“All right. Take us to the nearest beach, Kalet.”

We ride in silence for nearly twenty minutes. Just as we’re nearing our destination, I ask the question that’s been nagging at me.

“Why is Oliver suspicious of you?”

“A few days ago, I overheard him arguing with his mother. She wanted him to press charges against you for the beating you gave him.”

“Fucking coward,” I mutter under my breath.

“But Oliver refused.”

“Why?”

“I think his lover told him not to. Probably figured you’d fight back with your own accusation—about the theft.”

“I don’t have enough evidence to put him in jail.”

“He said the same thing. But just mentioning that he’s been stealing from you would be enough to damage his reputation. And that’s something he protects more than our marriage,” she says softly, barely audible.

“Not that much, clearly. Look at him, strutting around town with his lover on his arm,” I snap, unable to hold it in. But I regret it instantly when I see her expression. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You’re only stating the truth. I should go. Thank you for agreeing to this deal.”

Just as she’s about to get out, I grab her arm and pull her close. Her warmth presses against me, and a soft, unfamiliar scent fills my nose. It's genuinely pleasant—certainly not one of Oliver’s fragrances.

“W-what are you doing? W-why did you do that?” she stammers, placing a hand on my chest to push herself away.

“You need to get used to being close to me. Otherwise, no one’s going to believe we’re madly in love—lovers so drawn to temptation we betrayed your husband.”

“I get that, but... this is so sudden.”

“And that’s exactly how Oliver will feel when he finds out. So don’t go trembling like a baby deer just because I hold your hand—or even kiss you.”

“K-kiss me?”

“Yes. That’s what lovers do,” I say matter-of-factly, watching her cheeks flush crimson again.

“I… I mean… Is there a chance that, when the time comes, we could stick to just holding hands?”

“Alright,” I reply, more amused than I should be. And honestly, there's no way I'd kiss her willingly—not even for a million euros.

“T-thank you. I’ll do my best to make our relationship look convincing,” she says, her voice slightly shaky.

“Before you go, I have something for you.”

“What is it?”

“I got you a phone,” I say, pulling a tiny device from my pocket—small enough to look like a toy.

“For me? Why?”

“So we can stay in contact. I hope you remember how to use one.”

“Of course I do,” she replies, cheeks coloring again. “But if I show up with this, Oliver will notice.”

“You can hide it in the lining of your jacket.”

With Kalet’s help, I make a small slit in her pocket and slip the phone inside.

“If there’s ever an emergency, call me. I’ve already saved my number in it.”

“T-thank you… for everything.”

She jumps out of the SUV and walks toward the beach without looking back. She removes her shoes and strolls along the sand for a few minutes before settling down in a quiet spot, staring off as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon.

“How long are we staying here?” Kalet asks, trying to stifle a yawn.

“Just a bit longer. I want to see what she does.”

I watch her carefully, waiting for her to pull out the phone and inspect it. But she doesn’t move. Not even a little. Only when I see her shoulders start to tremble do I realize she’s crying—and I finally look away. It feels wrong to witness such a private moment.

“Why did you agree to this deal when you don’t trust her? More importantly, you know how much it could hurt your reputation,” the blond man asks, shifting in his seat when he realizes I’m not planning to leave until she does.

“Because if I marry her, Iris will lose her mind when she realizes she can’t force me to marry her obsessive niece—something she’s been scheming for years.

“And as for my reputation... I don’t care anymore. As long as I can damage Lefebvre’s, make him pay for what he’s done to me, it’ll be worth it. The fact that he’ll think he lost his wife—that she left him for me—will drive him insane. She’ll become a sort of trophy, and that alone will push him over the edge.

“Besides... haven’t you noticed? Both times we’ve met with her, she’s worn perfumes that could sell incredibly well. And I’m certain she made them herself. Oliver, arrogant as he is, probably never even considered adding them to his product line.”

“I don’t like the way you’re talking about her—as if she were just a prize. She’s a person, with feelings. But I’m not going to argue with you about it. Still... do you think I’m some kind of bloodhound, sniffing her out?”

“That’s not what I meant,” I reply, smirking. “But her scent lingers in the car every time she gets in.”

As I speak, I notice her finally standing up and heading toward the road. A taxi pulls up, and it drives right past us. I try to catch her eye, but she doesn’t even glance our way. Instead, she quietly wipes away the tears still clinging to her face.