My Husband’s Mistress Visited Our Home

As they reached the elevator, Aries Wilson came to an abrupt halt, causing Lainey Fisher—who'd been trailing behind with her head down—to smack right into him. "Ouch!" she yelped.

"Got dollar bills glued to the floor or something?" Aries teased, catching her reflection in the glass corner, her head still bowed like a scolded puppy.

Lainey scowled. "You're the one who slammed on the brakes."

Aries sidestepped and draped a long arm around her shoulders. "Better?"

"There are people watching. Ever heard of public decorum?" She tried to shrug him off but couldn't. She shot him an irritated glare.

"You're my wife. Big deal," Aries said, though Lainey could hear the hollow ring in his words.

The elevator doors slid open, and she went quiet, letting him steer her inside.

On their way out, the hotel manager passed by with a knowing smile and a polite nod. Just before the doors closed, Aries spotted someone lurking in a shadowy corner of the lobby, and his smile cooled, edged with something sharp.

The black sedan pulled away from the hotel and disappeared down the long stretch of road.

Lainey spent the afternoon curled up in an armchair, the TV droning in the background. As evening crept in and Aries still hadn't shown, her eyelids grew heavy and she drifted off.

Aries had been stuck in meetings at the branch office all afternoon. By the time he got back to the hotel, darkness had settled in. The driver pulled up to the entrance. "Sir."

"Park it. I'll head up," Aries replied coolly, stepping out and striding toward the revolving doors.

Lainey jolted awake the moment Aries walked in. "Did you mean that?" Skepticism was written all over her face. His behavior baffled her. Why on earth would she have feelings for him? Even if she were the last woman on Earth, she wouldn't fall for him.

"No affection? Not even a little?" Aries' lips curved into a smirk. "Then why the rush to deny it?"

Lainey faltered. "Cut the games. Eat something or just keel over!" she snapped, though a tiny pang of pity for his illness crept in. She would've helped anyone in his shoes, not just him.

Normally, Aries would've lost his cool over a comment like that, but tonight? He only offered a faint smile. "If I kick the bucket, you'd be a widow. Wouldn't you miss me?"

"Why would I care? Your fate isn't my problem," Lainey shot back, turning her head away, thrown by his uncharacteristically warm vibe.

It had to be her imagination, she told herself—some weird side effect of his illness messing with her head.

"Then what's with the worried look?" Aries seemed to savor their back-and-forth. Her mouth said one thing, but her eyes told a different story.

"Worried? Me?" Lainey forced a tight smile. "Why would I lose sleep over you?"

Aries pulled her into his arms. "You changed my clothes. Stayed up all night by my side. If that's not worry, what do you call it?"

Lainey took a step back, eyes wide. Even in his weakened state, his grip was iron.

Sick or not, he was still a force to be reckoned with, she thought, trying to squirm free.

"Hoping for a reward, maybe?" Aries raised an eyebrow. "Name it, and it's yours."

All the color drained from Lainey's face. She recoiled, stung. Was that all he thought of her? That her care came with a price tag?

"Scared?" Aries murmured.

"Scared of what? I'm just impressed you figured me out so fast," Lainey shot back, bitterness flooding her chest. How stupid she'd been to think genuine care actually mattered. To him, she was just someone driven by greed—nothing more.

Aries patted the spot beside him on the bed. "Come here."

Reluctantly, Lainey moved closer and perched on the edge of the mattress. Aries traced her face with light fingers. The exhaustion there was impossible to miss—the telltale sign of a sleepless night.

"If my father hadn't forced this marriage, things might've been different," Aries admitted.

Lainey met his eyes. "So this is all because I was your dad's choice?"

"Exactly," Aries said. "You're beautiful. If you weren't, I wouldn't have looked twice."

His words cut like ice, leaving her cold all over. "You could've said no to the wedding."

Her own parents had pushed her into this, too. Why should she be the only one paying the price?

"I hoped you'd refuse. But here we are. Was it the Wilson family money?" Aries' hand slid across her cheek, making her shiver.

Facing him, Lainey declared, "You got me. I married for money. I'm a woman who chases wealth."

"I don't mind. I can give you everything material, but love? That's off the table."

"No! I don't want any of that!" Lainey protested. She'd already sacrificed so much—for her family, for him.

Aries leaned in, his breath hot against her neck as his hands roamed her back.

"Please, don't," Lainey begged, eyes swimming. Pride gone, she pleaded with him not to strip her of whatever dignity she had left. All he wanted was her body. But her heart? Had she accidentally handed that over these past few months? Why did it ache like this?

Aries chuckled softly. "You sure about that?"

She knew she was holding back, torn. Did seeing her like this actually satisfy him? Was this what he wanted?

"No!" Lainey bit down on her lip, knuckles white as she gripped the sheets.

"Lainey Fisher, you won't get away that easily. You walked into this marriage. Walking out takes more guts than saying 'I do.'"

Tears streamed silently, soaking into her hair as she turned her head, closed her eyes, and let the darkness swallow her whole.

Aries got up and headed to the bathroom, the sound of running water echoing behind him.

Lainey knew the routine: he'd shower to rinse off the sweat—and, maybe even more importantly, any trace of her scent, like it disgusted him.