Bella’s POV

The morning light filtered through the windows as my children burst from their rooms, their energy infectious after sleeping in a real house again. They were dressed and ready for adventure, eager to explore the garden that stretched beyond the glass doors.

Their excitement faltered when Vance emerged from the guest room, still buttoning his crisp white shirt. Water droplets clung to his dark hair, evidence of his recent shower. The sight of him, disheveled and gorgeous, sent an unwelcome flutter through my chest.

"Daddy!" Zack launched himself forward, his small arms wrapping around Vance’s legs. Tara and Leah followed more cautiously, their earlier disappointment momentarily forgotten as they melted into his embrace.

Watching him scoop up all three children effortlessly, carrying them toward the living room with its floor-to-ceiling windows, I felt that familiar twist in my stomach. He could be so gentle with them, so present, yet so impossibly distant with me.

The sound of a door closing drew my attention. Chloe appeared, smoothing down her black dress with nervous hands. Her hair was mussed, her lips slightly swollen. She moved like a woman trying to slip away unnoticed, clearly hoping the children wouldn’t connect her presence to their father’s whereabouts.

When our eyes met across the room, shame colored her cheeks crimson. She looked away immediately, unable to hold my gaze.

After I had turned Vance away last night, he had wasted no time finding comfort elsewhere. The knowledge sat heavy in my chest, a familiar ache that I had learned to ignore over the years. I had convinced myself that this arrangement worked, that I could live with the boundaries I had set when we married.

But seeing the evidence of their night together made something raw and angry twist inside me.

"Daddy, we’re not talking to you," Tara announced, crossing her tiny arms with all the dramatic flair of a seven-year-old.

Vance’s eyebrows rose, his hand automatically reaching to smooth her hair. "What did I do wrong, princess?"

The tenderness in his voice made my throat tight. He wasn’t a natural father figure, but my children worshipped him. To them, he was simply daddy, the man who had been there since they could remember.

"We saw you hit Mommy," Leah said suddenly, her voice small but accusatory.

The color drained from Vance’s face. His gaze flicked to me, then to Chloe, who was suddenly very interested in the kitchen counter. My stomach dropped as understanding hit me like a physical blow.

They hadn’t seen him hit me. They had seen him with Chloe, and in their innocent minds, had misinterpreted whatever they witnessed.

The thought of my children seeing him in any compromising position with another woman made me feel sick.

"I would never hurt your mommy," Vance said carefully, crouching to meet Zack’s eyes. "We were just playing around, okay? Sometimes grown-ups play fight."

His lie rolled off his tongue so smoothly that I almost believed it myself. He was saying exactly what I had told them, covering for a situation that should never have happened in the first place.

"You play fight with Mommy?" Leah asked, touching her chin thoughtfully.

"We do," Vance continued, weaving his deception with practiced ease. "That’s what best friends do. And your mother usually wins."

I watched my children’s faces relax, their worry dissolving at his reassurance. But the knot in my chest only tightened. They were protecting themselves from a truth they were too young to understand.

"We were so upset we thought about getting a new daddy," Zack announced with the brutal honesty only children possess.

Every muscle in my body tensed. Vance’s expression shifted, his casual demeanor sharpening into something more predatory.

"Really?" His voice remained light, but I knew him well enough to recognize the danger beneath. "Who did you have in mind? I should probably know my competition."

My blood ran cold. He was fishing for information, using our children’s innocence against them. It was one of his most infuriating traits, this ability to extract secrets from anyone, especially those too naive to realize they were being manipulated.

"Uncle Hugo," Zack said proudly. "He’s Mommy’s best friend and he’s really nice to us."

Vance’s smile turned razor-sharp, all pretense of amusement vanishing. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as something dark and possessive flickered in his eyes.

I couldn’t understand why he cared. It wasn’t as if he had been faithful or committed to our marriage. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"That’s enough," I said quickly, desperate to end this conversation before it could spiral further. "You three have already exhausted me this morning. Chloe, could you please get them breakfast?"

Chloe practically fled with the children, guilt radiating from her like heat waves. I had kept them busy all morning precisely because I knew where she and Vance had spent their night.

Once we were alone, I braced myself for the confrontation I knew was coming.

"So," Vance said, stretching with deliberate casualness, "you’ve been keeping yourself entertained while I was away."

"I haven’t," I replied coldly. "And this conversation is pointless when you..." I stopped myself, then added with ice in my voice, "I’d probably still smell Chloe on you if I got too close."

It was cruel, but true. A reminder that he had no right to question my friendships when he was free to take lovers.

I turned to leave, but his voice stopped me.

"Do you think parading around with your friends will make me jealous? Make me suddenly change who I am?" He stood, moving closer with predatory grace. "You’re wasting your time, Bella. That’s not how I work."

His voice dropped lower, more intimate and threatening. "You’re my wife. I respect you, provide for you, give you everything you need. But don’t expect fidelity from me. I don’t believe in that fairy tale."

His eyes held mine, unflinching and cold. "And I certainly don’t get jealous."

He straightened his collar with infuriating calm and headed toward our bedroom to finish getting ready.

Fine. If he didn’t get jealous, then I supposed I had no reason to feel guilty about my friendships either.