Chapter 27: Could it be he was cheating on her

 Ethan paused in his action. "I guessed I crossed the line I'm sorry, you can have dinner, I'll go get changed." 

 Ana nodded and watched as Ethan walked away, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment. She sat down at the table and began to eat, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach.

As she finished dinner, Ana realized that Ethan wasn't back yet. She wondered where he had gone and why he was taking so long. She tried to focus on her book, but her mind kept wandering back to Ethan.

When it was time for bed, Ana got ready and slipped under the covers, expecting Ethan to join her soon,they started sharing the bed a week ago after Ethan let her have it all to be self for a week as to get used to it , at first she wasn't comfortable sleeping with someone especially Ethan, but then she eventually got used to it and now that Ethan wasn't here she didn't know why she was finding it hard to sleep. 

As the minutes ticked by, Ana's eyelids began to droop, and despite her efforts to stay awake, she eventually drifted off to sleep.

The silence of the room and the emptiness beside her were soon forgotten as Ana succumbed to exhaustion. She slept soundly, unaware of the time passing or Ethan's eventual return.

When Ana woke up the next morning, she felt a sense of disorientation. She looked around the room, trying to remember what had happened the night before, she noticed she was the only one in bed , her hand traced Ethan's side but it was cold showing he was never there. 

 Ana picked up her phone and check the time it was clearly 7:12 in the morning, she frowned but didn't stay to think about a full grown man, she quickly ...threw off the covers and got out of bed, her mind still foggy from sleep. She began to get ready for the day, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that lingered from the night before. As she brushed her teeth, she couldn't help but wonder where Ethan had gone and why he hadn't come back to bed.

Ana got dressed in her usual work attire. She made her way to the living room expecting to see Ethan in the kitchen, putting on a pair of plain trouser and a sweatshirt, with a small apron tied to his waist. 

 But instead, the kitchen was empty and spotless, with no signs of Ethan's presence. The usual aroma of freshly cooked food was noticeably absent, and the silence in the apartment felt eerie. Ana's eyes scanned the room, taking in the neat and tidy space, but her gaze kept drifting back to the empty kitchen. She felt a pang of disappointment and worry, Ana's stomach growled, reminding her that she needed to eat something before heading to work. She opened the fridge, scanning the shelves for something to eat,but everything in there needed to be cooked and she didn't know how to do that, at least she had forgotten, it has been years she cooked. 

 Before Ana left she looked towards Ethan's office wondering if he was in there, but before she could worry more she got a text from her Assistant hurrying her to come over to the company. 

 Ana's heart skipped a beat as she read the urgent text from her assistant. She quickly grabbed her bag and headed out the door, wondering what could be wrong. As she rushed to the office, her mind was filled with thoughts of the project she had been working on, and the potential problems that could have arisen.

When she arrived at the office, her assistant was waiting for her with a worried look on her face. "Boss, I'm so glad you're here. We have a problem," she said, leading Ana to her office.

Ana's heart sank as she saw the look on her assistant's face. "What is it?" she asked, trying to prepare herself for the worst.

"It's Director Jess," her assistant replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "She's been trying to sabotage your project. She's been secretly meeting with the board members, trying to convince them to give the project to her instead."

Ana's eyes widened in shock and anger. She knew that Jess had always been jealous of her success, but she had never thought that she would stoop so low.

"What else do you know?" Ana asked, her mind racing with thoughts of how to counter Jess's moves.

Her assistant hesitated before speaking. "I overheard Jess talking to one of the board members. She's been spreading rumors about you, saying that You're not capable of handling the project. She's trying to make you look incompetent."

 " What did the board members say about it."?

 "They seemed to be considering her proposal," her assistant replied, her voice laced with concern. "But I don't think they've made a final decision yet. We need to act fast to counter Jess's moves and protect your project."

Ana's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with strategies to outmaneuver Jess. She knew that she had to be careful, as Jess was a cunning and ruthless opponent.

"What's the current status of the project?" Ana asked, her voice firm and commanding.

"We're still waiting to hear back from FUSIONX," her assistant replied. "But I did receive an email from their representative, stating that they're interested in discussing the project further."

Ana's eyes lit up with hope. This could be the break they needed to get the project back on track.

"Schedule a meeting with FUSIONX as soon as possible," Ana instructed her assistant. "And make sure to keep me updated on any developments."

Her assistant nodded, scribbling down some notes on her pad. "I'll get right on it, Boss."

 Ana nodded, her mind already focused on the next step. She knew that she had to be one step ahead of Jess if she wanted to save her project. 

 As her assistant was about to leave, Ana called out to her. "Rachel, wait." Rachel turned around, a questioning look on her face. "Have you ever been in a relationship before?" 

 Rachel's expression changed, and she was clearly caught off guard. Of all people, she never expected Ana to ask this question. Not just her, no one in the company would have expected this question. They all knew Ana as a workaholic, and they really feared she would never have a personal life aside from job matters. In fact, two years ago, everyone knew that Mr. Browns, the son of a wealthy man, had pursued her. Everyone thought they would work out, but Ana had gone on only two dates with him and then broke up. When asked on an interview why she broke up, she said it was because Mr. Brown was not a very serious fellow and she liked men who were responsible.

Rachel blushed slightly, her eyes darting around the room before focusing on Ana. "Yes, I have been in plenty of relationships, but now I'm single," she said, a hint of bitterness creeping into her voice. "All the men I dated are scums."

 Ana's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she didn't press the issue. "I have a question, I'm actually asking for a friend."

 Rachel nodded."go on boss." 

 Ana cleared her throat. "Her partner seems to be acting weird." 

 Rachel's expression changed, and she leaned in, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "What kind of weird?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Ana hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "Well, he's just been acting weird, like one minute he was helping her dry her hair the next he excuses himself and she didn't see him again," Ana said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. "That does sound weird," she said. "Do you think he's okay? Maybe he's going through some personal issues or something."

Ana shrugged. "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. I want to know if you've ever experienced anything like this before."

Rachel thought for a moment before responding. "Actually, I have," she said. "My ex-boyfriend used to do something similar. He would get really distant and cold, and then just disappear for hours without explaining where he was going or what he was doing."

Ana's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" she asked, her voice firm.

Rachel sighed. "I tried to talk to him about it, but he just brushed it off and told me I was being paranoid. So, I did some digging and found out that he was cheating on me."

Ana's eyes widened in shock. "I'm so sorry, Rachel," she said. "That must have been really tough for you."

Rachel nodded, her expression somber. "It was. But I learned a valuable lesson from that experience.men can never be loyal, they always cheat, your friends husband must be cheating on her. " 

 Ana's eyes widened in surprise at Rachel's blunt statement. She hadn't expected Rachel to be so candid about her past experiences. Ana's mind was racing with thoughts of Ethan and his strange behavior. Could it be that he was cheating on her? Not that she cared after all it was a marriage of convenience and he could get what she can't give outside , but the thought of it didn't settle with her. 

 "You can go now."