
Three years into their marriage, Sebastian Vance acts as if he cannot get enough of Helena Asher's body—his obsession seems so real it borders on devotion.
Before the sprawling window that mirrors their intertwined bodies, a breathless Helena asks, "After all this time, don't you ever get bored?"
He silences her with a deep kiss, murmuring against her lips, "I love you madly. Thirty years are not enough."
Later, while he is gone, a conversation drifts from around the corner—his voice, cold and clear. "Three years pretending with Helena is torture. Crushing the Asher family for Maggie cannot come soon enough."
Icy disappointment and sorrow flood her veins.
After that, only a signed divorce paper remains, and she vanishes overseas.
Her departure, however, unravels the man left behind, plunging him into utter madness.
Three years into their marriage, Sebastian acts as if he cannot get enough of Helena's body—his obsession seems so real it borders on devotion.
Inside their sleek private elevator, the soft hum of machinery barely masks the tension in the air. Sebastian brushes aside the hem of Helena's dress, his fingers grazing her skin as he leans in, his breath fanning her neck.
A soft, breathy whimper escapes the woman in his arms. She turns to face him, her cheeks flushed and eyes glistening with shyness. "Sebastian, the board meeting starts any minute—cut it out."
He nips at her earlobe, his voice low and seductive, laced with longing. "I am away on business for three days. Do you not miss me, honey?"
That single, intimate term "honey" melts half her resolve. Helena goes limp in his arms, pressing her palms against the cool elevator wall as she surrenders to his advances, her soft moans growing louder and more unrestrained by the second.
The elevator chimes softly and comes to a halt on the 33rd floor—Sebastian's private office level, off-limits to everyone without his explicit permission.
He lifts her in his arms, striding from the elevator to his private lounge. The plush carpet bears faint traces of their passion by the time Helena lets out a startled gasp, collapsing into his embrace, her strength drained.
Sebastian's face is etched with satisfaction as he presses 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 pick you up on the way home."
Helena mumbles a lazy response, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. The moment Sebastian leaves, she drifts off into a deep sleep.
*****
Two hours pass before she is 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 keep up this charade for three whole years—it must be torture for you!" one jokes, his tone teasing.
Sebastian's voice drifts in, lazy and unconcerned, void of any warmth. "What choice do I have? I spend three days with Maggie, so I owe Helena a little show to keep her off my back."
'A charade? Maggie?'
Helena's mind goes blank, a cold dread coiling in her stomach.
The teasing continues outside, each word twisting the knife deeper.
Another friend chides, "C'mon, cut the act. Helena is such a sophisticated, elegant stunner—she practically throws herself at you, no matter the place. How can you call that torture?"
A third voice interjects, "You have no clue what you are talking about. Sebastian goes all out for Margaret Thorne. First, he worms 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 secretly funnels money to Margaret, helping the Thorne family claw their way back from ruin. Sebastian's feelings for Margaret? They are not even in the same league as his for Helena. Hey, Seb—when are you going to dump Helena and tie the knot with Margaret?"

