Chapter 5 Jason drove home , smelling of wine and exuding a tense atmosphere , dropping Yvonne off at her apartment . ] Yvonne's voice was sweet as she consoled him . " Jason , please don't be mad anymore . I think Lydia just got the wrong idea . She probably didn't mean to hurt anyone . " " I'm fine , really . I just hate that you got dragged into this . " " Promise me you two won't fight over little old me ? Jason stared out at the city lights blurring past , giving a distracted " mm - hmm . " She hesitated , then reached out tentatively to fix his crooked tie . Her voice dropped to a whisper : [ ] " It hurts to see you like this ... " Jason instinctively pulled back | Yvonne's hand hung awkwardly in the air , looking genuinely hurt . " Jason , I wasn't trying to ... you know . " ] " I know . " Jason paused , yanking at his tie in frustration . " I've got it . " The car filled with uncomfortable silence . ] Jason seemed totally oblivious , drumming his fingers against the window . Something restless and anxious was eating at him from the inside . ] Soon enough , they reached Yvonne's building . " Thanks for the ride , Jason . " Jason didn't even bother with his usual " sleep well . " Instead , he rushed out : [ ] " Everything's sorted at work . You should get some rest . I'm heading out . " ] Yvonne lingered by the curb . She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear , showing off her delicate neck . " Jason , want to come up for a bit ? " ] " I get really anxious alone at night . Maybe if you stayed ... just for a little while ? " ] Her timing was perfect - vulnerable but not desperate . [ ] Something flickered in Jason's dark eyes . ] But he held himself in check . " Yvonne , that's not a good idea ." He sighed heavily . " You know I'm married to Lydia . " ] Driving home . Jason massaged his temples , trying to shake off the weird feeling in his chest . He told himself : Maybe I actually am pissed this time . ] That demotion thing was pretty harsh . ] But when she sees those plane tickets at home , she'll be over the moon . Then she'll do that thing where she acts all proud for two seconds before melting into my arms . Yeah , that's exactly what'll happen . Jason pushed open the front door . Complete darkness . Dead silence . ] No lights left on for him , no one waiting up like always . ] She's actually not here ? ] Jason flicked on the lights , frowning . The living room was spotless - too spotless . The air felt hollow and cold . No late - night plate waiting on the counter like usual . Just a plane ticket ripped clean in half on the dining table . Jason's stomach dropped like a stone . ] His phone started buzzing like crazy . ] His assistant had sent a bunch of screenshots - messages from some office gossip group chat . The screen was packed with excited chatter : * OMG Locke and the new girl Yates are DEFI DEFINITELY a thing " " Did you see the way he looked at her on stage ??? I CANNOT " That catch when she almost fell tho 777 " ] Someone had posted what was obviously a sneaky recording . Tonight's stage moment when he'd caught Yvonne from falling . The angle was perfect - catching his split - second panic and the way Yvonne gazed up at him like he was her hero . " WAIT guys I heard Yates was Locke's college girlfriend !!! " ] " NO WAY that makes SO much sense " ] Below that was a grainy old photo . [ ] Him and Yvonne in their college gear , grinning at the camera . [ ] Their old university campus in the background . Jason's jaw clenched tight . This was spreading way too fast , with way too many details . [ ] Nobody could've dug up ancient history like this without serious digging . The sick feeling hit him - he'd been played . ] Freelance photographer Violet Beck is forced into an engagement with CEO Roy Payne. He is everything her wild heart rebels against: proper, predictable, and painfully kind. But love has a way of devel...