He Slept With Me for Revenge

Chapter 1 Fake Obsession

Three years into their marriage, Sebastian Vance acted as if he couldn't get enough of Helena Asher's body—his obsession seeming so real it bordered on devotion.

Inside their sleek private elevator, the soft hum of machinery barely masked the tension in the air. Sebastian brushed aside the hem of Helena's dress, his fingers grazing her skin as he leaned in, his breath fanning her neck.

A soft, breathy whimper escaped the woman in his arms. She turned to face him, her cheeks flushed and eyes glistening with shyness. "Sebastian, the board meeting starts any minute—cut it out."

He nipped at her earlobe, his voice low and seductive, laced with longing. "I've been away on business for three days. Don't you miss me, honey?"

That single, intimate term "honey" melted half her resolve. Helena went limp in his arms, pressing her palms against the cool elevator wall as she surrendered to his advances, her soft moans growing louder and more unrestrained by the second.

The elevator chimed softly and came to a halt on the 33rd floor—Sebastian's private office level, off-limits to everyone without his explicit permission.

He lifted her in his arms, striding from the elevator to his private lounge. The plush carpet bore faint traces of their passion by the time Helena let out a startled gasp, collapsing into his embrace, her strength drained.

Sebastian's face was etched with satisfaction as he pressed a tender kiss to her chest, his tone warm and doting. "I have to head to the board meeting, honey. Rest for a bit, and I'll pick you up on the way home."

Helena mumbled a lazy response, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. The moment Sebastian left, she drifted off into a deep sleep.

*****

Two hours passed before she was jolted awake by voices outside the lounge door—three or four male voices, all familiar as Sebastian's closest friends.

"Way to go, Sebastian! Postponing the board meeting for an hour just to hook up with Helena? You've kept up this charade for three whole years—must've been torture for you!" one joked, his tone teasing.

Sebastian's voice drifted in, lazy and unconcerned, void of any warmth. "What choice do I have? I spent three days with Maggie, so I owe Helena a little show to keep her off my back."

'A charade? Maggie?'

Helena's mind went blank, a cold dread coiling in her stomach.

The teasing continued outside, each word twisting the knife deeper.

Another friend chided, "C'mon, cut the act. Helena's such a sophisticated, elegant stunner—she's practically throwing herself at you, no matter the place. How can you call that torture?"

A third voice interjected, "You have no clue what you're talking about. Sebastian's gone all out for Margaret Thorne. First, he wormed his way into Helena's life, faking that whole 'obsessed husband' act, wasting his time and energy just to siphon off shares of the Asher Group little by little. Then he's been secretly funneling money to Margaret, helping the Thorne family claw their way back from ruin. Sebastian's feelings for Margaret? They're not even in the same league as his for Helena. Hey, Seb—when are you gonna dump Helena and tie the knot with Margaret?"

Sebastian replied, his voice dropping to a cold, emotionless tone, "Soon. The Asher family crushed the Thorne family years ago—ran them into the ground, destroyed their lives. Maggie hates every last one of the Ashers with a passion. Once the Asher Group collapses, and Helena endures everything Maggie went through... then she'll let go of all her resentment, and she'll marry me willingly."

Tears burst forth from Helena's eyes in an instant. She clamped a hand over her mouth, using every ounce of strength to muffle her sobs, terrified of being discovered.

The voices outside faded into the distance as the men left. Helena waited, her body trembling, until she was certain the coast was clear.

Only then did she stumble out of the lounge, her legs weak.

She stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor of the Asher Group, staring out at the city below.

Her entire body shook, and a silent agony consumed her.

For three years, she'd prided herself on having the perfect marriage—a love so deep it felt unbreakable.

Little did she know, every moment of it had been a lie.