BOOK 3: Chapter 5: The Game Begins
She locks the bedroom door.
The sound of the bolt sliding into place feels louder than it should—defiant, final, but also desperately necessary. Her fingers linger on the cold metal handle for a moment longer before she turns away, heart thudding heavily in her chest.
Gregory is already asleep, breathing slow and deep beneath the comforter. He hadn’t stirred when she returned from the kitchen, hadn’t noticed the flush in her cheeks or the tremble in her hands. He’s blissfully unaware—safe in the world he believes is whole, safe in the marriage he thinks is new and untouched.
She envies him for that.
The room is dim, moonlight filtering through the sheer curtains, casting faint silver patterns across the hardwood floor. She slips out of her robe and c
