Chapter 2 Something is not right!

“Angel? Matteo?”

Zoe's scream tore through the room. She looked completely horrified, as though her brain couldn't process what she was seeing.

“It wasn't her fault,” Matteo said, stepping cautiously toward the traumatized Zoe.

I didn't move. I just stood there completely motionless, my mind blank and my voice nowhere to be found. I could only stare at the two of them.

“It was my fault. I caused this,” Matteo continued. But explaining himself while he was still undressed, just like me, looked funny.

“Don't come near me!” Zoe screamed, reversing away from him. “And for God's sake, go put something on before my brother sees you both like this!”

I remained rooted to the spot, unable to make my legs move. The man I now knew as Matteo hurriedly grabbed his clothes and pulled them on as quickly as he could.

“Angel?”

Zoe called my name. I looked at her, and for several seconds, we simply stared at each other. Then I forced myself to speak.

“What?” The word came out weakly, and I suddenly felt ridiculous standing there completely naked.

“Are you not going to put your clothes on?” Zoe asked. “Larry will be here any second.”

That finally snapped me out of my daze. I felt her being nice to me was strange and there was a catch. I gave a small, humorless smile and began getting dressed.

“Thank you, Zoe,” Matteo said as he buttoned the last button of his shirt. “You're really nice.”

“She isn't,” I replied dryly.

I forced another smile, because if I didn't smile, I was afraid I might cry.

“I'm doomed already.”

“What?” Matteo looked at me in disbelief. “She just saved your marriage.”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “I'm definitely doomed.”

Matteo stood akimbo, giving me the impression that he thought I was being completely unreasonable and pessimistic.

“You're not going to tell your brother, are you?” he suddenly asked Zoe.

“Of course not. I wouldn't ruin their marriage,” Zoe replied. “She's just crazy, and she hates me anyway.”

I slowly pulled on my clothes before sinking onto the bed. My head felt light, and the room seemed to tilt slightly.

“Are you okay?” Matteo immediately rushed to my side.

I couldn't deny it. Even through the haze of alcohol and confusion, something about him was pulling me in. The way he'd worried about me, the tenderness he'd shown, The way he fucked me.. it was something I hadn't experienced from a man in a long time and for the first time in what felt like forever, he'd made me feel like a woman again.

“Don't touch me. I'm okay,” I said, forcing myself to resist his tempting touch.

“Sorry. I was just being a gentleman.”

My eyes met Zoe's. She looked disgusted and bitter. She hid her true expression behind those glasses, but I knew her well enough to recognize it. Matteo didn't.

“I'm just going to go.” I looked away.

I stood and left the room, heading toward the master bedroom.

My heart pounded as I replayed everything that had happened. I was terrified of what this meant, not just for me, but for my marriage.

I opened the door to the master bedroom. Larry was sitting behind the desk, focused on his laptop.

“Where were you?” he asked immediately, turning his chair toward me.

“I… I don't know. Around the house.”I shrugged, hoping my voice sounded casual.

His eyes narrowed.

“You've been drinking?” He shook his head, almost as if he was disappointed.

I didn't answer. I simply walked over to the bed and collapsed onto it. Within seconds, exhaustion swallowed me whole, and I drifted off to sleep.

.

Two distant voices pulled me from sleep. I opened my eyes, confused and disoriented.

“Why do you have a stranger in my house without my permission?”

Larry's sudden shout jolted me fully awake, I didn't sit up. I simply lay there, frozen, my heart pounding as I listened to their conversation which I was afraid would be about me.

I was terrified that, in a few seconds, the attention would shift to me… and I'd be standing in Zoe's position.

“I'm sorry. He didn't have anywhere to sleep,” Zoe said quietly.

“This is how this shit always goes down!” Larry snapped. “You're homeless if I don't give you a place to stay. I pay you a thousand dollars every twenty-four hours, and you still can't get your life together? You can't work your ass off like Angel and do something with your life?”

I trembled at the mention of my name, I drew the blanket tight.

“I'm getting myself together, bro. I said I'm sorry.”

“No. Don't tell me you're sorry.” His voice grew colder. “I gave you and Angel a hundred thousand dollars each last year. She's multiplied hers. What did you do with yours?”

He gestured toward Zoe.

“You want me to remind you? You squandered it!”

“Yeah, I know already!” Zoe fired back. “This is where you always go. You're always happy to remind me that she's better than me, she went to Harvard, she's married to my billionaire brother, blah blah blah… Well, screw her!”

The room fell silent.

Larry's anger disappeared almost instantly.

“Whatever.” His voice was calm again, which somehow made the atmosphere even more uncomfortable… for me.

“Those are my Meta glasses, aren't they? Give them to me. Now.”

“I thought they're normal glasses.” She said quietly.

Zoe immediately removed the glasses from her face and placed them on the table.

Without saying another word, she turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

I remained perfectly still in bed. My heart was still racing now, I had never heard Larry speak to Zoe like that before.

And for some reason, the argument left me shaken. Seeing how easily Larry could turn his words into weapons terrified me. For the first time, I understood just how dangerous his anger could be, and I realized I was standing on the edge of something I couldn't afford to fall into.

Zoe could have exposed me. She had the perfect opportunity to tell Larry what she'd seen, yet she hadn't. I couldn't understand why.

If she hated me as much as she claimed, why would she protect me?