Chapter 15: Cracks in the Mask
558 Words
The morning after the storm, Tinah woke to sunlight warming her face. For once, it didn’t feel like the mansion was suffocating her—it felt… calm. Still.
She got up, stretched, and pulled on her robe. Her thoughts drifted to Rowland—his voice, his eyes, the way he stood with her in silence last night without demanding or retreating. Something had shifted.
In her chest, too.
Downstairs, she found him in the kitchen—yes, the kitchen—wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants, standing by the stove. The sight nearly made her trip.
“Okay,” she said, stepping in with a teasing grin. “What have you done with Rowland Terry?”
He looked over his shoulder. “The billionaire takes weekends off.”
“Since when?”
“Since he realized he wanted to impress someone who cooks better than him.”
She raised a brow. “So you’re trying to impress me now?”
“Is it working?”
Tinah leaned against the counter, her grin softening. “That depends. Are you burning the eggs?”
He turned back to the pan. “Mildly.”
They laughed—really laughed. And for a moment, it felt so normal. Like they weren’t tied together by a contract or past traumas. Just two people enjoying breakfast and each other.
But that moment was interrupted by a knock on the door.
The staff didn’t answer it. That was unusual.
Rowland wiped his hands and moved toward the front entrance. Tinah followed, her instincts prickling.
When he opened the door, her breath caught.
There she was.
Emily Linda.
In the flesh.
Tall. Beautiful. Poised in a beige coat with a designer bag slung over her arm and a smirk that held too much history.
“Rowland,” she said smoothly, her eyes flickering to Tinah with measured interest. “I didn’t realize you had company.”
He straightened. “Emily. This is Tinah—my wife.”
Emily’s smile didn’t falter, but something flickered in her eyes. “Wife? Well, that’s… unexpected.”
Tinah stepped forward, her voice steady. “And you must be the ex who calls at inconvenient hours.”
Emily blinked.
Rowland glanced at Tinah, half amused, half alarmed. “Emily, what are you doing here?”
“I was in the city. I thought I’d stop by, catch up.” She looked back at Tinah, her smile razor-sharp. “I didn’t mean to interrupt… anything important.”
Tinah kept her cool, even as her stomach turned. “You’re not.”
Rowland’s jaw was tight. “Emily, now’s not a good time.”
“I can see that.” She turned, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “But I’ll be around for a while. In case you decide you want to talk.”
When the door closed behind her, silence fell.
Tinah turned to him. “So… that was her.”
Rowland sighed. “I didn’t know she was in town. I swear.”
Tinah nodded, lips pressed tight. “It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t.
Because for the first time since arriving at this mansion, Tinah realized that falling for Rowland might hurt more than she ever expected.
And she had no idea if he was ready to protect what they were building… or let someone from his past tear it down.
- Writer
