EX-HUSBAND'S BOSS FOR VALENTINE

EMERGENCY TRIP

Royal

I don’t stop moving, and as soon as I reach the stairs, I take them two at a time, with my pulse hammering in my ears. Every part of me feels hot, and I can barely breathe. I need air and distance, which I promised to give her but have barely managed to keep.

The moment I push through the front doors, the cold air slams into me, but it does nothing to cool the fire raging inside. I drag a hand through my hair, pacing the length of the driveway like a man losing his mind—because I am.

She is small, but she takes up all the space in my head, and I can’t stop seeing her. My mind keeps dragging itself back to that moment. Her smooth skin feels like gold to me, and her perfect curve as the dress slipped down her body is embedded in my mind.

She should have f*****g looked away, covered herself, screamed at me, or thrown something. Anything to snap me out of it. But she stood there, probably trying to test me. But why would she?

Maybe she feels something for me.

No. I’m clearly losing my mind. I chuckle bitterly, standing still for a moment with my hands on my waist. I almost crossed the line, I swore I wouldn’t.

Then, I slap my forehead at once—because how could I forget? I already crossed that line. I’ve touched her, and I’ve been inside her. The memory is faint, and seeing her this way makes my mind want to paint a vivid picture of what her warm body felt like, and maybe do it all over.

Fuck, I’m insane.

My hands twitch at the memory of what I may never have, and my fingers are still curled. I flex them, trying to shake the sensation off, but it doesn’t work.

It won’t work, because she’s under my f*****g skin.

I press my palms against my eyes, exhaling sharply. Get it together, Royal.

I try to remind myself that last night was a mistake, and if she were into me, she would have agreed to talk about it. But she was so quick to dismiss it. I grab my chest, cursing my stupid heart for this moment of weakness. I can’t want her, or any woman, right now. This is a crucial moment in my career, and all women do is drag you down.

It was only one woman, Royal, a tiny voice in my head argues, trying to convince me to pursue her. Of course, I wouldn’t even have to try—I have the money, the looks—but I know this would be the start of my downfall.

I grit my teeth and yank my phone from my pocket. My hands are still unsteady as I dial a number and press the phone to my ear.

“Have the jet ready. I’m leaving in an hour.”

I end the call, then rush to my car. For a moment, I pause, gripping the wheel as I try to ground myself. Then, when my head is clear enough, I turn the ignition and speed off.

Maybe if I spend a week or two away from her, drowning myself in other women, I’ll forget she exists, I tell myself.

As I drive off, I make another call.

“Get a change of clothes for my wife, and tell Tom to call me.”

Melania

I take a bath, hoping to drown out the thoughts of what happened, but it does little to help. When I’m done, I step out of the room and see a fresh set of clothes on the bed. It makes me curious—Is he in the room?

I rush to the closet, knocking on the door, then wait for a moment. When there is no answer, I open it, only to find it empty.

My chest feels heavy for a moment, and I try to brush it off, but with each passing second, the feeling becomes clear—it’s sadness. I don’t know why it matters. Maybe because I have only ever received ill treatment from the man I loved, and this is the closest thing to love from a relationship—even though this is a ruse. I try to convince myself I have no feelings for Royal, but it stings knowing he left like that.

Suddenly, my phone rings, cutting off my thoughts.

With the speed of light, I rush toward it, a small part of me hoping it’s Royal calling to apologize for leaving and making me feel unwanted. But as soon as I see the name on the screen, my stomach twists in disgust.

After hesitating for a moment, I pick up the call.

“What do you want, Brady?” I snap, and he chuckles darkly.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m wondering what the f**k you did to piss off my boss enough to make him request an emergency flight for an urgent trip.”

“What?” The word slips from my lips as shock crawls up my skin.

Am I that undesirable? The thought sneaks in before I can stop it, sinking into my bones.

“I don’t know. Maybe he has work,” I reply defensively, but I already know what’s coming—mockery.

Brady chuckles. “Oh, Melania. I know this is some scheme, but you’re only going to hurt yourself. But I guess when you give a gold digger gold, they start thinking they’re worthy of owning diamonds.”

I scoff at his words. He wouldn’t know a genuine diamond if it hit him in the face.

“You sound like it hurts knowing I’m with your boss,” I say smoothly. “And for the record, we had s*x last night, so my body doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

There is a moment of silence.

“And oh,” I continue, savoring the moment, “while you’re trying to find your tongue, I’ll need my stuff back. My mansion is missing a few things, and my belongings will barely take up 0.001 ounces of space.”

“b***h,” he sneers. “If you want your worthless s**t, then you have twenty-four hours to come get it, or I’ll burn it down.”

He ends the call before I can speak. My grip tightens on the phone…