All Chapters of The Wife Who Won : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Chapter 11: Violetta The pre-dawn light filters through the loft’s floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long, sharp shadows across the brickwork. Down on the highway, the first wave of commuter traffic moves in a relentless, silver stream. After a cold shower, I stand by the wardrobe box I unpacked at midnight, reaching for a charcoal-grey suit. The wool feels crisp and cold against my skin. I button the silk blouse to the chin, adjust the sharp lapels of the jacket, and step into my heels.In the bathroom mirror, I sweep a bold, blood-red lipstick across my mouth. I don't linger on my reflection. I grab my leather briefcase, check the gold watch on my wrist, and head for the door.As I step into the hallway, Caleb’s door is closed, but the scent of fresh coffee lingers in the air. I think of knocking and wish him a good morning but I head straight for the elevator.The headquarters of Thorne & Associates is a monolith of steel and glass in the heart of the financial district. I walk th

Chapter 13: Violetta I lie in bed, staring at the shadows cast by the industrial streetlamps outside.There was a black sedan idling at the corner when you pulled up.Caleb’s warning haunts me. I’m safe behind a triple-locked door, but the air in here feels thin. I need to move. I need to be anywhere but trapped inside my own head.I throw on a heavy, oversized cream sweater over my silk camisole and grab my keys. I don't plan the destination, but my feet stop at the heavy metal door marked 5A.I knock. Once. Twice. The sound echoes down the empty, dimly lit hallway. Nothing.I wait, my heart thudding against my ribs, feeling increasingly like a fool. It’s 1:15 AM. Caleb is a handyman; he probably works early. He’s likely asleep, dreaming of things far simpler than corporate embezzlement and sociopathic ex-husbands. I turn on my heel to head back to my unit, my slippers scuffing softly on the floorboards.I’ve reached my door when the heavy clack of a bolt sliding back resonates throu

Chapter 15: Violetta I step out of the elevator on the forty-second floor, and the first thing I notice is the thick, heavy silenc3. My heart is beating so wildly that I can hear the rhythmic thrum of it vibrating in my eardrums. I reach for the glass doors of the main office suite, my palm slightly damp against the cool handle.Usually, the junior analysts are gathered by the entrance around this time. They are a boisterous group, always quick to crack a joke about my caffeine intake or beat me to the door to hold it open with a polite, "Good morning, Ms. Violetta." Today, two of them are standing right by the glass. As I approach, I lift my hand for a small wave, a professional smile already forming on my face.They look away.One looks down at his tablet and the other turns his back to me entirely, striking up a hushed conversation. The door remains closed. I have to pull it open myself.The moment I cross the threshold, the office atmosphere shifts. It’s a physical sensation, lik

Chapter 17: Violettta The scent of sautéed garlic and crushed rosemary fills the loft, cutting through the stagnant air Mark left behind. I’m leaning against the kitchen island, my fingers tracing the grain of the dark wood, trying to quiet the tremor in my hands. Caleb moved into the kitchen the second we stepped inside, taking the heavy grocery bags I had left on my counter the other day, and pointing me toward a stool with a flick of his chin.He moves between the stove and the counter with a focused energy. He cracks an egg with one hand, the sound sharp in the quiet room, and tosses a pinch of sea salt into a sizzling pan."You look like you’ve been through a meat grinder, 5B," he says, his eyes on the sea bass he’s searing. "And frankly, the red-puffy-eye look is a terrible accessory for that blazer."I let out a weak, watery laugh, shifting on the metal stool. "I was going for shattered corporate professional. Is it not working?""It’s working too well. Sit. Breathe. I’m makin

Chapter 19: Violettta The cold Seattle air hits my face the second we step out of the theater, instantly washing away the lingering heat of that almost-kiss. The drive back to the loft is completely quiet. The rhythmic hum of the tires against the wet asphalt is the only sound cutting through the dark cabin. By the time Caleb pulls up to the curb outside my building, the rain has slowed to a miserable drizzle, streaking the windshield in long, distorted lines."Thanks for the fish. And the movie," I say, my hand resting on the heavy metal door handle.Caleb shifts the truck into park, the engine idling with a low, steady vibration. He turns his head, his dark eyes meeting mine in the dim amber glow of the dashboard light. There is something in his gaze that wasn't there before we went into that theater, a quiet question he isn't asking aloud."Anytime, 5B," he says, his voice a low rumble. "Go get some sleep. Leave the heavy lifting for tomorrow."I give him a short nod, push the hea