Chapter 1

“Good evening. I’m here for Mr. Joel Asante. Is he around?” Thalassa said to the lady at the front desk of the Astoria Hotel.

She felt so tense that she didn’t realize she was tapping her fingers loudly on the desk until a woman standing beside her hissed and glared at her.

Flashing an apologetic smile, Thalassa brought her gaze back to the receptionist who was done checking the appointment.

“Yes, he is. And he’s expecting you. Suite 13. Take the elevator to the seventh floor and turn to your left.”

“Thank you.” Thalassa said as she turned to go, her unease increasing with every step she took towards the elevator.

Why did she feel like something was amiss?

She had been sent to meet this Joel Asante by her mother in law, Linda Miller. Linda Miller had never liked Thalassa since she began dating her son, Kris Miller, and the dislike had increased even more since Kris and Thalassa got married a year ago.

So today when her mother in law had called her and told her to deliver some documents and have it signed if she wanted to earn her approval, Thalassa hadn’t hesitated one bit. Maybe if she managed to earn her mother in law’s approval, then Kris would finally go back to being the man she knew.

Her ringing phone cut through her thoughts. Thalassa quickly answered when she saw that it was her best friend, Karen Blade.

“Lassa, are you going to do what your mother in law asked of you?” Karen asked.

“Yes.” Thalassa answered. “I’m at the hotel now. But Karen, I don’t know why I feel like there’s something off.”

Karen blew out a breath of exhaustion. “Lassa, I already told you that you’re overthinking things. Linda wants you to do something so simple in order to earn her approval. Don’t overthink it.”

Lassa smiled. “You’re right.”

Just as they ended the call, the elevator dinged, slowly parting its doors. Thalassa stepped out, heading to her left like the receptionist had said.

Reaching the door with number 13 on it, she pressed the doorbell. After some seconds, she was about to press it again when the door suddenly opened to reveal a half naked man. He was only wearing blue shorts, leaving his upper body bare.

Thalassa grimaced slightly as she spoke. “Mr. Joel Asante?”

“At your service.” The man flashed her a smile that was surely meant to be charming. “And you must be Thalassa Miller. Please come in.”

Thalassa slowly stepped into the living room of the suite. The man pointed at the couch.

“Please take a seat.”

She hesitated, wanting to remind him that she was just here for his signatures, but when she remembered her mother in law telling her not to annoy the man, she slowly sat down.

“What can I offer you? Champagne, wine, beer?” The man asked.

“I’d like nothing, thanks.” Thalassa answered, the gritted her teeth. She just wanted him to sign already so she could leave.

And why wasn’t he attempting to put any shirt on?

“Oh come on. Surely, just a glass of wine won’t hurt, will it?” The man insisted.

This time, Thalassa didn’t bother to hide her glare. “I’m sorry, but I’m just here so you can sign these documents.”

She pulled a folder from the handbag she’d brought along with her, handing it over to the man. “My mother in law, Linda Miller, said that you already know what the documents contain.”

The folder was sealed, and Thalassa herself didn’t even know what was in the documents. Her mother in law had warned her not to open it, so she hadn’t dared to, not wanting to annoy her.

“Hmm.” The man hummed as he took the folder from Thalassa and unsealed it, walking around the room as he looked through the document.

Lassa shifted. She felt uncomfortable, especially since the man was still shirtless. And why did she feel like he was deliberately delaying.

Five minutes later, just as she was getting more impatient, the doorbell rang. The man immediately went to open the door, and a second later, her husband, Kris Miller, stormed into the room.

“Where is she?” He demanded in a tone that was too low not to be dangerous, his eyes hardening when he finally saw Thalassa.

Thalassa instantly shot to her feet. “Kris you’re here.”

She felt relieved. Maybe Kris could finally handle things from here. She walked towards Kris, wanting to hug him, but just as she got close, he placed his hand on her chest, causing her to stumble backwards.

“Kris...” Lassa stared at him in shock.

Before she could say anything else, Linda Miller, her mother in law, suddenly entered the room, the usual disgust on her face as she stared at Thalassa.

“You traitor. After everything my family has done for you, this is how you repay us?”

Before Thalassa could even think, a hot slap was delivered to her cheek. Thalassa clutched her cheek, staring at her mother in law in shock.

“Mrs. Miller...what...what are you talking about?”

Linda Miller scoffed. “Don’t you dare try to act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Since you and my son got married a year ago, you’ve been stealing from us, embezzling millions from our company with the help of this man who’s obviously your lover.”

Thalassa’s head spun. What was happening?

“But...but mother in law, you were the one who sent me here. You sent me to have this man sign some documents. So what are you talking about?”

She turned to look at Kris, her heart squeezing at the accusing look in his eyes. “Kris, I don’t know this man, I promise. I haven’t even met him before. Please believe me. Your mother was the one who sent me here to give some documents to him to sign.”

“You’re so shameless. You dare try to implicate me?” Linda said, then turned to Kris who still had a stoic expression on his face as he stared at Thalassa. “Son, why don’t you go and see what’s inside those documents.”

Kris walked towards Joel and snatched the folder from his hand. His eyes darkened the more he read through the documents. When he finally looked up at Thalassa, his gaze was even more colder than before. So cold that she felt frozen.

Her desperation shooting through the roof, she forced herself to move towards him and took the folder from his hands. Her hands trembled as she read parts of the documents. It was all about discretely moving money to overseas bank accounts and everything that was obviously fraud.

Thalassa’s eyes burned with tears as she shook her head, finally realising what was happening. She’d been set up. Her mother in law had set her up!

“Kris, I didn’t know what documents were in the folder, I swear!” she declared, trying to grab his hand but he jerked it away. “Your mother told me not to unseal it so I didn’t. Please, you have got to believe me. I would never–”

“Shut up!” Kris snapped, startling her into silence. “Shut the fuck up! Enough with your lies!”

He stepped closer, glaring into her eyes. “Just when I think you can’t disappoint me any further, you make me realise that you’re much worse than I thought. You disgust me.”

His words were like a slap, leaving Thalassa stunned. Just as her mind was still struggling to process everything, she heard her mother in law call out,

“Come in, officers.”

Thalassa’s eyes widened as two police officers walked into the room. She looked at Kris. Surely, he wouldn’t allow for her to be arrested like some common criminal, would he?

She got her answer a second later when Kris coldly declared,

“Officers, take them away.”