The Placeholder Wife: His Too Late Regret

oke

n't just a home; it w

st. The air was thick, a suffocating haze of smoke and the cloying scent of expensive drugs. Low, osc

y. The chaotic, hedonisti

judgment, before the whispers started. Ethan kept a firm hand on

ver dress that looked like liquid chainmail, shimmering with every predatory s

near his mouth. "And Brooke. So glad you could make it. I

aiter with a sna

ure it's the domestic kind. We don't want to over

led, a sound lik

offered, staring down at t

d smoothly, meeting her ga

my waist. A w

g her hands. The music dipped on cue. Every

he coffee table,

. We put numbers in a hat. If your numbers match, you

trashy. It was exactly w

he Underboss; he had to indulge the hostess to

into the shadows, but Kylie po

, Brooke. Unles

ened. I drew

looked at his p

She unfolded her

98! Who

thing. He just held

heers and catcalls. "

ig. I had seen Kylie wink

t, I thought he would refuse. I thought he wo

said, his voice low. "It mean

go of m

ontact felt like he ha

hand, interlacing her fingers with his

osed. The l

n mi

e about what they were doing in there

ed dress, the trophy

nute p

n t

that never touched me with passion-touching he

e mi

lights were suffocating. The ba

walked towa

e?" one of Kylie's friends m

pushed past the g

r button, jamming

pped in. As they closed, I s

seven minutes.

s hair messed up. Kylie was behind him,

om. He saw the empty spot

for a microsecond before the elevator doors

he lobby. I pressed t

r. I needed

to the cold night, I reali

nted

my hand. A text fro

a vid

cked

t room just moments ago. Ethan was pinned a

he rasped in the aud

text fo

lways was. Give

ow me, a grid of lights and corruption. I looked at the

led i

edge, the metal col

tion," I whispered

et

one last time before it disappeared

and walked back

nary w

nix was