CHAPTER SEVEN- I CAN HELP OUT

We have a case to attend to by twelve noon," Jerry said as he walked briskly into the office, his voice clipped but calm, carrying that same authority that always made Aria's pulse skip.

With a relaxed and composed voice, Aria replied "Okay!" The thud from her heartbeat betrays her.

He placed the file on the desk between them, but she didn't move for a moment. Her hands still beneath the desk, she held on a little before She stretched forth her hand to collect the file, but just as her fingers brushed the edge, his hand moved too. Their skin met—brief, electric contact.

The touch startled them both.

For a second, neither of them pulled away.

Their eyes met. Time hung in the air like a held breath.

That night flashed across her face.

Then suddenly, as if drawn by a force stronger than logic or loyalty, they leaned in.

Their lips met in a feverish kiss.

It wasn't soft or tentative. It was an unbearable desire, desperate, undeniable. Jerry's hands tangled in her hair, and Aria melted into him, her hands gripping the lapels of his coat like she'd waited forever. In that heated moment, the world disappeared. The office, the case, the consequences—none of it existed. Only this. Only them.

Her breath caught as his mouth traced towards her jaws, his touch awakening something deep and dangerous inside her. She wanted more—God, she wanted everything.

But then—RIIING!

The shrill sound of her phone shattered the silence like glass.

They froze.

Their breaths mingled, hearts beating loud as the reality of their closeness struck them, lips trembling with the aftermath of passion. But then the phone buzzed. A name flashed on the screen. Guilt struck like lightning. Reality crashed in. What had felt right in the moment now tasted bitter. They pulled apart, silence loud, remorse flooding every corner.

Her phone vibrated again on the desk, face up, the caller ID glowing like a cruel reminder.

Husband Calling.

Aria's body turned to stone. Her face was pale.

She withdrew, reality came crashing down like a tidal wave.

Jerry stared at her, lips parted, guilt and longing warring in his eyes. "Aria…" he whispered, but the words died on his tongue.

She couldn't speak. Her throat burned with unshed tears. Her heart beat against her ribs like a trapped bird.

With trembling hands, she reached for the phone but didn't answer. She couldn't.

"I didn't mean…" she began, but even she didn't believe it.

Because she had meant it. Every part of her had responded to him like a match to gasoline.

The silence between them turned heavy, suffocating.

She turned her back to him, shielding her face, ashamed of the woman she'd become in that moment—a woman who kissed another man while her husband called, unknowingly holding her heart in trust.

Behind her, Jerry said nothing. Perhaps there was nothing left to say.

The phone stopped ringing.

But the damage had already been done.

And just then it rang again!

"I'm pretty sure you are not taking the call!" he said, his voice laced with confidence almost like he was sure.

She closed her eyes tightly ignoring his words, a hand slightly curving into a fist.

Jerry's voice lowered to another octave, filled with something; sympathy and calculated charm. "I know your husband is cheating."

Her head snapped up, eyes wide. Pain displayed across her face, quick and sharp like a lightning flash before a storm. "How did you know that?"

"I said," Jerry repeated slowly, holding her gaze, "I know he's cheating. I can help you deal with him, let's get back at him."

"Don't get me wrong, I really want to help you, I really can help out!" He added.

She blinked, her throat moving as she swallowed. Her defenses began to rise,ache springing in her chest as she was filled with a mixture of confusion and suspicion.Her breath caught,shaking just enough to betray the troubled expression beneath her stillness.

"I'm not sure you are aware of what you are saying!" she said, her voice without a trace of confidence.

"I do," Jerry replied gently, yet with steel behind his tone. "I've seen it all, your husband and his secretary."

Her mouth slightly shifted, amused. Her eyes welling up,she quickly averted her gaze. A soft laugh escaped her, bitter and broken. "Of course. Of course it's real. I must have been the last to know."

"You're not," he said, softer now. "You're just the one who kept believing in him."

She looked at the laptop on the table, her phone lit up again—his name. Her hands swiftly hovered over the screen for a second before she turned the phone over, face down, as if that could shut him out completely. The room felt suddenly colder, or maybe she was just breaking from the inside out.

"I'm not the type to say I told you so," Jerry murmured, "but I've always seen how he treats you. Like you're disposable."

She clenched her jaw. "Seen, I can't recall ever knowing you until recently? Why are you saying all this?"

His eyes locked on hers. "Because I want to help you take control again. To show him you're not someone to betray."

"And what? Let you help me so you can feel like some hero?" she scoffed, though the tremor in her voice gave her away.

"No," he said, serious now. "Let me help you get your dignity back. But there's one condition."

She looked at him, wary.

"You go on a date with me."

Silence stretched between them like a wire pulled tight. Her brows drew together.

"A date," she repeated.

He nodded. "One date. No games. No lies. Just you and me."

She stared at him, wanting to scream as she couldn't believe her ears. Her mind recalling the scene between her cheating husband and secretary, her mind clouded by too many emotions at once.

But one thing was clear: she had a choice to make.

And it would change everything.