ROWANNE'S POV

My marriage. My marriage. "How dare you! How dare you cheat on me?"

I slammed the accelerator harder. The hum of the engine rises under the pounding of the rain. My chest ached as though my ribs could no longer contain the storm inside me.

How long had she been there? Did she know about me? About us?

The wipers beat in time with the hammering of my pulse, smearing water away just to let more fall.

I couldn't think. All I knew was the address Rita had circled in red ink. Just a few blocks away.

Close enough for Jett to visit her and close enough for him to live two lives without me ever knowing.

The turn came too quickly, and my hands jerked the wheel, guiding the car into a different street. The tyres hissed as thfromrain poured harder. I shouldn't have checked, but it was too late. I was already heading toward her.

I was just a few blocks away when I saw a familiar umbrella, a purple one. It had my initials on it. Jett didn't know it, but I had that umbrella custom-made.

I saw it. S. S.

"Sweetheart! Be careful," I heard a female voice, and I watched. The umbrella was raised, and it was the woman in the picture.

She was yelling at two boys who played in the rain. They looked like twins. Twins!

My chest pounded so hard, tears burning in my eyes. I can't believe this. I didn't want to believe this. Jett. Jett, he wouldn't cheat on me. He told me he loved me. We both loved each other. Everything was perfect, calm and... my mind trailed. No!

My throat burned as I forced my gaze back to the road, the image of the purple umbrella seared into my mind. My umbrella. My initials. In her hands.

That woman laughed as she pulled the twins closer, shielding them from the downpour. My heart twisted. They looked so much alike. No!

I shook my head hard, blinking through the blur of rain and tears.

My marriage was unravelling before my eyes, and I couldn't even confront him. The betrayal drummed in my ears, louder than the storm.

I pressed my foot against the accelerator again, swallowing the lump in my throat. I couldn't bear to look again. If I looked, I might see the truth written in those boys' faces.

I turned down another street, tyres splashing through puddles. By the time I pulled into the underground garage of Carter's tallest building. My hands trembled. I slammed the door shut and moved toward the elevators.

My chest rose and fell unevenly as I pressed the button for the top floor.

The elevator hummed, carrying me upward. Higher. Higher. By the time the ding announced my arrival, I could barely feel my own legs.

My hand hovered over the bell before I pressed it, and my heartbeat was roaring in my ears. And then the door opened.

Eli Carter stood there in a black suit, clinging to his broad frame, though his tie was gone, his belt almost undone, and five buttons hung loose down his chest. His styled hair with his dark curls fighting to break free.

My eyes locked with his. His piercing blue gaze held mine. "Ro?" His voice was low, startled.

My voice shook, torn between rage and despair. "Did you know Jett was cheating on me?"

Eli's brows snapped together, his hand still gripping the edge of the door. "What? Jett cheated on you?"

The disbelief in his voice only made my chest cave harder. My stomach dropped cold and hollow. He didn't know? No, he had to know. They were brothers. They shared everything.

"You know, Eli," I hissed. "Stop lying!"

His jaw flexed, a muscle twitching in his cheek. For a moment, he said nothing, just stared at me with those sharp blue eyes, the kind that cut straight through. My tears burned, but I refused to let them fall.

"Rowanne." His tone dropped. "If Jett did something to you, I didn't know. I swear it."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Of course you didn't. Because no one ever knows, right? Everyone protects him. Perfect Jett Carter."

The name cracked off my lips like glass shattering. My knees wavered beneath me, and I pressed my palm against the doorframe to steady myself.

Eli's expression softened, the rigid lines of his face easing. He took a step closer, one hand lifting slightly as though to touch me but stopping short. "Ro..."

"Don't." My voice fractured. "Don't act like you care. He was your brother. If he cheated, you of all people... you would've known."

The silence between us was deafening.

"I didn't know," he repeated quietly, almost pained now. "Why don't you come in?"

His words hit me like a strike to the ribs, unexpected.

My breath caught. I hadn't come here to find comfort, yet his presence pulled me in.

My lips trembled as I whispered, "I don't even know what's real anymore."

Eli's hand finally moved, brushing a wet strand of hair from my cheek. The heat of his touch seared through the chill of my rain-soaked skin.

"Ro, it's gonna be fine," he murmured, eyes holding mine as if he could make me believe him. "Now, breathe... and tell me what happened."

Before I knew it, I was inside his apartment.

Two glasses of wine later, the words split out of me. I told him everything. The jacket, the ring box, the picture, the woman, the umbrella, the twins. By the time I finished, I felt hollowed out, as if my grief and fury had been poured into the air between us.

And yet, lighter.

I found myself smiling faintly through swollen eyes. Eli had always been different, more grounded, more real, unlike the cold glances of his mother or the calculating silences of his father. He'd been my comfort since I married into the Carters, the one person I could breathe around.

Now, with the wine softening the edges of my pain, it felt good, dangerously good to talk to him.

"Do you want me to investigate this Juliet Rogidgro?" Eli asked in a low voice.

I shook my head, forcing a smile. "No. I think I'll let it go. I can't believe I only found out after his death. What's the use? I can't even confront him."

His gaze hardened. "What if she comes asking for her part... You know because of those twins?"

I smiled again with a shy smile as I tucked the damp strands of hair behind my ear. "I don't think she would."

The room fell quiet. Too quiet. I lifted my glass to my lips, sipping carefully, but I could feel his gaze burning over me.

So I set it down and shrugged lightly with a chuckle. "Was I interrupting something here?"

His brows knit. "Like what?"

I pushed my hair back and unknowingly tugged softly at my bottom lip. My voice came out in a whisper. "I don't know... You tell me."

His eyes burned into me. My throat tightened for a moment.

"I'm not seeing anyone," he said finally with a quiet chuckle following as his gaze dropped to the rim of his glass. His fingertips traced the edge absently before he sighed, lifting his eyes back to me. "Not sleeping with anyone. I just got back from work."

I hummed, tilting my head. I wasn't sure why I asked the next question, but I guess my curiosity took over. My gaze met his as the next word slipped out.

"Why?"

Unlike Jett, who had many ladies around him, but had work and a personal life. Eli wasn't, ever since I knew him. No scandal, no women, even his assistant was a man. Once, there was a rumour that he was gay, and that had my mother-in-law panicking.

"Maybe because I haven't seen anyone I want."

My breath hitched and I shifted on the couch, turning toward him fully and facing him. "So what's your type, then?"

Eli's lips curved into a smile I'd never seen on him before. Not his polite smile. Not his business smile. This was softer and almost boyish. And in that moment, he looked like a sixteen-year-old being asked who his first crush was.

My heart ached at the sight. I reached out without thinking, taking his chin gently in my hand, turning his face toward me. I just needed to see it again. I needed it imprinted in my mind.

He was beautiful. God, dangerously beautiful. Jett was handsome, but Eli. He was different. I remembered the first time I saw him was at my wedding. He was different.

ROWANNE'S POV.

He was beautiful. God, dangerously beautiful. Jett was handsome, but Eli. He was different. I remembered the first time I saw him was at my wedding. He was different.

Then the smile faded. His eyes dropped to my hand. I realised what I was doing and jerked back. "Oh. I'm sorry-"

Eli caught my hand, placing it right back where it had been.

"My type?" he said, his voice lowered now, almost like a growl. His gaze trailed from my hand to my lips to the neckline of my dress. My skin burned everywhere his eyes touched.

"Blue eyes. Five foot seven. Smooth skin. Long. Wavy. Sandy blond hair. Red lips. Soft hands..."

My heart stopped. It was almost as if he wasn't describing a type. He was describing me.

I forced a smile. "Quite detailed."

Then I snatched up my glass, downing it too quickly, desperate to drown the heat rising in my chest. But even as the wine slid down my throat, his eyes never left me.

As I looked back at him, he was still staring. That gaze left me breathless with my chest rising and falling too quickly.

"Eli?" My voice cracked, almost a whisper.

His eyes dropped to my lips before finding mine again. "Yes, Ro."

I swallowed, my pulse hammering. And then, almost like a pull, I couldn't resist. I wrapped my hands around his neck, crushing my lips against his.

Shit. No.

He should've pushed me away. He should've reminded me that I was Jett's wife. That I was still in mourning. That this was wrong.

But he didn't.

Instead, his hand slid against my waist, dragging me closer until I was straddling him, my legs clinging to his body. The heat of him bled through his undone shirt, and the scent of wine mixed with his cologne. It was so dizzying.

My gasp was swallowed when his hands climbed my spine, fingers splaying, gripping me tighter, desperate like he had been starving and I was air.

"Eli," I breathed against his mouth, trembling, "this is-"

"Wrong?" he rasped, his forehead pressing against mine, his lips brushing mine again. His blue eyes burned into me.

My heart slammed against my ribs as guilt and desire waged war inside me, but God help me. I didn't move.

His hand cupped the back of my neck, holding me there, like he was afraid I'd vanish if he let go.

I kissed him again. Harder, this time. My tears wet his lips, but he kissed me like he didn't care. Like he'd been waiting for this or for me.

And for one reckless and aching moment, I let myself believe it.

Oh, God. My pussy stung with the ache of want. The heat spread as I got wetter beneath the press of him. It was unbearable. The need to be touched, to be taken, to be used in the most reckless way.

Eli's lips left mine only to trail higher, brushing across my cheek before settling at the shell of my ear. My body shivered at the husk of his breath there and a low groan vibrating from his chest into mine.

His hand slid up until he cupped my breast through the thin fabric of my blouse. My nipples tightened instantly against his palm, aching for more.

His fingers flexed, squeezing.

"Eli-" I gasped, but the word melted into a moan as his mouth moved to my neck. The way his teeth grazed my skin and his lips lingered at the hollow of my throat.

I threw my head back, arching into his touch, into his heat, and surrendering to it. His tongue traced the sensitive curve of my skin, setting fire in every nerve. And then I saw it.

The glint of gold at the edge of my vision. My ring. Jett's ring. The one he had slipped on my finger. The one that should have been sacred.

Goosebumps erupted across my skin, cold and sharp, cutting through the haze of desire. My stomach lurched. What the fuck was I doing?

"Eli. Wait!" My voice cracked as I pushed against his chest, slipping out of his hold. My feet hit the floor almost unsteadily, but I forced myself back, putting space between us. His gaze stayed on me so damned searing as if they demanded answers I didn't have.

"I-" I licked my lips, eyes darting anywhere but him. "I... I have to leave." The words stumbled out shaky.

I snatched my bag and phone from the table with my shaky hands. I didn't dare glance back, because I knew if I did, I'd fold, and the next step would be his bedroom.

"Thank you for the wine," I forced out, my voice brittle, foreign even to me. And then I walked fast, though my legs almost betrayed me, heavy with everything I was leaving behind.

"Ro," His voice followed me.

I didn't look back. My focus was on the door, the only salvation I had left. My pulse hammered so hard it hurt as I yanked it open and slipped out, shutting it behind me like a shield.

"Wait, Rowanne."

Hearing my full name in his mouth almost undid me. My heart clenched and my lungs stilled but I kept moving.

I rushed down the hall, my heels striking against the floor, the sound too loud in the silence. The elevator loomed ahead like a lifeline. I pressed the button with trembling fingers as my breath ragged. When the doors slid open, I nearly fell inside.

I froze. But then, I heard him. The door to his apartment opened behind me.

My body jolted, panic and longing collided. I stabbed the button again, watching the doors inch closed, achingly slow.

And then my gaze locked on his as Eli was walking toward me with each step burning straight through me. My chest rose and fell with the steps he took.

And then the doors sealed shut.

I exhaled, a heavy and shaking breath I didn't even know I'd been holding. My knees nearly buckled, my heart slamming like I had escaped something dangerous. When in truth, a part of me had wanted to be caught.

Two days later.

"Mrs Carter, your mother-in-law is around."

The sound of Nana's voice pulled me back to reality, shattering what I had been wrapped in. My fork clattered against the plate.

"What?" My throat went dry. "My mother-in-law? What is she doing here?"

Nana's expression shifted uneasily, and her lips parted as if to explain, but nothing came out. That damned silence made my stomach twist.

I pushed back from the dining table, my pulse quickening. The only reason my body jolted with panic was Eli. My mind leapt back to that night, to his hands on me and my heart thrashed. Did he tell her?

The thought speared through me as I rose to my feet to see Jennifer Carter, Jett and Eli's mother.

Facing her now felt like standing on the edge of a sinkhole, like she could see my sins before I even spoke.

I tried to breathe, but my chest was too tight. Did I regret it? No. That wasn't what haunted me. I wasn't drowning in regret. Because when I thought of Eli's mouth on mine, the heat of his body against me. I didn't feel sorry.

And that terrified me.

Because it was wrong. So wrong that the memory made my chest clench every time it flickered behind my eyes. Wrong, because the moment I spotted Jennifer Carter in my living room, I thought of him.

Was that some kind of test? A line I shouldn't cross and almost did, but I didn't?

We hadn't made love. I had stopped it. I had pulled away before we went too far. That was supposed to be enough to save me. Right?

Jennifer turned at the sound of my footsteps. Her eyes were red-rimmed and glistening from tears. Her composure frayed as soon as she saw me. She moved quickly until she was clutching my hands like a lifeline.

"Oh, Rowanne," she whispered, her voice breaking as her other hand cupped my face and her thumb brushing along my cheek. "You didn't have to go through any of this."

I froze, my breath catching as confusion clawed up my throat. "Any of... what?"

Her tears split freely now. Her grip was trembling as she pulled back slightly, freeing one of my hands. She wiped at her cheeks, drawing in a shaking breath before she forced the words out.

"They are saying-" her voice cracked with disbelief. "The police say Jett's death wasn't a... wasn't a casual accident."

My stomach dropped, the floor tilting beneath me.

Jennifer's lips trembled, her eyes searching mine. And then she gave a long pause before her mouth parted again.

"It was murder." Her voice was a hollow whisper. "Someone murdered my son. Your husband."

ROWANNE'S POV.

"It was murder." Her voice was a hollow whisper. "Someone murdered my son. Your husband."

The words hit me like a blade to the chest, and like a flash, the air seemed to have vanished from the room and from my lungs. My heart pounded, while my thoughts scattered like broken glass. Murder? Not an accident?

I staggered back, Jennifer's hands slipping from mine. My lips parted, but no sound came, only silence and the furious hammering of blood in my ears.

Jennifer dabbed at her eyes with a crumpled handkerchief, her breath hitching as she steadied herself. "The police... they said the brakes. They weren't just worn down, Rowanne. They were tampered with. It was cut."

Her voice cracked on the last word, and she pressed her hand to her chest as if holding herself together.

The room tilted again.

"They also found glass in the tread of his tyres, consistent with broken bottles, deliberately placed. It wasn't bad luck." Her tears streamed, but her voice grew harder and brittle with fury. "It was planned."

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Oh my God..." My voice was barely a whisper as my hands clutched my stomach.

Jennifer stepped closer, lowering her voice like she was afraid the walls might be listening. "The police don't know who yet. They said it could have been anyone who wanted him gone. I don't know why someone would want my son sweet. Jett was perfect, he was sweet. But they said it could be someone close or someone he trusted."

Her eyes flickered over me, searching.

"But they believe the killer is still out there. And until they know who... You must be careful, Rowanne. You hear me? Very careful."

Her grip found my wrist again, shaking. "Don't go anywhere alone. Don't trust easily. And if anything... anything feels wrong, you come straight to me. Do you understand?"

My breath trembled, caught between the horror of her words. "I... I understand," I managed, though my voice cracked, weak and broken.

*****

"I think. You know what I think, Rowanne? You'd better stay out of this. That whole family. Did she call her son sweet? Perfect? Why didn't you tell her what he did, huh?" Kalea yelled.

"Lea..." I sighed.

"He cheated on you! He was in love with some woman, that's why he refused to make love to you. His wife! Perfect? I think it's a good thing he died."

"Kalea! That's enough," I snapped, breaking heavily.

A knock interrupted her next words, and I immediately answered, tearing my glare from her to the door. "Come in."

"Oh, Mrs Carter, I wanted to confirm if you would be going to the charity dinner tonight?" Rita asked.

"Yeah, I would, Rita. Thank you."

"No problem, ma. Your dress just arrived at your mansion. Do you need me to call Jamie?"

"Yes. Yes," I sighed as I rose, grabbed my coat, and turned away from Kalea. "We will be heading home now," I finished.

"Alright, Ma. I'll prepare the car," Rita finished, closing the door after her.

"No, I am not following you to some boring party to watch rich people gamble over shit and call it charity."

"I don't want to go alone. That place is going to be filled with the Carters and everyone related to the Carters."

Kalea stared at me, and I managed to pull a smile. "I ordered a dress for us and there's gonna be food. Oh, I remember one of the chefs is Lamar."

Her mouth pressed into a thin line, and I could see I had succeeded in buying her.

Hours later, I stood before the mirror in the bedroom, the ivory silk gown draping over me.

"You know. I love how silk looks on you. I feel like you shouldn't give that up. That's your fabric. And this dress matches your skin tone."

"Really?" I smiled, looking back at Kalea before turning back to the mirror.

The fabric was soft and hugged my waist before flowing in effortless folds to the floor. The plunging neckline dipped tastefully but was held by pearl straps that kissed my shoulders.

A small rosette sat just beneath the bust, subtle but deliberate, like a secret detail. My hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail that fell like a dark ribbon against my spine, exposing the pale line of my neck.

Gold hoops glimmered at my ears, a matching pendant resting against the hollow of my throat.

For the first time in weeks, I almost looked like myself. Almost. Beautiful.

On our way, Kalea fussed with her hem. Already complaining even when we weren't there yet but she still had this amusement in her eyes. Although she wouldn't admit it, she liked the effect the dress had on her too.

The Carter Foundation's annual charity gala was held at the Grand Carter Hotel, a towering glass structure that glittered against the night sky. Inside, the ballroom was all chandeliers, and waiters moved with silver trays, glasses of champagne.

Men in tuxedos and women in couture gowns like mine, some even better and beautiful, swayed between conversations, and the orchestra beneath the hum of a live jazz band.

It was elegant and so suffocating.

Kalea looped her arm through mine as we descended the staircase into the ballroom.

My chest tightened with every step, a hundred eyes sweeping over us, some curious, some pitying especially because of Jett. I forced a smile, nodded here and offered a polite word there.

As we blended into the crowd. I scanned the crowd possibly for Jennifer. I haven't heard from her since the last time she came over. No one in Carter's mansion would tell me anything, but then, something caught my gaze. Eli Carter.

He stood across the room in a tailored black suit, the cut precise against his lean frame. His tie was done this time, so clean enough to make him look both composed and dangerous.

His hair was slicked back with his jaw tight, and his expression was almost irritated as he conversed with a man I didn't recognise.

And then his eyes found mine like a punch to the chest, so blue, burning and icy all at once.

I froze, caught in that stare for a second as heat prickled down my neck, through my arms and pooling low in my belly where guilt already sat heavy. My breath hitched, and before the tension could shatter me, I tore my gaze away.

A waiter swept past, silver tray glinting beneath the chandelier light. I caught a glass of champagne before he could move on, my fingers tightening slightly against the stem.

The bubbles kissed my lips in a rush almost punishing. I swallowed too quickly, the fizz biting my tongue, but it was better than drowning in those blue eyes I'd just seen across the room.

I forced myself to turn away, to breathe. And yet, I didn't feel composed. I felt watched.

My hand tightened around the stem of my glass as my gaze swept the crowd. Then I spotted Jennifer.

My mother-in-law. Her eyes locked on mine, and she lifted her hand slightly.

"Rowanne? Come here," she called softly.

I adjusted my posture, forcing a small, polite smile. Each step toward her felt like I was walking through water.

My pulse thudded in my ears, but I managed to hold her gaze, pretending not to notice the whispers that trailed behind me.

Just as I reached her, her expression shifted and her focus flicked up, over my shoulder. The warmth in her face bloomed into delight. I didn't have to turn around to know why.

It could only be Eli.

The air seemed to change when he walked in, like he carried with him a quiet dominance that made heads turn without trying.

"Hey, Mom," his deep voice brushed against my back like velvet.

And then his hand grazed my waist barely a touch, almost nothing.

But it was enough. Enough to send a tremor through me so fierce I forgot to breathe for a heartbeat.

I froze, but only for a fraction of a second, forcing my lips into another smile, one that didn't quite reach my eyes.

"Oh, Eli," Jennifer cooed, beaming. "This party is really amazing. You did a fine job, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Mom," he smiled at her, polite and controlled. Then, slowly his gaze slid to me.

When our eyes met, my stomach twisted. His look was calm and blank, yet there was something underneath it. I turned away at once, pretending to adjust my dress, pretending I didn't feel the weight of his attention burning into me.

Panic clawed up my throat, tight and hot. It felt like everyone could see it. The thing that shouldn't have happened. The kiss. Something I couldn't scrub off no matter how many times I told myself it was a mistake.

It hadn't even been two months.

Two months after my husband's death, I crossed a line with his brother. I wanted to disappear.

"Ro?" My name left his lips and the sound of it froze me mid-step.

I turned, hiding behind another smile, though it felt brittle, stretched too thin. I was running out of fake smiles.

"Hey," he chuckled softly. "You look lovely. Beautiful."