Chapter 3

The atmosphere in the office froze instantly.

An old fox like Marcus immediately sensed the danger and chimed in to distract the others.

"Hey, fresh pastries! Smells amazing! Everyone, come grab some!"

The staff eagerly swarmed the table, creating a barrier of noise that shielded Ethan and me from their prying eyes.

Ethan's voice was sharp and hushed. "Go wash up."

Lily shot me a quick look, nodded obediently, and hurried off to the restroom.

Ethan grabbed my wrist, dragged me into his private office, and locked the door behind us.

"Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you?" he hissed, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "Why would you say something so ridiculous in front of my staff?"

I shook his hand off and walked over to the sofa.

The pillows on the couch had been rearranged. They used to be lined up neatly, but now they were pushed to the center, showing obvious indentations.

I quietly averted my eyes.

"Ridiculous? Ethan, didn't you tell me that yourself last night? You said you played Truth or Dare at the office, lost, and that's how the thong ended up in your bag."

Ethan choked on his words. He clearly hadn't expected me to use his own lie against him.

"That was... that was a private joke! Why would you bring it up here? What is Lily going to think?"

"Does she even care what people think?" I looked up at him. "Or rather, she doesn't care about what people think, she only cares about what you do."

Ethan put his hands on his hips and began pacing the room.

"Chloe, I know that thong made you uncomfortable. But I swear to God, it was just a misunderstanding."

"Lily just graduated. Her family is struggling, she's naive, and sometimes she doesn't know her boundaries. Don't take it out on her."

Naive? Naive enough to wear matching red lace lingerie and kneel to wipe a married man's shoes?

Naive enough to use my mug and deliberately drop hints?

"Ethan, do you honestly think I'm stupid?"

I stood up and walked over to his desk.

Our framed wedding photo was sitting there, but it had been deliberately hidden behind a stack of folders.

"You're a Congressman. You know how to spin a narrative better than anyone. But I'm a woman, and a woman's intuition is faster than any investigation."

Ethan's face darkened.

"What are you trying to say? Are you accusing me of sleeping with Lily? Chloe, you're losing your mind. She's twenty-two! She's ten years younger than me! I'm practically old enough to be her uncle!"

"Exactly. You're old enough to be her uncle." I laughed coldly. "But you're a very attentive uncle, aren't you? Buying her breakfast, lending her your blazer, even sharing your mug?"

Ethan's expression changed. His eyes turned sharp and defensive.

"How do you know about the breakfast? Are you tracking me?"

"I don't have time for that."

I pulled out my phone and showed him a photo.

It was a picture Zoe had just texted me.

In the photo, Ethan's SUV was parked outside an apartment building on the west side. He was holding a bag of breakfast takeout, looking up at the balcony.

"A friend of mine happened to drive by," I lied. "Why? Is this where your little mistress lives?"

Ethan snatched the phone from my hand, stared at the photo for a few seconds, and then slammed it face-down on the desk.

"Chloe, you're crossing the line! Lily lives there. She had a fever this morning, so I went to check on her and drop off some food. Is being a decent human being a crime now?"

It was almost comical.

"Decent? Are you decent enough to wash her underwear for her too, Ethan?"

"Enough!" Ethan slammed his hand on the desk. "Are you ever going to let this go? I already explained it was a game! Why do you keep digging? Why can't you just be reasonable like you used to be?"

A soft knock came from the door.

Lily's timid voice drifted in.

"Mr. Vance, the team is waiting for you to join them for lunch. Is Chloe still in there?"

The anger on Ethan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a composed mask.

"Keep my reputation intact out there. We'll talk about this when we get home."

He turned to unlock the door.

Lily had already changed back into her own clothes. She wore a tight white sweater that hugged every curve of her body.

The moment Ethan stepped out, she immediately reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Ethan, please don't be angry. It's all my fault. I didn't mean to upset Chloe."

Ethan looked down at her, his voice softening.

"It has nothing to do with you. Come on, let's go get lunch."

They walked out side by side. From behind, they looked like a perfect couple.