Chapter 2

Ryan sat on the edge of the hotel bed, his shirt still half buttoned as he absentmindedly checked his phone.

The wedding was in just a few months, and preparations were well underway.

Alexis had been sending him endless texts about the caterer, the flowers, and the seating arrangements. But all of it felt like a burden now. He glanced at the woman lying next to him, Sophia, her body draped lazily in the hotel sheets, her eyes watching him with a knowing look.

Sophia had been Alexis’s best friend for years, but their affair had started a few months ago, right under Alexis’s nose. It was intoxicating, thrilling in a way his relationship with Alexis never had been.

While Alexis was focused on planning the perfect wedding, Ryan had been consumed by the forbidden, the secret moments he stole with Sophia when no one was watching.

“This whole wedding thing is a joke,” Ryan muttered, tossing his phone onto the bed. “She’s got everything planned down to the last detail, but it’s not real. Not for me.”

Sophia stretched lazily, her lips curling into a smirk. “You don’t have to go through with it, you know.”

Ryan shot her a look, his frustration evident. “It’s not that simple. Her father is expecting me to marry her. I’m in too deep with the family now. You know what’ll happen if I back out.”

Sophia sighed, rolling onto her side to face him. “So you’re just going to marry her, pretend everything’s perfect, while we keep this going?”

Ryan leaned back against the headboard, rubbing his temples. “It’s not like I have a choice. Do you want to blow everything up? Because that’s what’ll happen. The minute she finds out about us, her dad will come down on me like a hammer. I’ll lose everything, my job, my connections, all of it.”

Sophia’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t argue. She understood the stakes as much as he did.

Alexis’s father wasn’t just a powerful man, he was a force of nature. Crossing him meant losing access to the world Ryan had fought so hard to be a part of. But the thought of continuing the charade, of standing at the altar while he secretly shared stolen moments with Sophia, made his skin crawl.

Sophia reached out, running a hand down his arm. “We’ll figure it out. We can keep this going, and no one has to know.”

Ryan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, we can. Just for a little longer.”

He tried to ignore the weight of the decision they had just made, the way it settled uncomfortably in his chest.

They could keep the affair going, he told himself. Alexis would never know. She was too wrapped up in her perfect world to see the cracks forming beneath the surface.

...............................

The evening had started like so many others in Alexis’s privileged world, another charity gala, another night of shimmering dresses, sparkling champagne, and polite laughter echoing through marble halls.

As usual, Ryan was by her side, his hand resting casually on her waist, his charm on full display as they mingled with the city’s elite.

Alexis had worn a custom made gown, the deep emerald green fabric a perfect contrast to her golden hair, and the diamond necklace around her neck glittered with every movement she made.

The kind of night that reinforced the perfection of her life.

Ryan leaned in close, whispering something about one of the attendees, and Alexis laughed.

On the surface, everything seemed flawless. They were the golden couple, envied, admired, and destined for a life of luxury and success.

Alexis glanced around the room, her eyes catching Sophia in conversation with a few mutual friends. Her heart swelled with gratitude.

Sophia had been by her side through thick and thin, the sister she never had. Alexis had no reason to doubt either of them, no inkling that her world was about to unravel. But something about the night felt slightly off.

Ryan had been distracted, more distant than usual.

When Alexis had tried to engage him in conversation earlier, he seemed lost in thought, offering her only half hearted responses.

His phone had buzzed more times than she could count, and each time he looked at it, his expression darkened briefly before he put it away.

“I’ll be right back,” Ryan muttered as they stood near the entrance, excusing himself yet again.

Alexis watched him leave, her smile faltering slightly. But then she shook her head and turned back to the guests, reminding herself that Ryan was busy with work, managing deals she didn’t fully understand.

He always had been a little distant when it came to business. There was no reason to worry.

Sophia approached her then, her usual grace and confidence exuding from every step. “You look stunning tonight,” she said, pulling Alexis into a warm embrace.

“You too!” Alexis beamed, brushing away the unease that had been creeping in. “I swear, you could wear a potato sack and still outshine everyone in the room.”

Sophia laughed, her gaze briefly shifting to where Ryan had disappeared. “Ryan seems a little off tonight, doesn’t he?” she asked lightly, her tone casual.

Alexis blinked, surprised by the comment. “You think so? I mean, he’s been a little preoccupied, but I think it’s just work.”

Sophia’s eyes flickered with something Alexis couldn’t quite read, but before she could ask about it, one of their friends interrupted, pulling Alexis away to meet a new donor for their charity.

The night wore on, the clinking of glasses and low murmur of conversation surrounding Alexis like a soft, comforting blanket.

As usual, Ryan’s absence was short lived. He reappeared by her side, his hand on her lower back, just as the charity’s chairman took the stage to make a speech.

Alexis relaxed into the familiar rhythm of the night, telling herself that everything was fine. But deep down, an unease gnawed at her.

Later that night, as the gala came to an end, Alexis noticed Ryan had disappeared again. Her unease had grown into something she could no longer ignore.

She scanned the room, but there was no sign of him.

She checked her phone, hoping for a message from him, an explanation. But instead, a new text popped up on the screen, the sender unknown.

“If you want to know the truth about Ryan, come to the Bellaire Hotel. Room 407.”

Her heart stopped.

Alexis stared at the message, her pulse racing, her mind swirling with confusion.

The Bellaire Hotel. It had been their special place, where they’d spent weekends during the early days of their relationship. But this, this was something else.

Her stomach twisted as doubt and dread took hold.

What if this wasn’t a prank?

What if there was more to Ryan’s recent behavior than just work?

She couldn’t let it go.

She had to know.

Without a word to anyone, Alexis slipped out of the ballroom, her heels clicking against the marble floors as she made her way outside.

The city lights blurred as she climbed into a taxi, her mind racing.

This couldn’t be real.

Ryan wouldn’t betray her like that.

He couldn’t.

But as the taxi sped toward the Bellaire Hotel, Alexis’s doubts grew, threatening to consume her whole.