RAQUEL’S POV

I glance down both ends of the hallway before slipping inside. The moment the door shuts behind me, my back collapses against it, and a weary sigh slips from my lips.

It’s been less than two days into this marriage, and already I feel like I’m drowning.

At least today I had one breath of relief—I met Eliana. The words tumbled out of me like a confession, like secrets I’d been burying under layers of silence. She was furious, her anger fierce and protective, demanding to know why I hadn’t told her sooner. The way she blamed herself, calling herself a bad friend, shattered me. I had to console her, when all I wanted was to crumble in her arms and cry. Guilt burns hot in my chest—I should never have kept her in the dark.

And Kyle… I almost pitied him. Almost. Whatever Eliana decides to do, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes. She never liked him to begin with.

We talked for hours, long enough for me to miss my doctor’s appointment. Tomorrow, I’ll go. I have to.

Dragging myself to the massive king-sized bed, I flop onto it, heavy with exhaustion. My body screams for rest, but my mind won’t quiet.

Tomorrow… what will tomorrow bring?

My thoughts betray me, circling back to him.

Kai.

What’s he doing now? Is he furious that I slipped away without his permission? Or maybe he doesn’t even care. Maybe to him, I’m nothing but a shadow in his house. Invisible.

My eyelids flutter, finally ready to surrender to sleep when—

Ding.

The sharp sound slices through the silence. My phone screen glows on the nightstand. With a tired groan, I reach for it.

And then I freeze.

My eyes widen, scanning the message over and over as though the words might vanish.

•Your application at Kairos Automotive has been reviewed and accepted.•

For a heartbeat, I can’t breathe. Then realization bursts through me like fireworks.

“Yippee!”

The word escapes before I can stop it. A laugh bubbles from my chest as I spring up, bouncing on the mattress like a child who just won the world’s sweetest prize. For once, something went right.

After the nightmare of today, this felt like victory. A small one, but mine.

But then… the thought slips in, uninvited.

Why? Why would he give me the job?

Could it be because....

No. No. No.

I shake my head furiously, banishing the idea. I earned this. I have to believe I earned this.

Before I can revel in it, my phone dings again. Another notification. This time from an unknown number.

Curious, I click it open.

•Pull the stunt you pulled today again, Buzzbee, and I will punish you in a way I dim fit. And trust me, you don't want to find out .•

My breath stutters.

There’s no doubt—it’s him. Kai.

The words curl around me like smoke—suffocating, intoxicating. Punishment. What does he mean by punishment? The way he phrased it… I have a feeling I wouldn't like it.

A shiver crawls down my spine.

Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe I’m reckless. But a part of me—a dark, dangerous part—wants to test him. Wants to sneak out again, just to see what he’d do.

God. What is wrong with me?

*****

I stumble out of a cab, heels clicking frantically against the pavement as I hurry toward the towering skyscraper ahead of me. Its glass windows catch the morning sun, blinding me in sharp flashes, but I don’t slow down.

Who shows up late on their first day?

Me. Apparently me.

My pulse hammers as I weave through the crowd, silently praying I don’t look as disheveled as I feel.

Kenzo—my supposed driver—had been suspended for letting me slip away at the mall.Guilt pricked at me when I heard… but now, thanks to that, I had to take a cab.

And I was late.

Perfect indeed.

I dart across the lobby, my heels striking the marble floor in sharp, frantic beats. A few heads turn, some amused, others irritated, but I ignore them.

The elevator doors were closing. “Wait!” I called, sliding in just as the metallic doors shut. Breathless, I pressed my back against the wall.

“Close call,” a cheerful voice said.

I turned. A guy stood a step away, probably around my age—tall, with warm eyes and an easy smile that didn’t look rehearsed. His fitted black suit and loosened tie gave him a polished yet approachable air.

“You’re new too?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Yes,” I answered, still catching my breath. “First day.”

“Perfect. I’m Leo.” He extended his hand casually.

I hesitated—old habit—but finally shook it. “Raquel.”

“Nice to meet you, Raquel.” His grin widened, boyish and unguarded. He leaned closer, lowering his voice as if letting me in on a secret. “You’re lucky. I was about to head to the orientation. Mr. Kai himself is addressing us. And… we’re late.”

At the mention of his name, my stomach twisted violently. The air in the elevator thickened. I schooled my expression, forcing out a quick nod. “Oh… really?”

“Yeah. The whole batch is gathering in the conference hall. We can head in together.”

The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. Leo gestured grandly. “Shall we?”

I followed, though every step felt heavier, like walking into the storm I thought I’d escaped.

We slipped into the conference room together. Rows of employees sat around a massive mahogany table, all eyes fixed toward the stage at the far end. Only two seats remained vacant, ours.

And there he was.

Kai Rodriguez.

He sat at the head of the table, elevated slightly, his presence consuming the room. His ice-blue gaze swept across the crowd, sharp and unyielding, commanding silence without a word. The same gaze that had pressed me against a door, stealing the air from my lungs, now cut through the room with terrifying ease.

And when his eyes found mine, only for a second, I wanted the floor to swallow me whole.

Then his voice rolled through the air, deep and raw, like a volcano breaking open.

“You’re late, Raquel Rodriguez.”

The way he said it—low, possessive—wasn’t just a reprimand. It was a claim. An introduction.

Gasps erupted. Every head turned, eyes narrowing, whispers sparking in the silence.

Raquel Rodriguez.

My family name had never felt like mine. They had always made me feel like an outsider, unworthy of it. But hearing him address me differently—own it—something dangerous and unfamiliar stirred in my chest. Maybe. Just maybe, I finally belong somewhere.

The whispers thickened. The Rodriguez only have two sons… one married already…the other, which is my husband.

Kai’s gaze snapped back to the crowd, freezing them instantly. The murmurs died in their throats.

Leo and I slid into the empty seats, though I could feel the stares burning into me. His personal assistant took over the presentation, Kai retreating into silence—always a man of few words.

I couldn’t focus. My mind kept replaying his voice, the way he had introduced me to this room. His wife.

Was he finally accepting me? Or was it just another move in a game I didn’t understand?

The meeting dragged to a close. But the whispers didn’t stop.

“Is she really the boss’s wife?”

“I doubt it. Probably just some distant relative.”

“Yeah, right. The boss would never marry someone like her.”

My stomach twisted at the words. Were they blind? The ring was right there, gleaming on my finger.

I opened my mouth to reply, but Leo beat me to it. His voice was sharp, low, dangerous.

“Maybe if you weren’t blinded by jealousy, you’d see the golden ring on her finger. Now, I suggest you shut up before the boss fires you for insulting his wife.”

That shut them up. They scurried off like rats.

I exhaled. “Thanks, Leo,” I muttered.

“No problem.” He leaned closer, lowering his tone. “But… are you really the boss’s wife?”

Before I could answer, a voice cut through the air, deep and unrelenting.

“Meet me in my office.”

My head snapped up. Kai was watching us, his eyes pinned on Leo, something flickering in them before vanishing.

And then he turned, walking out with the kind of commanding stride that dared anyone to disobey.

I followed. My pulse thundered all the way to his glass-walled office, towering and cold, perched above the city.

The doors closed behind me with a soft hiss.

Kai stood at his desk, jacket off, sleeves rolled, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud.

“Sit,” he said, voice like gravel.

I didn’t move. “What is this about? And what was that, earlier?”

He looked up at me, those eyes like shards of ice. Then he spoke, calm but cutting.

“You’re fired.”