Chapter 2

I drove aimlessly through the streets for a long time, only to realize I had nowhere to go.

That home I once thought was full of love and warmth—now even the air there made me feel suffocated.

I walked into a bar I'd never been to before and ordered the strongest drink they had.

The amber liquid swirled in the glass, just like my shattered heart.

"William, why..." I muttered to myself, downing the drink in one gulp.

I never imagined William would betray me. We'd known each other since college, and from dating to marriage, we'd been together for seven whole years. Whether then or now, he was everyone's idea of a model husband.

His love for me never seemed fake. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed a person could give their whole heart equally to two people.

The liquor burned my throat, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my chest.

One glass, two glasses, three glasses...

I tried to numb myself with alcohol, but those images only became clearer: the tenderness with which he touched her belly, the perfume smell on his shirt, the "I love you too" he whispered on the balcony.

"Miss, drinking alone is no fun, is it?" A sleazy man's voice sounded in my ear, interrupting my thoughts.

I looked up and through the blur saw a strange man sitting down next to me.

Without waiting for my response, he reached out to put his arm around my shoulders, and a heavy smell of cigarettes hit me.

"Get lost!" I tried to push him away, but my whole body was weak from the alcohol.

"Don't be so cold," he leaned closer, and his other hand actually moved to my thigh.

My body went rigid, nausea rising in my throat. Just as I was about to scream, a cold voice came from behind.

"Take your hand off."

The thug-looking guy jerked his hand back, his face instantly turning pale. "Mr. Brown..."

I stared over in a daze. A man so handsome he didn't seem real stood there, his suit casually draped over his arm, his whole presence radiating a dignity that seemed out of place here.

The alcohol made my reactions slow. It took me a while to recognize him—it was William's older brother, the current head of the Brown family, Matthew Brown.

But what was he doing here?

His expression was cold. He didn't even need to say another word before the thug scrambled away.

"Layla?" Matthew frowned at me. "You're drunk."

I tried to speak but couldn't control myself and fell forward.

He instinctively reached out to catch me, and my forehead pressed against his chest. I caught the familiar scent of pine on him.

The same cologne William wore.

This realization made my stomach churn, and I covered my mouth, about to throw up.

Matthew lifted my face, his voice low: "How did you get this drunk? Where's William?"

That question was like a key, opening the floodgates of emotions I'd been suppressing all day.

I looked up, tears flowing uncontrollably. "Don't mention him to me. I don't want him anymore..."

Matthew's frown deepened as he helped me out of the bar.

The night wind made me shiver.

Matthew had already opened the passenger door. "I'll take you home."

"No!" I suddenly grabbed his arm, my nails almost digging into his flesh. "I'm not going back! I don't want to see him..."

The thought of everything at home bearing William's presence made me feel suffocated.

Matthew looked at me silently, his eyes deep and unreadable in the darkness.

"Then a hotel," he finally said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I nodded and obediently got in the car.

Right now, I just wanted to find somewhere William couldn't find me and hide.

The car stopped in front of the Sapphire Sky Hotel, a top hotel under the Brown Group.

Matthew helped me into the lobby. The front desk clearly recognized him and respectfully handed over a room card. "Mr. Brown, your reserved suite is ready."

In the elevator, I leaned against him, feeling his solid arm supporting my swaying body, and suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of security.

He half-supported, half-carried me into the room. The hallway lights were dim, and the darkness made what was left of my rationality completely collapse.

"William... fell in love with someone else... that woman... is pregnant..." I muttered.

Matthew's body clearly stiffened.

He helped me sit on the sofa and turned to get water.

I watched his back. Even Matthew, usually so calm and composed, seemed a bit flustered in his movements now.

"Drink some water first." He handed me the glass.

I reached for it, but spilled it all over him because of my trembling.

The water quickly spread across his white shirt, faintly revealing the skin underneath.

"I'm sorry..." I frantically tried to wipe it with my hand, my fingertips touching his warm chest.

He suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Don't move."

We were too close, close enough for me to see my own reflection in his eyes, close enough to feel his gradually quickening breath.

"Matthew..." I called his name softly, and in this moment, it sounded especially intimate.

His gaze fell on my lips, his eyes darkening.

In that moment, I clearly sensed some dangerous change happening between us.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked in a low voice, his fingers gently stroking my wrist.

I nodded, then shook my head.

The alcohol left my mind in chaos, with only the most basic sensations remaining—the warmth of his palm, his scent, and that crazy voice deep inside.

'Why should I be the only one betrayed?' I thought.

That thought made me do something I couldn't believe myself—I leaned forward and kissed him.

Matthew's body instantly went rigid.

For a second, I thought he would push me away. He should have pushed me away.

But he didn't.

Instead, he cupped the back of my neck and deepened the kiss.

It wasn't a gentle exploration, but something predatory that had been suppressed for too long.

His other hand wrapped around my waist, pressing me tightly against him.

We stumbled and fell onto the sofa. His weight made it hard to breathe. I stopped thinking about William's betrayal, about that unborn child, about this shattered marriage.

"Matthew..." I called his name softly between kisses.

He stopped and propped himself up to look at me, his eyes complex. "Are you sure you want to continue?"

My rationality briefly returned in that moment.

I looked at Matthew beneath me—William's most respected older brother, the undisputed head of the Brown family, the person I should least provoke.

But alcohol and heartbreak made me reckless.

I reached up to hook my arms around his neck and kissed him again.

This action became the last straw that broke rationality's back. Matthew picked me up and walked toward the bedroom.

The moment I was placed on the bed, I suddenly sobered up a bit.

Watching him unbutton his shirt, my panic finally overcame my recklessness.

"No..." I backed away. "We can't..."

Matthew's movements stopped, the desire in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by cold self-mockery.

"You're right." He turned his back to me, his voice hoarse. "We can't."

I frantically straightened my disheveled clothes, my fingertips still trembling.

The recent intimacy had filled the air with an awkward atmosphere.

"About tonight..." I didn't know how to begin.

"No one else will know." He had already recovered his usual composure, as if the person who lost control earlier wasn't him. "I'll have the driver take you back."

I shook my head. "I'll just get a room upstairs."

He didn't insist, just stepped aside to let me pass.

As I walked past him, he suddenly spoke, "About William, I'll handle it."

Those words were like cold water, completely sobering me up.

I looked at his calm profile and suddenly understood something: tonight's loss of control might have been just a momentary lapse for Matthew, but for me, it could be the beginning of something irreversible.

"No need," I said softly. "My marriage—I'll handle it myself."