The drive back to Carrington should have just taken an hour, but it felt like forever.

Matthew tried to chat a few times, but I shut down each attempt with short answers.

At dinner, we acted like the perfect couple in front of his parents. I smiled, toasted, praised his mom's new hairstyle, and talked about the recent art shows with his dad.

Matthew's mom, Juliet Gordon, was sharp. She seemed to sense that something was off and glanced at me with concern from time to time.

"Elena, have you gotten thinner lately?" she asked kindly.

"Maybe I've just been busy with the gallery," I answered with a smile.

"Be sure to look after yourself," she said, gripping my hand. "Matthew works himself ragged, and you shouldn't follow his example."

Her palm was warm, and a wave of sadness washed over me.

By the time we got back to our Eastminster Heights apartment, it was already 10:00 pm.

Matthew headed straight for the shower, while I sat at the vanity to take off my makeup.

He emerged from the bathroom in a bathrobe, his hair still wet. He stood behind me, watching me in the mirror.

When he spoke, his voice was much gentler. "Elena, we need to talk."

I kept dabbing on my eye cream, silent.

He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder. It was his way of showing he cared.

"Still upset about this afternoon?" he asked, sounding tired. "Sofia is just my assistant. That's all."

"Matthew, it's not about who she is," I replied, keeping my voice even. "It's about boundaries. About trust."

I faced him. "Your secret room is our space, just like this home. When you let others in, it's like you're saying I'm not special anymore."

Matthew gazed into my eyes, his fingers lightly touching my cheek.

"You'll always be special, Elena. I promise, nothing like this will happen again," he said seriously.

With that, he kissed my forehead. "That secret room will always be just ours."

"Okay," I said, pushing him away gently. "I'm tired and want to go to bed early."

That night, we lay in bed with our backs to each other, an invisible wall between us.

The pretense of peace did not last a week.

My best friend, Sarah, called.

She whispered over the phone, "Elena, there's something you need to know."

"What's up?" I asked, setting aside the catalog I was holding.

"Yesterday at the Wexley Club, I spotted Matthew having lunch with his assistant."

My heart missed a beat.

Sarah sounded unsure. "I did a little digging... Elena, did you know Matthew got Sofia into the Wexley Club?"

The Wexley Club.

That was one of Hudson City's oldest and most exclusive clubs. One would need a longtime member's recommendation, and they were really picky about who got in.

Matthew was a member, and we sometimes ate there. However, for him to recommend someone new—especially a woman—was a big deal at the club.

Sarah went on, "And that's not all. I heard he let her use his special membership perks, like bringing friends. She's already put up a bunch of photos on Instagram."

My hand holding the phone started to shake. In our world, those perks meant a lot.

"People are talking, saying Matthew's been 'extra nice' to his new assistant. Some are even guessing..." Sarah stopped for a second. "...if you two are having problems."

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. "Thanks for letting me know, Sarah."

Sarah's voice was full of worry. "Elena, are you alright?"

"I'm okay," I replied, "I'll deal with it."

After I ended the call, I sat in my office, looking at the water lily painting on the wall. The lilies just floated there, all peaceful on top, but underneath, the roots were a mess.

It was kind of like my marriage right then.

'Matthew, what in the world are you up to? She's just an assistant who's barely been here two months, and you're already giving her privileges to show off? Did you forget what you promised last week? Or maybe your word just isn't worth much?' I wondered.

I grabbed the phone and called Dad's top lawyer.

I said, "Robert, I need a favor. Book every event and VIP room at the Wexley Club for the entirety of next month. Put it under our family foundation's name. Tell them it's for the big charity gala we're planning."

"Everything?" Robert sounded shocked. "Elena, that's going to cost a pretty penny."

"Don't worry about the money. And get a news release out. I want everyone to talk about it," I told him.

"Okay, I'm on it."

Robert worked fast. By the next day, the Hudson City Times' social page had the scoop. The Douglas family foundation had taken over the Wexley Club for a whole month to get ready for their big charity gala.

It was all anyone in high society could talk about. The Douglas family had made a splash in Hudson City's social scene once again.

Just like that, Sofia's 'precious' membership was worthless.

Sarah filled me in later. Sofia had planned to bring her friends to the club for her birthday bash. However, with every spot booked, she had to switch to a regular restaurant at the last minute.

All her fancy social plans, all those 'privileges' she wanted to flaunt, were gone.

I was going to make sure everyone saw who really had the power—who was really Matthew's wife.

That evening, Matthew came home with a storm cloud hanging over his head. He tossed his briefcase onto the couch with a thud, yanked at his tie, poured a big glass of whiskey, and gulped down most of it in one go.

He said, his voice heavy with anger, "Elena, why did you have to reserve the whole Wexley Club? Did you really have to do that?"

I looked up at him, my eyes steady. "Did I have to? What about you, giving club privileges to an assistant who's barely been here two months?"

He was livid. "Sofia's a great worker. I'm just helping her grow!"

"Helping her grow with your own special perks? In your secret room? Bringing her along to all these private places?"

Matthew's anger faded to an icy silence. "Elena, are you questioning me?"

"I'm just keeping what's mine safe."

"Safe?" He laughed bitterly. "Or is it the control you're after?"

At that moment, for the first time ever, I saw a stranger in him.

"If keeping my marriage safe is controlling, then call me a control freak," I said, each word deliberate.

He stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I was left alone in the silence of the room.

The next few days were a silent battle.

Matthew would head out before dawn and would not come back until after dark. Even though we were in the same house, it felt like we were worlds apart.

Then came another day to pick up Matthew from work. His secretary said he was in his private room. I pushed the door open, and there it was again, the scene I dreaded.

Matthew was on the couch with Sofia right beside him, both of them looking at a laptop. Her hand was on his arm, too close for comfort.

They both looked up when the door opened. Sofia quickly pulled her hand back, but she did not look the least bit flustered.

Matthew's eyebrows knitted together when he saw me. "Elena? What brings you here so early?"

"I'm here to pick you up from work. Seems like I've come at a bad time," I replied.

Matthew got to his feet. "We were just talking about work."

That was when Sofia chimed in, "Mrs. Carter, you've got it all wrong. I was just going over the project's data analysis with Matthew."

She sounded respectful, but her eyes held a quiet challenge.

"Really?" I stepped into the room. "Then please, carry on. Don't let me interrupt."

The room was filled with an awkward silence. Matthew cleared his throat. "Sofia, that's enough for today."

"Okay." She gathered her things slowly and deliberately. "What about tomorrow's meeting—"

"Tomorrow," Matthew cut her off.

Once Sofia was gone, it was just the two of us left in the room.

"Elena..."

I stopped him. "No need to explain. We should get going. Your mother is waiting for us."

…

A week later, it was time for the Carters' regular family dinner once more.

Juliet's voice held a touch of concern when she called me. "Elena, you have to come tonight. It's been too long since we've all been together."

I promised I would.

Dinner was as elegant as ever. Juliet did her best to keep the conversation going, while Matthew's father, Adrian, talked business with him.

I quietly sliced my steak, chiming in there and then.

However, the tension hung heavy in the air.

After we had eaten, we all sat in the dining room with our coffee, making small talk.

That was when Matthew's phone rang.

He checked the screen, and his face flickered with something unreadable, but he still answered the call anyway.

"What?" His voice was soft, but I could tell he was totally shocked. "What did you just say?

He suddenly got louder. "No way! How could that be?"

Everyone stared at him.

"Douglas? Are you sure?" He looked more and more upset.

He ended the call, then got a bunch of texts. His hands shook a little as he read them.

Juliet asked, really worried, "Matthew, what's going on? Is something wrong?"

Matthew slowly looked up, staring right at me. His eyes were full of shock, anger, and a bit of disbelief.

"Our big project in Bricklyn… The main investor just backed out," he said with a rough voice.

Adrian scrunched his eyebrows. "What? Why?"

Matthew went on, getting louder, "And that hotel deal in Granton City—someone else swooped in and took it."

He took a deep breath, like he was trying to calm the storm inside. "The Douglas family did all of this."

The room went super quiet as everyone looked at me.

Matthew's voice shook. "Elena, please tell me it's not true. Tell me you didn't do this."

I looked back at him, totally calm, and an icy smile spread across my face.

"Yes, it's true. I did it."