Chapter 1
The girl living upstairs posted a photo in the building’s group chat. Semi–transparent lace
lingerie couldn’t hide her alluring curves. Her slender wrists were bound together with a
necktie in a suggestive pose. I barely dared to look before quickly closing the chat, but my
mind suddenly buzzed.
The deep blue Hermès tie binding her wrists… was exactly the same one I had tied around
my husband’s neck that morning.
The photo was quickly deleted.
At 3 a.m., sleep was nowhere in sight. Thunder rumbled outside, rain pelting against the window. Then, from the ceiling above, I heard faint, delicate gasps–the kind mixed with pain but unmistakably tinged with pleasure. My heart raced.
I opened the pinned chat on WhatsApp. Liam Taylor had sent me three messages two hours
ago:
[Work’s exhausting. Missing you.]
[You asleep?]
[Good night.]
I shouldn’t have doubted him, but that familiar deep blue tie lingered in my mind. I dialed
him with a voice call. To my surprise, he answered immediately.
“Nina?”
His low, magnetic voice sent a slight tingle to my ears.
“I… got woken up by the thunder and thought I’d give you a call.”
“Let’s stay on voice then,” he replied. “You sleep, I’ll work.”
I felt reassured. Not wanting to disturb his overtime, I murmured a few reminders for him to take care of himself before hanging up.
12:14 C
