LOST IN THE STORM

Characters: • Y/N — The wife, gentle but guarded, deeply in love yet fragile. • Kade — Cold CEO, brilliant, powerful, protective, but secretly vulnerable. • Lara — Kade’s old friend, alluring, manipulative, dangerous in her charm. • Selene — Kade’s elder sister, strong-willed and caring, protective of family. I still remember the day everything began to change. Our marriage had been an absolute fairytale. Every glance, every touch, every word between Kade and me was woven in warmth. He was cold to the world but soft for me. My heart had settled into the rhythm of his—steady, secure, and endless. But peace is fragile. It shatters in silence. That day, Lara came into our home. She came with a lame excuse, saying she needed help with office work. But I knew better. She had always known how to find him, always known how to slip in when it suited her. Her presence was like smoke—harmless at first, until it filled the air. She stayed only until evening, never crossing into night, but her visits became daily. Every day, without fail, she found a way to enter our lives. On the first day, she acted as though nothing was amiss—praising me, calling me gorgeous, showering empty compliments. I smiled through it, but my heart felt the first prick of unease. The next morning, I woke feeling weak. My stomach ached so badly I could barely stand. I fell to the ground without warning. Kade, startled, rushed to my side. His hands were firm and steady, his voice low but urgent. He pulled me gently, his strength soft yet unyielding. “Take rest,” he said. “I’ll order food. You just sleep.” His words were simple, but they felt like a shield. I nodded, trusting him without question. Later, he asked softly, “What do you want to eat?” “A dish… the one you love,” I murmured, feeling my head rest against the pillow. “I love that too. Let’s eat that in the same plate,” he said, smiling faintly. Then he looked at Lara, who had been lingering nearby, and asked, “What do you want to eat?” She hesitated, a faint smirk curling her lips. “I’ll have that too,” she said, though I knew she was allergic to it. Kade nodded calmly. “One for you, and one for us.” She waved him off. “It’s okay. I’ll share.” “No,” he said firmly. “It’s me and my wife who need to share, not you. Consider yourself lucky—you’ll have a whole box meal.” There was something in his voice that made my heart tighten. I felt Lara’s eyes on us, burning with a strange mix of envy and desire. She left later that evening, only to return the next morning wearing something daring, something designed to catch his eye. But Kade didn’t look at her. He was focused on me. When I came to the kitchen later, thirsty and still pale, Lara was already there. Her voice slithered through the air, calm but venomous. “Just keep watching. I’ll turn your husband into mine.” The words struck me like a blade. I smiled faintly, a smirk born of pain. “Try me.” That night, when the house was silent, we lay side by side. My hand found his, caressing his hair. My voice was soft but heavy. “Did you love someone else before me?” “What? No,” he replied, his voice still calm but guarded. “It’s okay if you did. You can tell me.” His brow furrowed. “Come clean. What do you want from me?” “I… I don’t know if I should tell you. But don’t worry. I’m not judging you.” My voice trembled. “Whatever it is, just tell me. I’ll listen,” he said. “Do you… love her?” His eyes sharpened. “Who, you?” He looked at me in disbelief. “Of course, my love. You are mine.” I swallowed hard. “Not me… the one you claim is your friend.” He sighed. “There is nothing between us. I just see her as my close friend. Please stop imagining things. My love is only for you.” He paused, his voice thick with something unsaid. “You hurt me by asking if I love her, or loved her. How can you imagine things like that?” I stayed silent, the words sinking deep. Later, lying next to each other in the darkness, I dared to speak. “If that’s so, then why did your friend tell me—‘Just keep watching how I will make your husband mine’?” Kade tensed. “You must be joking. She would never do that.” His voice cracked slightly, as though struggling to believe his own words. “So I am the liar?” I whispered. “Probably… who knows,” he said softly. That broke me. Yet, through tears, I dared one more question. “Do you trust her more than me?” He smirked faintly, almost joking. “Yes. I’ve known her for more years than you.” That moment shattered me. After that day, the air between us changed. We stopped talking. The silence grew thick, heavy. I stopped cooking for him. We lived like strangers in the same home. He didn’t ask about my days, I didn’t look for his warmth. We were invisible to each other END OF CHAPTER 1