Chapter 2

The drive home was painfully quiet.

Neon lights streaked past the window, but my mind remained trapped at the dinner table.

Rhys testing me beneath the table.

The watch still on his wrist.

And that mocking smile when he called me—

Sister-in-law.

I closed my eyes.

It was over.

I had been married for three years.

He was my husband's brother now.

All I had to do was stay away from him.

"What are you thinking about?"

Callum's voice broke the silence.

I turned from the window.

"Nothing."

He studied me for a moment, then gently took my hand.

"You look tired. Get some rest when we're home."

I nodded.

His hand was warm.

Yet a chill kept spreading through me.

I had just stepped out of the shower when my phone buzzed.

Another friend request.

The profile picture was still that watch.

This time, the name read:

Rhys Ashcroft.

I rejected it without hesitation.

Less than ten seconds later, another request appeared.

The message had changed.

Sister-in-law.

I frowned and rejected him again.

A third request came through.

This one said:

Elena.

My finger froze above the screen.

Then another notification appeared.

Not a friend request.

A text from an unknown number.

So you really married my brother.

I stared at the message, pressure building in my chest.

He had disappeared three years ago without a single explanation.

What right did he have to question me now?

I typed back.

Don't contact me again.

My phone rang almost immediately.

I declined the call.

It rang again.

I rejected that one too.

The third time, I answered.

There was silence on the other end.

Then his voice came through.

Low.

Familiar.

"Why did you delete me?"

I tightened my grip on the phone.

"Rhys, we're over."

"Remember that."

He gave a quiet laugh.

"Over?"

"Who decided that?"

My breath caught.

"You did."

"Three years ago, you were the one who walked away."

The line went silent.

When he spoke again, his voice had changed.

"Elena."

"When did I ever say I didn't want you?"

My heart stopped.

What was he talking about?

Before I could answer, he continued.

"Do you still believe I was the one who ended things?"

A sharp ringing filled my ears.

What did that mean?

At that moment, the bathroom door opened.

Callum stepped out.

"Elena?"

I hung up so quickly I nearly dropped the phone.

But it was too late.

Callum's gaze had already fallen to the screen.

The call history was still visible.

At the very top was one name.

Rhys Ashcroft.

The room went still.

Callum said nothing.

He picked up a towel and slowly dried his hair, as though he hadn't seen anything.

I had just begun to relax when he spoke.

"Rhys has only just come back."

"He'll probably need time to adjust."

Then he looked at me.

"Help me take care of him."

I stared at my husband.

Something about his tone unsettled me.

It didn't sound like a request.

It sounded like a test.

Before I could put the phone away, Callum took it from my hand.

He looked at Rhys's name for several seconds.

Then he deleted the call history.

"There," he said softly.

"Now you don't have to keep looking at it."

He handed the phone back to me.

I should have felt relieved.

Instead, I felt as though something had been taken from me.