The silence was loud as I stood there, waiting for my husband to say something; anything. My heart was thundering to the point that I think I could even hear it. My throat was dry and my breathing was heavy as I waited. Chris took a shaky breath, his hands trembling as he struggled to find the words. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner,” He whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “I can’t believe I didn’t see who you really are.” My heart sank as I watched the pain and betrayal etched into every line of his face. I wanted to reach out to him, to explain, to beg for forgiveness. But I still did not know what he was talking about. I needed to be sure before I gave myself away. “What do you mean?” I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper as I took a tentative step towards him. He turned away from me, his shoulders hunched with the weight of his sorrow. “I mean…I mean all of it,” He muttered, his voice heavy with accusation. “The lies, the secrets…the distance b
I did not want to keep holding onto the photographs, so I placed them back in the folder and gently put them down on the coffee table. Chris’s expression softened for a moment, confusion flickering in his eyes. “Then what is this?” He demanded, gesturing to the damning evidence spread out before us. I took a deep breath, gathering my courage to reveal the truth, no matter how damning it may be. Yes, I was not going to let my marriage fail because of Fallon, I had already lost my will and life. I could tell Chris the truth and tell him not to tell anyone. I’m sure he would do that for me. But was he going to forgive me for what I did with the CEO and Victor? Was he going to forgive me for selling my body and seducing them, just to end up killing them in the end?“Listen to me, please,” I began, my voice shaky but resolute. “I have been keeping secrets from you, but not the ones you think.” He folded his arms across his chest, skepticism plastered on his face. “Go on,” He said, his
Chris frowned, clearly not expecting my resistance. “Linda, I understand your hesitation, but we can’t keep living like this. We need to confront this situation head-on. If we have evidence, they’ll have to listen to us.” Yeah, it all made perfect sense on paper but that did not mean that it would work out in the real world. I had a huge feeling that Fallon had some power or at least, some influence over the police force. I mean, we were in China, but I had a feeling that she had the same if not twice as much influence back in the United States. I bit my lip, feeling torn between the fear of facing the consequences and the necessity of seeking justice. “I just…I’m afraid of what might happen,” I confessed. “You don't know Fallon like I do, she has me in the palm of her hand.” “She could have my parents killed in the blink of an eye. They’re not safe, even you; you’re not safe,” I continued. Chris reached out and took my hand, his touch offering a small comfort. Though he was tryi
I stirred from my slumber as the gentle rays of morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Blinking away the remnants of sleep. I stretched, feeling the tension of the previous night’s unrest gradually melting away. I kind of felt well-rested. Maybe that was because I was. Either way, I needed it.The soft hum of the outside world drifted in through the open window, a soothing melody that filled the room with a sense of calm. Birds chirped in the distance, their cheerful song a welcome contrast to the quiet stillness of the morning. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand, the numbers reading that it was now almost noon. Wow, I had slept a while. A pang of guilt tugged at my conscience as I realized how late it was, but I pushed it aside, choosing instead to savor the rare moment of peace that enveloped me. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, I stretched once more, relishing the sensation of my muscles loosening and relaxing with ea
“Space?” Fallon scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. “You think you can just hang up on me and expect everything to go back to normal? Think again, Linda. You may have fooled yourself into believing you can escape me, but I assure you, you’re not going anywhere.” Dread danced in the pit of my stomach, a cold knot of fear tightened with each passing second. I knew I had made a mistake by hanging up on her, but honestly, I did not regret it. I was tired and needed some peace. I was not the wife of a mafia boss or even the boss. I was just an ordinary woman…who had killed two men. “I’m sorry, I apologize for what I did. It won’t happen again,” I replied to her. “Is there a reason that you called last night?” I could tell that she was rolling her eyes even though I could not see her. I just knew it. “No, I actually called you so we could go out and have a few drinks.” Her tone was sarcastic. “F*ck, no! I called you because I need you at the Mayor’s event in half an hour.” “The Ma
We were now in a black fancy car that was electric. It was not a Telsa, I knew how they looked. But I did know that it was an electric car. I kept glancing at Chris, trying to wrap my head around what had happened not too long ago. Why did he pull away when I tried to kiss him? I know I was not being delusional, he did pull away. When he noticed that I kept looking at him, he chuckled lightly and asked, “Is something wrong? Do I have something in my hair?” He tried to touch it but I gestured for him to stop. “No, no, you’re good.” “Then what is going on? You keep staring at me weirdly…” He smiled, confusion plastering on his face. Should I bring it up? I was contemplating it because what if it triggered him and we ended up going to the event mad at each other? So to avoid it, I just shrugged it off. “It’s nothing,” I replied. “Hmm,” He mumbled as he chuckled once more, peeling his eyes from on me and looking out the window at the passing buildings. When we reached the event, th
They didn’t know. None of them knew who they were applauding for. They were literally clapping for the devil. Her walk to the standing mic was elegant and confident. Her smile was as sharp as a knife and her dress was stunning. She had not looked in our direction yet but I had a strong feeling that she already knew that we were here. When the applause stopped, I kept staring at her. The police chief? Working with the FBI? What kind of twisted and sick game was this? I must have been sleeping and all this was just a huge nightmare. When I felt Chris’s gaze on me, I looked back at him. “Are you okay?” He asked lowly as Fallon gave her speech about justice and other things that made me so confused as to how all of this was possible. Did she have a twin? Was the person on the stage right now just a lookalike?“You look like you have seen a ghost,” He chuckled the words out. I broke eye contact with him and looked back at the women on the stage, trying to see if I was not hallucinatin
Fallon chuckled, a sound that sent chills down my spine. “Let’s just say that I have my ways of finding things out. You should know better than to underestimate me, Linda.”“I can’t believe how dumb you are, you really told your husband. Do you really think that he would look at you the same anymore?” She continued, and my mind played when I had tried to kiss him and he had pulled away. I backed away further, feeling the cold sink pressing against my back. Panic surged through me as I realized the heaviness of the situation. I had not only to pout myself but put Chris in danger by revealing too much. “I don’t understand. There is no way that you could have known.” I shook my head slowly, still trying to understand. “Are you spying on me?” That was the only explanation that I could come up with and a valid one that I would not even put past her. She smirked. “Yes, I am spying on you,” She replied with a firm and confident tone. “What are you going to do about it? Oh, yeah, not a dam