Dark Side

"Zayden, where were you last night?"

Marisha asked with a sharp gaze, standing in front of the door as her husband finally returned after disappearing all night.

Zayden paused for a moment, suppressing a heavy sigh. Guilt weighed on his chest, but there was also a happiness he couldn't deny. The time he spent with Irish last night had felt too comfortable, too right, making him forget the wrongness of what he was doing.

"I was working late... then fell asleep at the office," Zayden answered, his voice deliberately calm.

Marisha narrowed her eyes, not immediately convinced. "You usually come home, Zayden."

"I was exhausted," Zayden rubbed the back of his neck, a small gesture that betrayed his nervousness. "Work piled up. Next time, I'll let you know. Don't be mad, okay?"

Marisha held her breath, trying to digest his excuse. Words like overtime, fell asleep, too tired—they sounded all too familiar to her. She had heard them before from men in her past... men who lied to their wives for her.

A sudden fear crept into her heart. Could it be... that Zayden was hiding something? Or was this just her own paranoia?

"What do you want to eat? I'll ask the maid to cook," Marisha asked softly, masking the unease in her voice.

"Whatever you decide, love. I'll shower and change first," Zayden replied, kissing Marisha's forehead before heading to the bedroom.

Marisha watched her husband's retreating back, her emotions in turmoil. She wanted to press further, to question his honesty. But a greater fear held her back.

All this time, Marisha had been known as an understanding wife, one who didn't demand much. She worried that if she acted too suspicious, Zayden might feel suffocated and pull away. She was afraid of losing him, afraid that her status as his lawful wife would crumble just like that.

Was Zayden really working late? Or... was there another woman? Marisha held her breath, trying to push away the dark thought. But the shadow of betrayal lingered, making her chest tighten.

Reluctantly, she decided to stay silent. To pretend she knew nothing, hoping Zayden would ultimately choose her. Yet deep inside, that fear had already taken root, gnawing away at her certainty bit by bit.

****

Zayden stepped into the bathroom, clutching his phone tightly. He was too paranoid to leave it unattended, afraid Marisha might discover something she wasn't supposed to see.

Standing in front of the mirror, he studied his reflection. His face looked tired, but there was a strange glint in his eyes, one that reminded him of his wild night with Irish.

Just as he splashed water on his face, his phone vibrated, making his heart race. He already knew who it was.

A message from Irish appeared on the screen.

"Why didn't you wake me up before you left?"

A pouting emoji followed the sentence, making Zayden's lips curl into a smile.

Before he could reply, a photo arrived. Irish was wearing nothing but lingerie, posing playfully on the bed.

"Your vitamins! Now send me mine!"

Zayden shook his head, amused yet tempted. "This woman is insane," he muttered with a quiet chuckle.

Irish's behavior was completely at odds with her age. She was nearly forty. But somehow, Zayden found this childish dynamic far sweeter.

He raised his phone, took a half-serious, half-teasing selfie, and sent it back to Irish.

"So handsome! I miss you, Uncle! Don't forget to see me tonight!"

"If I can, and if I'm not busy," Zayden replied shortly.

"Oh, you can. Don't you miss me when I miss you so much? That's unfair!"

Zayden chuckled at the playful message, then set his phone aside, letting the warm water run over his body. But his mind remained fixated on Irish.

He recalled her tempting offer—spoken in that sweet, seductive voice—about a child.

Zayden wanted it. He truly did. But fear also haunted him. If everything came to light, if Marisha found out, it would destroy everything.

His marriage, his reputation, his career, his life. Zayden wasn't ready to face the consequences.

Yet the more he thought about it, the more Irish seemed like the answer to the emptiness he'd felt all this time. And the idea of a child... it was like an addiction, something impossible to resist, something pulling him deeper and deeper.

"Baby, what's that room at the end of the hall? Why is it full of scary stuff?"

The message made Zayden press his fingers to his temples, exhaling sharply.

Damn it. He'd completely forgotten about that room in his apartment.

His fingers moved reflexively.

"Don't go in there, Irish."

But it was too late. On the other end, Irish stood frozen in the doorway of the dark room, taking in its contents. Wooden shelves lined the walls, filled with ropes, whips, and strange tools that made her cheeks burn.

There was a specialized chair, handcuffs, masks, everything looked like it belonged to another world, one she'd only heard about in whispered gossip.

Irish bit her lip, a wave of curiosity surging through her. Wait… has Zayden been… a Dominant all this time?

Her eyes gleamed. Instead of fear, heat rushed through her veins. She picked up a small whip from the shelf, tracing its surface with her fingertips, then playfully took a selfie. Still in lingerie, posing with the whip in hand.

Then she sent the photo to Zayden, along with a teasing message.

"Will you teach me… how to use this, Uncle?"

Zayden, who had just stepped out of the shower, froze at the sight of the photo. His breath caught in his throat.

Irish was dangerous.

He stared at his phone, his heart pounding faster than usual. Irish's message shook his composure, digging up a part of himself he'd long tried to bury.

The desire for control, for dominance, had been a part of him long before he met Marisha.

He married Marisha, accepted her past, her understanding nature, because she was the only woman who could give him an escape from that darkness.

He married her not just out of love, but because Marisha was the only one who could offer him a way out of his own tension.

But Irish? She was a temptation he couldn't ignore. Irish, with her boldness, her passion, her shared fascination with the dark world that had only ever existed in Zayden's mind.

Irish reminded Zayden of the side of himself that had always been there, the side that could never truly disappear. She made him feel like himself again.

"Why does the choice have to be so hard?" he muttered under his breath, leaning against the wall. Zayden knew that someday, he would have to choose. But right now, he couldn't resist Irish's allure.

"Honey, come have breakfast!" Marisha's gentle voice called out to him.

And yes, was he really ready to lose his marriage? Because that was the biggest risk of all.