Delly’s video, she felt like she was free-falling into a dark chasm, that made her unable to catch herself. The room she was currently in felt suffocating, She paced back and forth in the living room, as her footsteps echoed in the silence. Everything in her screamed for answers, for a confrontation, but at the same time, she feared what she might uncover if she pushed too hard. Finally, Samira sank down onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. How could Ray do this to her? Hadn’t they been through enough already? The short memories of their fights, their moments of reconciliation, the promises made—and broken—appeared to be just a farce. And now, just when she had started to believe in him again, to trust in their
Ray lay on his side of the bed that night, keeping a deliberate distance from Samira. The room was silent except for the faint sound of the ceiling fan turning slowly above them. The air between them felt heavier than it ever had, weighed down by unspoken words and lingering doubts. Samira could sense the tension in Ray's body, the way he kept his back to her, as if touching her might shatter the fragile peace they had managed to hold onto since that call. She stared at the ceiling, her mind racing with the memory of Delly’s video and Ray’s promise that he had never lied to her. A part of her wanted to believe him, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw that look on his face in the video—comfortable, intimate, with Delly. It didn’t add up, but for now, Samira told herself to trust him, no matter how much it hurt to push the doubt aside. The days that followed were quiet. Ray left for work early and returned late, and although they shared meals together, the words between them w