Chapter 2 - Behind Closed Doors
Amelia froze, her sneakers silent on the hardwood floor.
"Gabriel, honestly, if you don't cancel that meeting with the board tomorrow, I'm going to throw all your vintage scotch into the pool," a woman's voice trilled playfully from the formal sitting room.
"You wouldn't dare," Gabriel's voice replied. It was smooth, rich, and dripping with an easy, lazy affection that Amelia hadn't heard directed at herself in over a year.
Olivia caught Amelia’s eye and gestured silently toward the butler's pantry, which offered a clear, unobserved line of sight into the room.
Amelia crept forward, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She peered around the edge of the mahogany doorframe.
Gabriel was lounging on the custom velvet sofa, wearing a silk robe that Amelia had bought him for their anniversary. Sprawled across his lap was Bella—the young woman Olivia had named—wearing one of Amelia’s favorite cashmere cardigans. She was feeding him grapes from a crystal bowl, giggling as he bit her fingertips.
"You treat me like a queen, Gabe," Bella murmured, leaning down to kiss him. "What does your little wife think you're doing in the Hamptons?"
May you like
Gabriel chuckled, a dark, cynical sound that sent a jolt of ice straight through Amelia’s spine.
"Amelia believes whatever makes her comfortable," Gabriel said smoothly, stroking Bella’s hair. "She’s a wonderful ornament, darling. But she lacks... spice. She’s the woman you take to charity galas. You are the woman I actually want."
