The call had barely ended when a new message popped up from the private investigator.

Melanie opened it and found a fresh set of photos. Under the glow of the streetlights, Gabriel and Chelsey stood pressed against a car, tangled in each other's arms. Chelsey's hands looped around his neck, her bracelets catching the moonlight.

Her stomach twisted, but Melanie forced herself not to look away.

In the next image, Chelsey leaned into Gabriel's side, holding his arm as if it belonged to her. They looked like a couple who had shared years of devotion, not something secret and recent.

Old memories rushed in without warning. A faint buzz filled Melanie's ears, and each breath seemed to press against the ache in her chest.

After standing still for a long moment, she picked up her phone and called her friend. "Lacey, about that aviation club you mentioned before—are you free tomorrow?"

"I thought you refused because you're scared of heights."

A quiet, dry laugh slipped from Melanie's lips. "I've got something worth celebrating. It's time I tried something new."

"Then tomorrow morning at the club."

Once the call ended, Melanie opened her messaging app and typed to Gabriel, saying, "Our wedding anniversary is next week. I've prepared a surprise for you."

Just then, a notification sounded from the iPad on the table.

Curiosity pulled her closer. When she glanced at the screen, she realized his WhatsApp account was still logged in. A new message sat at the top. "Hotel's booked. Don't worry—I'll cover for you with your wife on your anniversary."

A sharp tremor tugged at the corner of Melanie's mouth, and her fingers shook before she stilled them.

So Gabriel had never intended to spend their anniversary with her.

While she was still holding onto the date, he had already arranged everything in advance to keep her unaware.

Without another glance, she set the iPad aside and walked into the bathroom.

At dawn, as Melanie shifted in bed, a sudden warmth at her side jolted her awake.

Still heavy with sleep, Gabriel drew her closer and murmured in a rough voice, "It's early. Come back to sleep."

A faint scoff escaped her as she pushed herself upright. "Did you come home last night?"

"Of course I did. I got back around eleven. You were sleeping so deeply that I didn't want to disturb you."

His lies washed through her like cold water—then settled, distant and still.

After everything, the pain had worn her down to the point where it barely registered.

She had stayed awake until nearly three in the morning. If he had truly returned, she would have known.

"I've got plans today. I'm heading out," she said flatly.

As soon as Melanie stepped into the club, Lacey Reid hurried over with an eager smile. "You sounded mysterious on the phone. What's the occasion?"

A calm curve touched Melanie's lips. "I'm ending my marriage."

The words hit Lacey like a shockwave, and she stood there staring. "You're getting divorced?"

In her eyes, Melanie had always been patient with Gabriel and deeply devoted to him. The idea that her friend would walk away felt impossible.

"Mel, did he mistreat you?"

Instead of answering right away, Melanie moved to a couch and picked up her coffee. She took a steady sip before shaking her head. "No."

Relief flickered across Lacey's face.

"He cheated. That's all," Melanie added in an even tone.

"He cheated?" Lacey's voice shot up, and anger colored her expression. "After everything you've done for him, he still had the nerve to cheat? What kind of man does that?"

Noticing the emptiness in Melanie's eyes, Lacey quickly softened her tone. "Don't let this crush you, dear. Walking away from someone like him is a win. Young, gorgeous, successful—you'll have plenty of options."

She understood how much that marriage had meant. It had once been Melanie's dream since she was a teenager.

After sitting quietly for a while, Melanie finally lifted her head. A faint smile appeared on her lips. "I'm not heartbroken. If anything, I'm relieved I found out before we had a child together."

She blinked and felt a steady, burning stare resting on her.

Instinctively, she followed that sensation and locked eyes with a man across the room.

He was stretched out on a nearby couch, dressed in a black leather jacket that gave him a composed, commanding presence.

Her breath caught for a second as recognition hit.

It was Rhett White.

What was he doing here?

And more importantly, had he heard what she just admitted?

Heat rushed to her face. She lowered her head and covered part of it with her hands as she leaned toward Lacey. "Let's leave. We need a different place."

Confusion crossed Lacey's face. "Why? This club's amazing. I heard the owner's a pilot, and apparently he's really hot."

At that point, Melanie wished the ground would open and swallow her whole.

Carefully, she parted her fingers and peeked out. The couch was empty.

Her gaze swept across the room, and the moment she turned around, she collided with someone solid. She gasped and stumbled back.

"Looking for me?" asked Rhett.

Regaining her composure, Melanie forced a small, awkward smile. "Why are you here?"

One brow lifted as he replied, "This place belongs to me. Should I not be here?"

A teasing curve tugged at his mouth. "You're scared of heights, yet you show up at a flying club. Planning to make a scene?"

Melanie's breath caught for a second. She remembered now. He had mentioned such a club before.

Back then, she hadn't cared enough to ask for details. She never thought she'd run into him like this.

Irritation slipped into her tone. "I paid for the experience. Isn't that what matters? Or do you only welcome certain guests?"

"Relax. I'll be your pilot today."

Before she could object, he turned and walked off as if the matter were settled.

"Why does he talk to you like that? I've heard he barely speaks to anyone."

"Don't mind him. He just enjoys being difficult."

Soon after, they changed into flight suits, and Melanie headed toward a helicopter.

Inside the cabin, Rhett rested his head against one hand and studied her with lazy interest. "You're not trembling. If you panic up there and throw up in the cabin, you're buying me a helicopter. Or… you could just pay up with yourself."

"Stop talking and focus on flying." Melanie shot him an annoyed look.

"You argued with Gabriel?" Rhett glanced at her again just before sealing the cabin.

The question sounded casual, but his eyes stayed on her. His grip on the controls tightened without him noticing, as if he were waiting for a specific answer.

"Isn't this what you've always wanted to witness?" Melanie asked.

During their school days, Melanie, Rhett, and Gabriel used to be inseparable. However, everything changed after she began seeing Gabriel, and Rhett no longer treated her the same way. Once she became Gabriel's wife, the sharpness in his tone only grew stronger.

"From the very beginning, I told you that the two of you didn't belong together. Yet you chose to marry him anyway. Come on. You think he'd settle for one tiny fish in a sea full of them?"

Through the years, she learned to brush off his cutting comments, yet she never imagined he would push things this far today.

A fierce look crossed Melanie's face as she shot back, "One tiny fish, you say?"

With a lazy grin forming on his lips, Rhett offered no further explanation.

Out of nowhere, he appeared unusually pleased with himself.

Silence filled the small cabin. That faint feeling of floating unsettled Melanie, and she tightened her fists until her palms felt slick.

Each sharp rise and sudden drop of the helicopter felt even more intense than any amusement park ride.

She couldn't keep quiet any longer, so a scream escaped her, along with a few frustrated words thrown in his direction. "Are you messing with me on purpose?"

Gradually easing the controls, Rhett answered in a rough tone, "Did you submit the divorce papers?"

Keeping her mouth shut, Melanie chose not to respond.

Given that Rhett and Gabriel shared a close bond, she had no way of knowing whether he would immediately inform Gabriel.

Quiet settled between them once more. The moment the helicopter surged forward again, another cry slipped from her lips.

"Did you file for it?"

Casting an irritated glance at the man beside her, she finally admitted, "He still doesn't know."

Right after speaking, she caught the subtle shift in his expression as it turned slightly colder.

"But I already made him sign the divorce petition," Melanie added in an even voice.

Her statement stirred something in him, and a brief spark of delight flashed through his eyes before disappearing.

"You've got more tricks up your sleeve than I thought." His remark carried a mix of mockery and praise.

Letting out a humorless chuckle, Melanie avoided the topic and said, "Just slow it down. I want to take in the view."

From that height, the landscape stretched out in breathtaking detail. After adjusting to the motion, the earlier dizziness slowly faded away.

"What's his mistress's name?" Rhett asked suddenly, cutting through the quiet.

A crease formed between Melanie's brows as she replied, "Why do you want to know? Are you thinking of tearing them apart?"

With a mocking tone, he answered, "You're overthinking it. I'm just curious whether she's more attractive than you, since he seems so obsessed." Even as he spoke, his eyes stayed fixed on her with open interest.

At that, Melanie rolled her eyes in annoyance and complained under her breath.

Since the day she and Gabriel became a couple, Rhett had kept this same attitude. Anyone watching from the outside might assume he was bitter because she had taken his beloved one away.

To her knowledge, Rhett wasn't into men. That only made it harder to understand why he kept criticizing their relationship.

"Would it hurt you to talk less? Do I not look good enough? Rhett, if paying for an eye exam is the issue, just say so. Since we are friends, I'll handle the bill for you."

Her sharp reply drew a low laugh from him. Slowly, he turned to face her and asked, "Does Gabriel know you speak like this around other people? Why do you act one way with him and completely differently with me?"

For years, Melanie showed Gabriel only her soft and thoughtful side. Because of that image, he felt entitled to keep someone else by his side. In his eyes, she was easy to control, and he used that to his advantage.

Meeting his gaze, Melanie pressed her lips together and said, "Aren't you doing the same thing? You act distant and disciplined in front of everyone else." His earlier words kept repeating in her thoughts.

Deep down, she wondered whether Gabriel would still care for her if he saw who she truly was. After all, what he adored was someone who never pushed back.

"Have you hired an attorney yet? I know an excellent divorce lawyer. Do you want me to introduce you?" Leaning slightly closer, Rhett spoke in a mild tone that carried a subtle test.

Tilting her head, Melanie looked at him from the corner of her eye and asked, "You're not worried I'll repeat this to Gabriel?"

"I'm only offering help. If you're not interested, then forget I mentioned it," Rhett replied, keeping his voice even.

That unexpected support only confused her further. "Rhett, there are times I really can't figure you out. Do you honestly see Gabriel as your friend?"

Never before had she witnessed someone so willing to interfere in the marriage of a person he claimed was close to him.

"What do you think we are, then? Partners in crime?" Rhett said with a crooked smile.

Silence settled over Melanie.

Spending the entire day with Lacey eased something inside her, and by the time evening came, she felt lighter than she had in weeks.

The moment she stepped into her house, her computer let out a sharp notification sound. She kept the towel wrapped around her damp hair and clicked open a chat box on a website she barely used.

"That job you gave me? Too simple. Her computer had no protection at all. I've already emailed every photo you asked for."

Without hesitation, Melanie logged into her email and found a zipped folder waiting for her. Inside were countless photos of Gabriel and Chelsey.

Frame after frame showed them tangled together, even lying in the same bed, and the sight hit her like a punch to the chest.

They hadn't held back at all. Worse, they'd managed to keep it hidden from her this whole time.

Everything she once believed about her life with Gabriel suddenly felt fake, like a story she'd told herself just to survive.

She tried to blink away the heat building in her eyes, but her body locked up, and she sat frozen in front of the screen.

A faint smile tugged at her lips, yet a crushing weight pressed against her chest and made it hard to breathe.

When she finally steadied herself, she transferred the zipped folder onto a flash drive and reopened the chat.

"Thanks for your help. Catch you later."

After powering down the computer, she lay flat on her bed and stared into the dark, but sleep refused to come.

Early the next morning, she barely had time to set her bag down at the office before her assistant hurried over. "Melanie, they're here," her assistant said.

Keeping her attention on the script in her hands, Melanie didn't look up, and she failed to notice the worry written all over her assistant's face.

"There's been a small issue. Miss Wallace tripped and got hurt. The chief editor says the interview has to be pushed back thirty minutes," her assistant added.

Finishing the last of her coffee in one swallow, Melanie gave a quiet nod.

As soon as she stepped inside, a dry smile curved across her lips when she took in the picture before her.

Across the room, Gabriel sat close to the woman, and the worry in his eyes was impossible to miss. Meanwhile, Rhett stood on the sidelines, staring at them with narrowed eyes.

So he wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. Was he bold enough to flirt with his wife watching? Did he honestly believe she couldn't see what was happening?

Maybe he assumed she cared about him so deeply that she'd swallow her pride and accept anything he did. What a joke.

"Mel," Gabriel said the second he noticed Melanie. He quickly shifted his gaze away from Chelsey and walked toward Melanie with breakfast in his hands, a warm smile fixed on his face.

Irritation flickered across Melanie's face. "Why are you here?" she asked.

Before he could speak, Rhett cut in with a playful tone, "He's here to say sorry, obviously. At sunrise, he dragged me to the east side to line up for bagels, and then he rushed to the west side to grab that sandwich you used to love back in school. At least take a bite."

With that, he pushed the breakfast toward her, still smiling.

Instead of reaching for it, Melanie looked down at the food and then lifted her eyes toward Chelsey, who sat stiffly a short distance away.

That thoughtful breakfast was nothing but a distraction. His real reason for showing up was sitting right over there.

There was a time when a gesture like this would've softened her. Now it only made her stomach turn.

"I've already eaten," she said, her voice flat and distant.

"So we woke up at sunrise and stood in line for this—and you say no? Cold, Mel. Real cold," Rhett said with a grin, even though he understood why she was upset with Gabriel.

Before Melanie could snap back at him, Gabriel spoke first. "Listen to you. Keep talking like that and you'll scare every woman away. Or are you still holding out for that married woman of yours? Planning to wait until she's free?"

Everyone was aware that for the past ten years, Rhett had carried deep feelings for a woman, and she had remained the only one in his heart. She was already married, and from everything they could see, her marriage was a happy one. Because of that, he'd never seriously dated anyone else and chose to wait in silence.

Lifting his coffee cup, Rhett took a slow sip. His eyes flickered toward Melanie for a brief second before he looked away again. "She won't be married much longer," he said calmly.

Both of them stared at him in surprise.

After all this time, he finally had his chance?

"Don't tell me you're about to step in as the third party," Gabriel said, and disappointment was clear in his voice. "That's not like you."

"Relax. I wouldn't do that. She's the one who asked for the divorce."

He left it at that, and Gabriel didn't push any further.

Before long, Gabriel's focus drifted elsewhere again.

Across the room, Chelsey was carefully tending to a small cut on her hand, her brows drawn together as if the pain was unbearable.

Watching him watch another woman made something bitter twist inside Melanie. It was only a small scratch, yet he reacted as if something serious had happened. When she'd been in a car accident and fractured bones, he hadn't even shown up for her surgery.

Later, he'd claimed an urgent company meeting had kept him away, and she'd actually believed him. She'd even told him not to overwork himself.

Thinking about it now made her want to laugh at her own stupidity.

He hadn't been busy with work at all. He'd been busy sharing a bed with someone else.

Anger and humiliation mixed inside her, and she despised herself for letting him fool her for so long.

Cold resolve settled over her face as she tore her gaze away. "I've got work to handle, so you'll have to excuse me," she said evenly.

After clipping on her microphone, she walked toward Chelsey and held out a glass of water. "Good morning, Miss Wallace."