Chapter 3

I sprinted out of the train station, hailed a cab, and threw a stack of bills at the driver to speed as fast as legally possible.

Watching the speedometer push the limit, my chest tightened with a sharp, suffocating pain.

What if I burst through the door and caught them red-handed?

Would this tear us apart and end in divorce? We had been together for ten years. High school sweethearts, through college, straight into marriage.

Aside from her insisting on building our careers before having kids, our relationship had been seamless.

She had even taken the brunt of the pressure from both sets of parents demanding grandchildren, claiming she wanted me to enjoy our youth a little longer.

Now, pure dread washed over me. Did she not want kids with me, or did she already have one with someone else?

Traffic ground to a dead halt just two miles from our neighborhood. I stared in agony at the endless sea of red brake lights.

Right then, another alert popped up on my screen: [Master Bathroom Aromatherapy Bath Mode: Activated. Enjoy your soak~]

Rage blinded me. I kicked the cab door open, unlocked a city rental bike with trembling fingers, and pedaled furiously toward home.

When I ditched the bike at the gate, I froze for a second, staring at my front door.

My mind was a complete storm. I unlocked the door and bolted straight upstairs.

As my feet hit the steps, I forced myself to slow down, biting my lower lip until it almost bled.

Were they in my bed right now? What if she denied it? If she confessed, would we divorce? How would I tell our families?

My hand hovered over the bedroom knob for two seconds. I started video recording on my phone and threw the door open.

"Chloe, what the hell are you doing?!"

Chloe set down her phone, sitting up in bed to look at me. "I just laid down to call you. Ryan, aren't you supposed to be out of town?"

Looking at the thick, bundled duvet, I clenched my teeth. "The client canceled last minute. I'm exhausted."

Chloe let out a soft, doting laugh, pulling back the covers.

"Well, Mr. Hayes, care to join me? I missed you today."

The bed was completely empty. Whoever had been there was already hidden.

I pulled Chloe into an embrace and smelled her neck. The scent was faint.

I spun around and marched into the master bathroom. A wall of rich sandalwood hit my senses. Someone had just showered in here minutes ago!

I pressed my lips together, dropped to my knees to check under the bed, and yanked open the closet doors. I tore through every corner of the bedroom. Nothing.

I spun around to face Chloe. "Where's the man?"

She stood up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and rested her chin on my chest, sounding thoroughly confused. "What man? It's just you and me. Martha's on vacation, remember?"

I pushed her aside and searched the house, room by room, ensuring no closet or corner was left unchecked.

By the time I finished scouring the entire property, I had zero energy left. Chloe pulled me down onto the living room sofa, her brows pinched.

"You're suspecting me."

Then, her tone melted into gentle concern, and she slid onto my lap.

"I'm sorry. I haven't made you feel secure enough. How about we stay with my parents for a few days to decompress?"

The concern in her eyes looked utterly genuine. I faked an exhausted sigh and rubbed my temples.

"I'm just stressed. Maybe I'm losing my mind."

Chloe cupped my cheeks, forcing me to look into her eyes. "You're not, Ryan."

"You're the most amazing man in the world. Stop worrying. Go take a shower and let's sleep. I'll hold you tight all night, total reassurance."

I didn't buy a single word. I just smiled weakly and nodded. "Alright."

Passing the nightstand, I secretly checked the box of condoms. Two were missing.

Needing to check the security feeds, I grabbed my bathrobe and slipped into the bathroom.

I scrubbed the tub three times before my skin stopped crawling enough for me to sit down and review the app.

No one had left through the front door. The side windows were untouched.

Scrubbing back to days before the first alert popped up, I noticed something shocking.

Even though there was no record of them entering together, Chloe and that same man had walked out of the front door side-by-side.

Which meant—

He had another way into my house.