Arielle knew that something had shifted between her and Kairo. Her husband became more quiet, his silence sharper. He wasn’t ignoring her; he was watching her. That was worse.
Arielle had grown used to his distance. Their marriage wasn’t one of warmth or affection. But she had learned how to exist within his indifference—keeping her movements controlled, her expressions neutral, never giving him more reason to notice her than necessary. Now, though, she sensed him paying attention. His gaze lingered too long when she crossed a room. His questions, though casual on the surface, probed deeper than before.
And he never confronted her. That unsettled her more than if he had. If he accused her outright, she could deny, argue, defend. But his silence left her guessing. What did he know? What h
