Divorcing My Husband Over His Stepsister's Secret novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Anna’s POV:

“What are you thinking about?” Blake’s voice was husky as his fingers traced lazy patterns

on my bare skin.

“Nothing,” I lied.

A smirk played at the corner of his mouth. “For someone who’s always threatening divorce, your body is remarkably honest.”

My cheeks flushed with heat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

His blue eyes glinted in the low light. “It means I’m curious.” A smirk played at the corner

of his mouth as he leaned closer. “Do you love me more or my body more?”

The question hung between us. I held his gaze, feeling suddenly vulnerable.

“Do you love me, Blake?”

The change was immediate. His eyes shuttered, the playfulness vanishing as he pulled back slightly. The silence stretched between us.

His silence says everything. The realization settled in my chest, heavy and cold. But I wasn’t ready to face it–not tonight, not in the warmth of our bed.

I moved to straddle him, running my hands along his chest before leaning close to kiss him. His body responded instantly, hands gripping my hips with renewed hunger.

It was easier this way–to let our bodies communicate what our words couldn’t.

Steam filled the bathroom as I soaked in the oversized tub while Blake showered nearby. I rested my chin on my folded arms at the edge of the tub, watching water cascade down

his muscular back.

He turned off the shower and reached for a towel. “Anna,” he said, his tone suddenly serious, “all that lovey–dovey talk–tone it down a bit. Being Mrs. Wright should be enough, shouldn’t it?”

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Chapter 12

The words hit like a slap. I sank deeper into the water, trying not to let him see my disappointed face.

“The sex is good,” he continued casually, as if discussing the weather. “When Claire’s not

around, we can do this anytime you want.”

I sat up abruptly, water sloshing over the edge of the tub. “Why wait until Claire’s not around? Is she the one deciding our schedule now? You seemed to enjoy yourself just

now. Don’t you like it?”

Blake’s eyes traveled over me assessingly. “She’s still young. Your voice would make her

uncomfortable.”

The casual cruelty of his words made my chest tighten. “Can you ask Claire to move out?”

He reached down and lifted me from the tub in one fluid motion, wrapping a towel

around me. “Do you realize how many times you’ve mentioned Claire recently?”

Water dripped onto the marble floor as I stood there, feeling suddenly small despite his arms around me. “Doesn’t Mrs. Wright have the right to live alone with her husband?

What kind of Mrs. Wright am I if we always need Claire between us?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Blake’s voice cooled several degrees. “This topic is getting

boring. Stop making problems where there aren’t any.”

I stared at him, the reality of our marriage suddenly crystal clear. Blake could separate love from sex so completely that even in our most intimate moments, he wouldn’t lie to me about his feelings. The realization was devastating.

“Then… let’s get divorced,” I said quietly.

Two seconds of silence stretched between us.

“Fine. Don’t regret it later.” Blake reached for his robe. At the bathroom door, he paused. “By the way, someone drugged me at the Crown Club tonight. Don’t misunderstand.”

The door closed softly behind him, leaving me alone with the echo of his words. I closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face as silence enveloped me.

It all made sense now. The unusual passion, his uncharacteristic abandon–none of it had

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Chapter 12

been real. I was just a convenient outlet when someone had slipped something into his drink. Had he been worried that Claire couldn’t handle his drug–induced roughness?

Morning sunlight glinted off the windows of Seaside Manor as I stepped outside, a single suitcase in hand. I thought of the apartment in Back Bay that my father had gifted me on my eighteenth birthday–my “adult independence present, he’d called it with a wink. I’d barely used it since marrying Blake.

Looking up at Boston’s clear blue sky, I could almost imagine my father watching from behind those fluffy clouds.

“Dad, did you somehow know Blake wasn’t the right man for me? Is that why you made sure I had a safe haven to escape to?”

As I slid into my car, my phone rang. My mom’s name flashed on the screen.

“Anna!” Lillian’s voice was shrill with panic. “Thank God you answered! BlueWave Technologies is in trouble.”

I put the key in the ignition but didn’t start the car. “What’s wrong?”

“Our critical monitoring equipment has malfunctioned, but fixing it costs a lot! If we can’t fix it soon, the entire project schedule will be delayed, and we might lose all the data we’ve collected. The project partners are extremely sensitive about this, they’ll definitely hold us accountable, and might even terminate the partnership!”

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