Chapter 4
BETH
When I stepped out of the sleek elevator and into the quiet foyer of the penthouse, the air inside felt unusually charged, as though someone had altered the very atmosphere.
It wasn’t just the usual hush that fell over our home when we were between staff hours.
This was something different. Something deeper.
My senses immediately went on high alert as I slipped off my flats and padded silently toward the kitchen, following the faint hum of voices.
The smell of rich red wine wafted through the open space, a familiar vintage I knew Chris only opened for important occasions, or when he wanted to impress someone.
My chest tightened, and my footsteps slowed.
I wasn’t expecting anyone tonight, but clearly, he wasn’t alone.
Peering around the marble-topped island that separated the kitchen from the dining area, the sight hit me like a physical blow.
Jessica Martin stood in the center of the room, a wine glass in hand, her heels abandoned by the front door.
She was laughing, her body angled toward someone I couldn’t yet see, her blonde hair catching the low light from the pendant fixtures hanging over the island.
Her presence here was jarring, disorienting even.
She looked completely at ease, as if she belonged here, and for a second, I was the one who felt like the intruder.
“Jess, come on, you know the board is never going to agree to that kind of restructuring.” Chris’s voice came from the living room just beyond. Casual, relaxed. I held my breath, listening to them talk as if I weren’t even in the apartment.
“Maybe not, but you know I’m right,” Jessica replied, her tone light but firm. “If we shift some assets, it’ll make us more flexible for future acquisitions. You’re just not willing to make the big plays.”
A smile tugged at her lips as she sipped her wine, clearly enjoying the intellectual sparring.
It was a side of Chris I rarely saw. The ease with which they communicated, the unspoken understanding of his world that I couldn’t quite grasp.
My fingers gripped the edge of the counter as I took in the scene: open financial spreadsheets spread across the marble surface, her lipstick stain on the rim of one of his best wine glasses, and her hair falling over her face in a way that seemed deliberate.
My throat tightened. I wanted to turn and leave before they noticed me, but something kept me rooted to the spot. I was already here, and I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t heard or seen them. Taking a deep breath, I rounded the corner of the kitchen island, my shoes clacking lightly on the cold stone.
“Chris.” My voice sounded strange, almost distant as I forced it out.
He was standing with his back to me, leaning casually against the sofa, his hand running through his dark hair in a way that made my heart ache with familiarity. He turned, a flash of surprise crossing his face as his eyes met mine, but it quickly smoothed over. “Beth, I didn’t hear you come in.”
I could hear the strain behind his attempt at ease. I knew that tone well. “I can see that.” I shifted my gaze back to Jessica, who was now looking at me with that same polite smile that always managed to feel both warm and cutting at the same time.
“Beth, good to see you.” Jessica set her glass down on the counter and moved toward me, her hand extended. “How’s life as the new Compassionate Philanthropist of Seattle?”
I forced myself to take her hand, her manicured nails brushing against my skin. “It’s fine,” I said flatly. “Surprised to see you here.”
Her smile widened. “Oh, I was just going over some business with Chris. We were wrapping up some details about a deal, nothing too exciting.” She glanced back at Chris, who was watching the exchange with a slightly uncomfortable expression on his face.
I turned to him, my brows furrowing. “Since when do you have business meetings in the middle of our kitchen?”
Chris cleared his throat, pushing himself off the couch. “It’s not a meeting, Beth. Jessica stopped by to drop something off for the fund, and we got caught up. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it would take this long.”
Something about his explanation didn’t sit right with me, but I didn’t press him. Not yet. Instead, I walked over to the sink, my eyes drawn to the dishes Jessica had already started using as if this were her home. “You could’ve told me she was coming.”
Chris followed my movement, his jaw tightening slightly. “I didn’t think it was a big deal, Beth. It was just a quick conversation.”
Jessica piped in, her voice smooth as silk. “Really, Beth, it’s no bother. I can finish up and be out of your hair in no time.” Her eyes met mine, and I could see a flicker of something more behind them, something that felt almost like amusement.
I swallowed hard, the irritation prickling under my skin.
“It’s fine. I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.
” I didn’t look at either of them as I turned, my feet carrying me away before the tension could explode.
But as I walked down the hall, I could still feel their eyes on me, still feel the weight of the unspoken words hanging in the air.
Whatever it was they had been talking about, it wasn’t just business. I was certain of that.
The soft click of my office door closing behind me was almost a relief, but the moment didn’t last. I sank into the leather armchair by the window, staring out at the glittering skyline of the city, my mind racing.
What was Jessica doing here? And why was I the only one who found it strange that she felt so comfortable walking through our home like she owned the place?
The fact that Chris had let it happen didn’t sit right with me either.
But before I could spiral any further into the thought, a light knock interrupted my silence.
I turned to find Chris leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, watching me with a wary expression. I stiffened in the chair. “What do you want?”
He sighed, stepping further into the room. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. I didn’t think Jess being here would bother you this much.”
“It doesn’t bother me,” I snapped, though we both knew that was a lie. “I just don’t see why she needed to be here.”
“She had to go over some details with me about the acquisition, that’s all,” he said, moving to stand next to my chair. I could feel the heat radiating off him, a warmth that I’d always found comforting before, but now it just made me feel more distant from him.
“And you couldn’t have done that at the office? Or on a call?” I looked up at him, my eyes searching his for any hint of understanding.
“It wasn’t that serious, Beth.” His tone was soft, almost placating, but I wasn’t buying it. “We were just finishing something up.”
I stood up abruptly, brushing past him as I walked to the far side of the room. “You don’t see how strange this is, do you? Having her here, in our home, like it’s nothing.”
Chris frowned, his patience wearing thin. “We’re colleagues, Beth. And she’s involved in this deal, whether you like it or not.”
“It feels like more than that to me,” I shot back, turning to face him fully now. “It feels like she’s trying to make a point.”
“Jess isn’t trying to do anything.” He sighed again, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “I swear, you’re seeing things that aren’t there.”
“Am I?” I folded my arms across my chest, my gaze hardening. “Or are you just not seeing what’s right in front of you?”
The silence that followed was heavy, charged with all the things I was too afraid to say out loud, and the things Chris wasn’t willing to acknowledge.
I stared at him, waiting for some kind of defense, some kind of reassurance that I wasn’t just imagining things, but he didn’t offer any.
He just stood there, looking tired, his jaw set in a stubborn line that told me he wasn’t going to budge.
Finally, he shook his head and took a step toward the door. “I’m going back out to finish up. Don’t wait up.”
I watched him leave, feeling the familiar sting of tears prickling behind my eyes.
The door closed behind him with a soft finality that left me feeling more alone than I had in a long time.
Something was shifting between us, and I wasn’t sure I knew how to stop it anymore.
The walls felt like they were closing in, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me as I stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do next.
One thing was clear though. I couldn’t keep pretending that everything was okay.
Later, I wandered down to the kitchen again.
It was quiet now. Too quiet, as if Jessica’s presence had left a ghostly trace of itself.
I stood by the large window overlooking the city, the same one where I had caught Chris and Jessica talking in their hushed tones.
I pressed my palm against the cool glass, trying to steady the frustration that was simmering under my skin.
The faint sound of movement pulled my attention to the dining room.
My stomach clenched as I realized it was Chris and Jessica sitting together at the table, their voices carrying softly through the open space.
The way they were sitting, so close, with a bottle of wine open between them, sent a sick feeling straight to my gut.
I hesitated just out of sight, debating whether or not to leave, but my curiosity, and my hurt, kept me rooted in place.
“I really think Beth’s too wrapped up in all that sentimental charity stuff,” Jessica was saying, her tone as smooth as honey.
She swirled the red liquid in her glass, the lamplight catching the ruby color.
“She doesn’t understand how things work at this level.
It’s charming, I suppose, but it’s not sustainable. ”
I froze, my fingers tightening on the edge of the counter. Every word was a dagger aimed directly at me, yet I couldn’t look away.