As I settled into my plush seat next to Dante in first class, I couldn't help but marvel at the luxurious surroundings.
The soft, supple leather of the seats, the delicate floral arrangement on the tray table, and the crisp white linen of the napkin all combined to create an air of elegance and sophistication that I had never experienced before.
"I had never flown first class before," I murmured aloud, the words escaping me as I continued to absorb the luxury around me. Surprisingly, my voice maintained a calm and collected demeanor, despite the undercurrent of excitement and nervousness pulsating through my racing heart.
Dante turned to me with a raised eyebrow. "Where have you flown to before?" he asked, and I felt my stomach drop. I hadn't expected such a question, and I stumbled over my words as I tried to come up with a convincing answer.
"I-I mean, I had never flown before, much less flown first class," I stammered, the lie tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop it. I hoped that Dante wouldn't notice the unease in my voice or the way my eyes darted around nervously.
"Hmm," Dante hummed, his expression unreadable as he turned back to his phone. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that my deception hadn't been exposed.
Once the plane taxied down the runway, I gazed out the window, watching the world pass by in a blur of color and motion.
Despite my nervousness, a thrill of excitement began to build in my chest. I was on my way to a new adventure, ready to explore a new part of the world and discover all that it had to offer.
Finally, we landed, and I stepped off the plane, taking in the sights and sounds of a quiet airport. With my bag in tow as Dante took a hold of it for me making me grateful, we made my way through the crowds and out into the dark, eager to begin our journey.
We arrived at our hotel minutes later, and as I stepped out of the car, I was immediately struck by the breathtaking beauty of the scenery of lights around me.
The air was crisp and fresh, and I couldn't help but feel invigorated by the sheer majesty of it all.
"Here's your room's key card, Mr. Harrison," the receptionist said, her eyes making seductive contact with Dante as she handed him the card. A broad smile stretched across her face as she deliberately let her hand slide over his, a subtle gesture of flirtation.
Bitch.
I rolled my eyes at her attempt to sway Dante. Clearly, she had taste and could recognize phenomenal and outstanding men when she saw them, but she was barking up the wrong tree.
Despite my best efforts to remain calm and collected, I found myself frowning in annoyance. It wasn't that I was angry at her for lusting after Dante; in fact, I couldn't blame her for being attracted to him. He was a very attractive man indeed.
The possessive side of me couldn't stand the thought of anyone else looking at him that way. I acknowledged that it was irrational, attempting to push those foolish thoughts aside. However, my mind was persistent, and the unwarranted thoughts lingered, nonetheless.
It was as if I was fighting an inner battle, torn between my feelings for Dante and the fact that he had cheated on me along with that threat for me to stay the hell away from him.
He didn't even bother to scold her!
I approached the male receptionist to collect my room's key pass. "Here you go, darling," he said, handing me the pass. My eyes slightly widened at his choice of pet name, but his expression indicated that he didn't mean anything by it.
"Thank you." I exclaimed taking the keys from his hand, following closely behind Dante as we made our way towards our respective rooms.
Walking along the hallways, I noticed the receptionist shooting me a bitter look. Her envy was evident, her expressions betraying her feelings, likely due to Dante's attention towards me. Flashing a smug smile, I reveled in their obvious jealousy.
Soon we had reached our respective rooms, "We're next door to each other so if there's anything that you may need, you can just knock on my door, and I'll be happy to assist." Dante showed me his room number and I nodded my head at his suggestion.
The moment I entered my room I couldn't help but gawk at how beautiful it was. I hadn't seen such beauty and comfort in one room since running away from my previous life.
As I settled into my room and unpacked my belongings, I somehow knew that this was going to be a trip I would never forget. There was so much to see and do, so many new experiences to be had, and I was determined to make the most of every moment........Even though this was a business trip.
I plopped down on my bed, feeling quite exhausted. On one hand, I was grateful to be on this business trip with Dante, my boss, because of the benefits that came along with it.
However, I can't help but think about what could have been. I imagined us happily married with kids, creating a beautiful life together.
The moment those thoughts entered my mind, I slapped myself on the head, scolding myself for entertaining such notions. After all, we were just on a trip together, and there was no need to get carried away with romantic fantasies.
Despite the fact that our rooms were located next to each other, I made a conscious decision to keep my distance from Dante.
I knew that getting too close to him could only lead to trouble, especially given the complicated nature of our relationship. So, I resolved to maintain a safe distance and treat him as nothing more than a boss and employee relationship.
Dialing Mavis' phone number, my babies came into full view. Upon talking to my babies on the phone, my heart swelled with love and longing. It was difficult being away from them for an extended period of time, but hearing their voices made it a little easier.
I couldn't wait to see them again and hug them tight. The thought of being reunited with my family filled me with a sense of joy and contentment that was hard to put into words.
Suddenly, a knock echoed through my room, prompting me to open the door and find Dante standing there. In a swift move, I discreetly hid my phone and attempted to appear nonchalant.
"Is everything okay with your room, Faith? Are you comfortable enough? I wanted to make sure the room is to your liking," Dante inquired, his tone carrying a hint of concern.
"It's perfect," I assured Dante, though an uneasy feeling gnawed at me as his gaze lingered and scrutinized.
Despite only being separated from my children for a few hours, I missed them terribly. I couldn't bear the thought of Dante seeing them or them seeing Dante. Even though my babies didn't know Dante and Dante didn't know them, I couldn't risk it. I felt a pang of guilt for hiding my kids from their father, but I just knew I couldn't let Dante see me talking to them. I couldn't risk him finding out anything.
"Is there anything that you may need?" His change in behavior caught me off guard, and my mind raced with questions.
Was he merely being polite, or did his concern hide an ulterior motive? Why was he so overly concerned? Surely, it couldn't still be about the incident that caused me to faint? I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something about his tone and demeanor seemed different, leaving me with a lingering sense of suspicion.
"No, not at all," I assured him, trying to suppress the uneasy feeling that was creeping up inside me. However, despite my reassurances, I couldn't shake the sense that something was amiss.
As Dante bid me goodnight and headed towards his own room, I watched him go, wondering what was going on in his mind.
I immediately locked the door and let out a sigh of relief. I knew that I was playing a dangerous game, but I didn't know what else to do.
My marriage to Dante had ended on bad terms, and I couldn't risk losing my job or putting my babies in danger by revealing our past.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I couldn't keep living a lie. I loved Dante and I missed him terribly. I knew that I needed to come clean and tell him the truth, but I was afraid of what would happen if I did.
As I lay in bed, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions, I knew that I had a decision to make.
Would I continue to hide my secret and risk losing Dante forever? Or would I come clean and risk everything for the chance to be with the man I once loved? The answer wasn't clear, but one thing was certain - I couldn't keep living like this forever.
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