CHAPTER TWO- MY BIRTHDAY

The large bedroom bathed in a golden glow from the crystal light fixture that hung delicately from the ceiling. Elegance was the only thing emitting in the room- from the velvet drapes to the polished oak floor—but none of it compared to the sight on the bed.

Aria lay there, her dark hair glowed in the gentle light. She looked like an angel, her features almost unreal—like something dreamt rather than real.

Without making a sound, Daniel stood by the door. His eyes didn't wander. They were locked on her, drinking her in as if he might never get used to the quiet beauty of the woman he called his wife.

Aria stirred beneath the sheets, lashes fluttering before she slowly opened her eyes, revealing her silver coloured iris,the color striking against the soft glow of her skin.Her robe,same silvery hue as her eyes, making her look like she'd been sculpted from light and shadow.

Daniel stood a few feet away, quiet. Watching.

Her voice low, with sleepy eyes, she asked, "Why are you staring?"

He took a step forward, each step accompanied with a hot breath, his gaze accessing her whole body. Lust bottling up within him."Can't I stare at my wife?"

Aria turned her head toward him, expression unreadable. "That depends. Are you admiring your wife… or looking for something to ease your guilt?"

"I didn't come here to fight! " Daniel looked down, suddenly unable to hold her gaze.

She sat up slowly, the robe shifting with her, pooling around her like water. "Then say something worth hearing."

"Disgust already churned in Aria's gut. Had she not seen her husband locked in a heated embrace with his secretary just days ago, she might've fallen for this act—this pathetic display of affection he dared to call love."

Daniel studied her expression, unease crept into his mind. Her reaction was wrong—foreign. She had never treated him like this before, and that realization struck him harder than he expected.

"Could she be the one at the office the other day!" He thought to himself.

Daniel shoved the creeping suspicion. It doesn't add up, she was always preoccupied with lots of cases at the law firm. The more he stared at her, the more anxious he was. He tried hard to calm his nerves, "Happy birthday wifey!" He uttered.

Aria sat upright on the bed, her gaze lingering on him. He remembered her birthday this year. Could he really have changed overnight? Was what I saw and heard just a joke? These questions kept popping in my head. I should just forget it all and give him a second chance.

She snapped out of her thoughts when her husband brought out a red rose. Her lips parted trying so hard to let out a smile but she couldn't. Her heart moved between caution and hope as she took the flower he revealed from behind his back, the petals soft in her hand, but not her heart.

The way he looked at her, it emitted warmth, something she hasn't seen in a long while. Daniel lifted Aria into his arms. Her breath hitched, more from the tenderness in his gesture than the surprise. She placed her head on his chest as he carried her. She missed these moments.

On getting to the dinning hall, he paused in the doorway, letting her take it all in. Every one of her favorite dishes were carefully prepared and placed on the table,steaming and fragrant, the colors arranged like a painting. In the center, a velvet cake stood proudly, its surface smooth and rich, decorated with soft swirls of cream. A single candle flickered on top, its gentle flame dancing in the low light.

"Daniel… did you prepare all this!" she called out, her voice barely audible.

He looked at her, a wide smile appeared on his check. "Every bit of it. You deserve to be celebrated… really celebrated."

Her heart swelled, but that ever-present whisper of doubt lingered at the edge. Could one night make up for everything? Could love really rise from broken pieces? And yet, as she looked at him, she felt hope and warmth, a part of her wanted to believe.

She leaned in,her lips against his cheek. "Thank you," She said, her voice very audible, her hands feeling the petals on the cake as she inhales the scent."This symbolises more than you know!"

They sat side by side, the soft clinking of cutlery and quiet conversation filling the warm space between them. For the first time in a long while, things felt almost... normal. Aria took a sip of her wine, savoring the sweetness—and the moment.

Then the shrill buzz of Daniel's phone cut through the atmosphere.

Aria glanced at the screen out of instinct. Her stomach dropped.

His secretary.

The name flashed boldly across the display, and her heart skipped a beat, then raced to catch up. Her fingers tightened slightly around her fork.

Daniel's gaze followed hers, landing on the phone. A flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. "Excuse me," he said quietly, already rising from his chair. Without meeting her eyes, he stepped away, phone to his ear, voice low as he disappeared into the hallway.

Aria sat still, her appetite vanishing.

As Daniel left, Zara came almost immediately to the dining table. "Ma'am, I found this is Master's cloth. I think he got it for me." She said as she happily stormed into the bathroom.

Aria blinked, her thoughts in disarray. The necklace sparkled like a promise, but her heart was a battlefield of emotions.

She smiled politely, the corners of her mouth lifting. "It's lovely," she murmured. But inside, she was anything but certain.

Was it a gift of love… or guilt?

Daniel stepped back into the dining room, his expression tense and unreadable. He leaned close to his wife, his voice low but firm. "I have to go Something urgent just came up at the office.'"

A wave of unease washed over Aria as she listened to her husband's words. She managed a silent nod, masking the storm brewing inside her. The moment he turned his back and stepped out of the house, whatever trace of appetite she had left vanished completely.

With a tense breath, she reached for her phone, her fingers hesitating for a moment before dialing the number of her husband's primary secretary. As the line rang, she could feel the knot tightening in her stomach. "Is there an urgent meeting this morning?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with an underlying tension.

"No ma'am, there isn't any at the moment!" She said,

Aria dropped the phone with trembling hands, her heart sinking as the cold reality hit her. Tears began to streak down her flawless face, each one a silent confession. 'I was so foolish to believe he changed overnight,' she whispered, the weight of her own naivety pressing down on her chest.

She rose up to her feet as determination surged through her.She stared at the beautifully decorated table, the same table that made her smile made her feel sick. Her hands swiftly without caution swiped the beautiful dishes and glasses, sending them crashing on the floor. As the shards scattered around her, she swore to herself, her voice barely a whisper yet laced with evil, "I'll make them both regret this.'"