THE CEO's HIDDEN WIFE

chapter seven

Lily went slowly up the stairs, and there was a moment at every step when the laboring shoe made a little echo in the broad, quiet hall. She felt Sebastian watching her back, though she was sure he was not behind her. There was something unsaid in his voice when he told her: Get some rest, and a tension surrounded his words.

She was not yet composed. She still heard the words they had exchanged, their sharpness, their very particulars, especially when he had said to her, not to go poking around at things she did not know. She really wanted to shoot back. She wished she could have made him see that the more she kept her in the dark, the more she would search.

But she could not resist the expression in his eyes because they were cold, judging, and even predatory. When she was finally up the stairs, she stood momentarily and looked down the hall to the right and left. It was dark despite the soft lighting of the wall sconces. Any slight squeak of the floorboard was loud, like the house had known.

Her room was at the fourth end. She opened the door, went in, and shut it cautiously.

Her room was so still, more still than she had imagined. All she could hear was breathing. Her robe, which she had flung in a hurry over her shoulders, appeared light as air, notwithstanding the coldness of her flesh.

She moved to the windows whose full-length panes of glass reflected the distant city line. The night softly pressed against the glass, and the city lights were flickering like they were the secrets no one wanted her to know.

First was Daniel's face, pale and weak, with his lips scarcely moving as he spoke. Then Marianne’s — a stranger’s name that had become an unshakable presence in her life.

And then Lennox.

She sat at the desk in the corner, picking up her phone. The black screen reflected her tired eyes back at her. Unlocking it, she opened her notes' app.

Marianne Clark.

Her thumb hovered, then she typed another name: Dr. Lennox.

She hesitated again before adding: Adrian.

Three names. Three different puzzle pieces. She knew she was in the middle, whether she liked it or not.

She stared at the list for a long moment, her mind already working through possible connections.

The following morning, the pale light of dawn filtered through the curtains, washing the room in muted gold. Lily had slept badly — the kind of sleep where you’re never fully under, just drifting in and out of restless dreams.

She got dressed and crept out into the hall. The air was only a bit of fresh coffee, yet there was something metallic, like the flavor of machinery.

She saw it halfway down the hall.

There was a new mark on the surface of the small wooden table by the wall - the table on which she generally laid down her bag when she entered. It was not a deep cut, yet it was visible enough to attract her attention.

It wasn't there yesterday. She descended the staircase, step by step, her eyes darting at the edges of the walls and floor. The kitchen was spotless, and the steaming mug of coffee on the counter was untouched.

It was one of Sebastian's cups, the heavy black ceramic ones he preferred; however, Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.

When she entered, she paused.

Sebastian stood in front of the fire, but not alone. A man in a beige coat stood by the window, looking out at the gardens.

They both stared at her.

Sebastian wore an inscrutable face. “Lily. You are early.”

The man glanced at her thoughtfully, and his mouth quivered into a faint smile that did not quite meet his eyes. 'So, you are the wife. ' Her pulse kicked up. “And you are?”

Before the man could answer, Sebastian’s voice cut in. “This is Marcus. My brother.”

Brother. The word hit her harder than expected, and she wondered how many brothers Sebastian had. First, it was Adrian; now, here stands Marcus.

She studied Marcus, taking in the similarities — the same angular jaw and intense eyes, though Marcus's were a shade colder.

She looked over Marcus, seeing the resemblance, the same sharp jaw, the same fierce eyes, but a little colder than Sebastian. The talk that ensued was calm and civil, in that polite fashion that strangers have when they feel each other. Marcus was not much of a talker, but when he spoke, he asked sharp questions: how she fit in the house, how she liked the neighborhood, and how frequently she went to the hospital.

She had to answer carefully because Sebastian was watching her every word.

When Marcus finally left, Sebastian didn't explain his brother's sudden appearance. He only said, "We have a meeting later. Don't go anywhere until then."

His voice made it more of a demand than a request.

But as soon as Sebastian went into his office, Lily decided.

She was heading to the hospital.

The hospital corridors were tinged with an antiseptic odor; the only noise was the squeak of a cart on its wheel. Lily hurried along with her head bowed to the extreme end of the third floor. She knocked on the frosted glass door leading to the office of Dr. Lennox. When he looked up and saw her, he scowled. “You came back,'‘I came back for the truth’, Lily said, following her in and shutting the door behind her. He asked her to sit. “And what truth is that?”

“About Daniel. About Marianne. And about whatever trial you were running.”

He studied her momentarily, as if weighing the risk of answering. Then he leaned forward.

“Daniel’s condition,” he began slowly, “isn’t a random illness. It’s the result of a procedure — an experimental treatment Marianne was part of years ago. She volunteered for it.”

Lily’s breath caught. “And Sebastian?”

“He funded it,” Lennox said quietly. Without his money, it wouldn’t have happened. But Marianne’s body reacted badly. Her death… it wasn’t an accident. And Daniel’s survival isn’t just luck. It’s tied to the same science.”

Her pulse pounded in her ears.

“You’re saying my brother’s life is connected to her death?”

“I’m saying,” Lennox said, lowering his voice further, “that the two are linked in ways that would destroy Sebastian’s reputation if it ever got out. And if he knew you were asking me about it…” His eyes met hers with quiet intensity “…he’d make sure you never asked again.

Lily felt the ground shift beneath her.

This wasn't just about a contract marriage anymore. This was about a past connection she hadn't known existed — one that tied Sebastian to her family long before they met.

She stood slowly. “Thank you for telling me.”

Lennox didn’t smile. “Just… be careful, Lily.”

It was mid-afternoon, and she went outside half-blinded by the sun off the asphalt, the parking lot nearly empty. She saw her car a few spaces ahead and stopped.

There was a black SUV two rows ahead with the engine running.

The driver's window was rolled down only enough to allow her to glimpse the dark glasses observing her.

She had already seen the same SUV outside her building.

She cleared her throat, unlocked her car, and got in.

Her fingers firmly controlled the wheel, but her heart was beating wildly.

Someone had been watching her long… longer than she knew.