Chloe’s POV
I had always known Drake had a wife.
That was not the truth that broke me.
I lay awake in bed long after sunrise, staring at the ceiling of the master bedroom. The room was quiet, too quiet for a house this large. Drake had left before dawn. He always did when he stayed the night. He never said goodbye. He never lingered. He always left like a man returning to another life.
I had accepted that.
Or at least I told myself I had.
I got out of bed slowly and wrapped myself in a robe. My body felt heavy, not from sleep, but from thought. I walked to the window and pulled the curtain back just enough to see outside. The guards were already in position.
I went downstairs without a destination in mind. The house smelled like fresh bread and brewed tea. It was comforting and unse
