THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

The afternoon sun cast a golden hue across the penthouse, but the warmth did little to ease the tension that had settled into its walls. The sky outside had begun to shift—clouds rolling in slowly, a quiet warning of the storm that loomed on the horizon.

Evelyn sat curled in the corner of the plush leather couch, a book open in her lap. But her mind was elsewhere. It had been since last night. Since the fight. Since the silence that followed.

She used to love afternoons like this—before the weight of their marriage became unbearable. The soft hum of the city below, the warmth of tea in her hands, the comfort of knowing she wasn't alone.

But now, silence didn't feel like peace. It felt like distance.

The front door opened, breaking the stillness. She didn't have to look up to know who it was.

Adrian.

His footsteps were measured as he walked in, shrugging off his coat and loosening his tie. He barely glanced in her direction before heading to the bar, pouring himself a drink. The tension in the air thickened, unspoken words hanging between them like a fragile thread.

"You're home early," Evelyn finally said, her voice even.

"So are you," Adrian responded, taking a slow sip of his whiskey.

She closed her book and stood. If he wasn't going to talk, then she wasn't going to sit here pretending things were normal.

"I'm going to my room," she murmured. But just as she turned, he spoke again.

"Lucas is coming over."

Evelyn hesitated. Not because she particularly cared, but because it was rare for Adrian to tell her anything these days. She turned slightly, waiting.

Adrian looked like he wanted to say more—his fingers flexing around the glass, his lips parting—but in the end, all he did was exhale.

"Never mind."

Of course.

Evelyn swallowed the lump in her throat and walked away.

Fifteen minutes later, Evelyn was curled up on her bed, phone pressed to her ear.

"So let me get this straight," Naomi said, her tone dry. "He actually initiated a conversation, but then bailed halfway through?"

"Pretty much," Evelyn muttered, tracing the pattern on her duvet.

Naomi scoffed. "Wow. Your husband is truly a master of emotional depth."

Evelyn let out a soft, humorless laugh. "It's like… he wants to say something, but he won't let himself. Like he's afraid of what might happen if he does."

Naomi was quiet for a moment. Then, gently, she asked, "And what about you?"

Evelyn frowned. "What about me?"

"Are you afraid of what happens if you stay?"

Evelyn closed her eyes. Was she? Maybe.

Before she could respond, a knock echoed through the penthouse.

Lucas.

Adrian opened the door to find Lucas standing there, hands tucked into his coat pockets.

"Are you going to let me in, or should I take this as a sign that our friendship is over?" Lucas quipped, stepping inside before Adrian could respond.

Adrian sighed. "I don't have the patience for you today."

Lucas smirked. "Good thing I'm not here for patience." He strolled toward the bar, pouring himself a drink. "I saw Evelyn earlier. She looked… exhausted."

Adrian's grip on his glass tightened. "That's none of your concern."

Lucas arched a brow. "It is if you let this marriage self-destruct in front of me." He took a slow sip, watching Adrian carefully. "You're pushing her away."

Adrian didn't respond.

Lucas sighed. "I know why you keep her at a distance. I know this marriage was never supposed to be real for you. But things changed. She changed. And whether you want to admit it or not, so did you."You just need to adjust to everything.

Adrian exhaled sharply. "You don't know anything."

Lucas chuckled. "You're right. I don't. But I do know this—if you keep pretending you don't care, one day you'll wake up and she'll be gone. And by then, it'll be too late."

Adrian opened his mouth to respond—but before he could, the doorbell rang.

Both men turned toward the entrance.

Lucas frowned. "Expecting someone else?"

Adrian wasn't.

"No, am not."he replied as he got up.

A strange feeling settled in his gut as he moved toward the door. While he got to the door , the first thing he saw was Evelyn. She stood a few feet away, frozen, her face pale.

But it wasn't him she was looking at.

It was the woman standing in the doorway.

A woman he hadn't seen in years.

Isabella.

She smiled, slow and knowing.

"Hello, Adrian," she purred. Then her gaze flickered to Evelyn, her expression unreadable. "I see I arrived just in time."

Thunder rumbled in the distance. But the real storm had just begun.