At three in the morning, Harper Orsini was dead asleep when the creak of the door yanked her awake.
The only light in the room was a soft, warm yellow glow from the nightlight.
Harper squinted, spotting a man by the window, unbuttoning his shirt.
The dim light highlighted Alex Lavien's sharp, delicate features, giving a gentle touch to the intensity in his eyes.
This was their first encounter after a month of giving each other the silent treatment.
Harper, her voice still groggy, said, "Oh, you're home."
"Yeah," Alex replied coolly, his tall frame already leaning over her. He bent down and kissed her lips, his other hand deftly working on her nightgown.
His large hand covered her chest, teasingly kneading, trying to arouse her desire in a short time.
Harper, was stunned for a moment, then starting to resist.
"Alex, we have been in cold war for a long time, and you come back just for this?" Her voice had a tinge of anger she couldn't hide.
She was a person, not just an outlet for his desires.
A flicker of annoyance crossed Alex's eyes. He grabbed her chin, looking down at her.
"You're my wife. It's perfectly legal and proper to fulfill my sexual needs."
"The argument isn't over..." Harper began, but Alex had already pushed inside her.
He moved without any foreplay, focused only on his own desire.
The pain hit, mixed with a fleeting pleasure that made her shiver.
"Alex, I'm not a tool. Did you come back just for sex?"
Alex's eyes showed impatience. He silenced her with a kiss.
Five years of marriage had made them experts on each other's bodies and sensitive spots.
Harper quickly gave in, her cheeks flushing, unable to resist as he lifted her legs and thrust into her again and again.
The heat between them was rising when a phone rang, cutting through the moment.
From her angle, Harper couldn't see the caller ID.
But she saw the brief emotion in Alex's eyes. He cared a lot.
Alex stopped immediately, answering the phone with his left hand while covering Harper's mouth with his right.
As she struggled to breathe, Harper heard a sweet voice on the other end.
"Alex, I'm at the airport. When are you coming to get me?"
Harper's brow furrowed.
Three in the morning, and a woman was calling Alex in such a flirty tone?
Alex kept her mouth covered, clearly not wanting her to make a sound.
"Okay, I'll be right there," Alex said.
"Drive safe, I'll be waiting," the voice on the other end chirped happily.
After the call, Alex got out of bed without a second thought.
The fire of desire that had started in Harper was suddenly extinguished, as if doused with cold water. She clenched her fists firmly.
Alex was usually insatiable. Every time they had sex, it was at least twice.
This was the first time he'd stopped midway.
Especially for a call from another woman.
A sharp pain stabbed at Harper's heart.
She sat up, watching Alex rush to the dressing room. "Where are you going?" she asked.
Alex frowned, his eyes full of impatience. "I don't like people prying into my business."
His cold tone was a stark contrast to the tenderness he'd shown on the phone.
Harper's nails dug into her palms. She tried to keep her voice steady. "I'm your wife."
Alex didn't respond.
The door slammed shut, followed by the sound of a car engine revving in the yard.
Harper sat on the bed, her face pale as a ghost.
The sweet voice from the phone call kept replaying in her mind.
Few people had Alex's private number.
The caller's sweet and pleasant tone made it clear they were close.
The fact that he left in the middle of the night showed how important this woman was to him.
Harper suddenly remembered last month when she got rear-ended by a speeding truck. If it weren't for the airbags and seatbelt, she might not have survived.
She had barely crawled out of the wrecked car, and the first thing she did was call Alex.
Shaken and trembling, she held the phone, desperate for comfort.
But all she got was Alex's annoyed response.
"Call insurance and the police."
He showed no concern for her at all, and didn't even ask if she was okay.
Harper covered her eyes, wrapping herself in the blanket.
Memories of her years with Alex played in her mind like a sad movie.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
The next morning, when Harper woke up, she instinctively reached for the spot next to her.
Cold.
Alex hadn't come back all night.
Just then, she got a video message on her phone.
It was from Caden Elikin.
Caden: [Doesn't this count as your husband cheating on you?]
Harper clicked on it. Her already pale face turned even whiter when she saw the content.
The video was at the airport, with Alex as the main star, and a petite woman beside him, chatting flirtatiously.
Alex was pushing her luggage with one hand and holding her hand tightly with the other.
Their interaction was filled with an unmistakable intimacy.
The media had even slapped on a sensational headline: [Mr. Lavien picks up a mysterious woman late at night, suspected romance exposed.]
Harper felt like her heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand.
Was this the woman Alex had gone to pick up last night?
Even though Alex and Harper were married, it was a secret marriage.
To the public, Alex was always single.
Harper: [Maybe they're just friends.]
Caden: [Harper, he's gone this far, and you're still making excuses for him. Have you gotten used to being a coward? Why not dump him and be with me instead?]
Harper's eyes stung with unshed tears.
Harper: [Has this video gone viral?]
Caden: [Yeah, a lot of people are saying she's Mrs. Lavien. It's sickening to see a bastard like Alex.]
Harper: [Got it.]
She put down her phone and took a deep breath.
She could never stop Alex from doing what he wanted.
Especially since Alex seemed to care a lot about this woman.
After getting up and washing up, Harper went to work as usual.
She had been working on a project until one in the morning the previous day.
And because of Alex, she had insomnia until dawn before finally falling asleep.
Her head was groggy, and many colleagues were gossiping about the video of Alex picking up the woman during their break.
Harper, holding her thermos, intended to get some warm water, but as soon as she took a step, she suddenly felt dizzy, and darkness swallowed her.
When she woke up, she was already in the hospital.
The strong scent of medicine filled the air, and the last memory before she fainted came rushing back. She turned her head with difficulty and saw Alex beside her.
Her eyes lit up with hope. "Alex..."
As soon as she spoke, Alex looked at her with a cold expression. "Let's get a divorce."
