[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603220ECDF1-570":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},570,12,"Chapter 12: The Half-Box Lie","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was past nine when Roman finally arrived at Bauhinia Bay.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette had never been so relieved to see him. She lay slumped against the sofa, thinking that if he hadn't shown up, her parents would have worn her down to a nub with their relentless chatter. Fortunately, it seemed Roman had heard her silent pleas from afar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But the moment he stepped into the room, her ears gained their freedom, while her composure began to fray.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once they were in the car, the silence was heavy. Violette spent the drive turning over how to bring up the day’s events. The radio played softly, leaving the cabin filled with nothing but ambient noise. She realized then that when she wasn’t talking, Roman was just as quiet as she was. When the two of them were trapped in such a tight space, the air felt suffocating.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Had it always been this way?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As they neared their apartment, Roman pulled into the parking lot of a local convenience store. He said he needed to pick up a few things. Violette, still debating whether to open the conversation, didn’t pay much mind to his errand. But when he returned and tossed the plastic bag onto the console, she caught a glimpse of what he’d bought. Her cheeks flushed an instant, burning crimson.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"…Did we run out at home?\" she finally managed to blurt out, finding her opening.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"There was only half a box left,\" Roman replied calmly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Half a box. That hardly warranted a midnight run to the store.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette didn’t have the energy to parse his logic. She picked at the seatbelt strap across her midsection, her fingers restless. As the engine roared back to life, she let out a silent sigh. \"Are you angry?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Angry?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The engine cut out again. Roman turned, his expression unreadable as he looked at her. \"Why would you think that?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The interior ambient lights flickered on, tracing the sharp, cold lines of his jaw. A dozen seconds later, they dimmed, leaving the cabin bathed in the murky, burnt-orange glow of the streetlamps outside.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I interviewed Blake Pierce today,\" Violette said, her voice low. \"You know that, right?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I know.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It was supposed to be Emma’s assignment—the girl you met the other night. She got nervous and started feeling ill right before it started, so I had to step in.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman reached over the center console, his hand coming to rest firmly on the back of hers, a gesture that was half-caress, half-restraint. \"I’m not angry about that.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Then why didn't you call me?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman looked puzzled. \"Call you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She couldn’t see his expression clearly in the shadows, but she could hear the tone of his voice. Her initial assessment had been right: Roman wasn't the type to hold petty grudges. He genuinely wasn't angry.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But having already started the argument, she felt compelled to see it through. \"The call you made to my mother during dinner. Why didn't you just call me directly?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman chuckled. \"I had just finished my meetings and saw a missed call on my phone. I thought it would be more polite to call your mother back first.\" He paused, his gaze lingering on her. \"Besides, your line was busy.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Busy. Of course it was.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette turned her head away in embarrassment. \"Oh. Probably a spam call.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">With just a few words, the atmosphere shifted, sliding back into the familiar rhythm of their marriage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They reached home early enough. After Violette finished her shower, she emerged to find Roman had already used the guest bath. He was dressed in a silk robe, leaning against the headboard and scrolling through a tablet. When he heard her footsteps, he set the device aside. The dark, predatory focus in his eyes made the message clear.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette felt a sudden, sharp heat rising in her chest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She paused by the bedside table, switching off the main lights and leaving only the soft glow of the toe-kick LEDs. As she sat at her vanity, smoothing lotion over her skin, she felt his footsteps approach. A moment later, she was pulled back into his embrace.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His hands slid around her waist, his palms pressing into the unabsorbed lotion on her skin. He began to rub it in, his touch deliberate as he moved from her ankles upward.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Let me,\" Roman said.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette knew exactly what this was. This kind of mutual assistance was a staple of their domestic intimacy. She didn’t want to push him away on a day like today, so she tensed her calves and let him play the part of the devoted husband. Everywhere his hands touched, goosebumps bloomed. She bit her lip, her body feeling as raw and sensitive as the skin between her teeth.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Do you use the same lotion for your back?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I suppose so,\" she murmured.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You suppose?\" Roman tilted his head back, looking at her reflection.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette reached back and caught his wrists, finished with the slow, teasing pace. \"If you keep this up, I’m just going to have to shower all over again. You're wasting the lotion.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman didn't stop, his eyes fixed on her. \"If you're uncomfortable, I'll stop.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He was asking for her consent, yet his hands were already claiming her. Violette shook her head.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, in this space where both of them knew exactly what was happening, she felt a dangerous, skin-crawling pleasure. The rich scent of tropical fruit from the lotion filled the air, growing thicker and more intoxicating as their body heat rose.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman suddenly lifted one of her legs, pressing a firm kiss to her ankle like a man surrendering to his queen. \"Does that feel good?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It did.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette stayed silent, turning her face away to hide the flush.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">…\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The remaining half-box they had at home clearly hadn't been enough.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The sound of Roman tearing open a fresh package behind her sent a fresh jolt of electricity through her. Violette slumped into the mattress, her spine arching as he moved over her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"We’re going to have to shower again,\" she whispered, her voice fragmented.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I know,\" he murmured, his breath hot against her temple.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You’re going on forever today,\" she complained softly. \"I’m tired.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In their world, that usually meant the end. But tonight, Roman seemed not to grasp the subtext. He gripped her waist firmly, kissing the sweat-dampened hair at her temples. \"Just one more time.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They must have showered eventually.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When Violette woke up the next morning, she was dressed in a fresh set of pajamas. The fabric felt cool against her skin, but as the hem shifted, she could see the faint, indelible marks of the night before, scattered like petals across her legs. She tugged at her collar, finding that her chest hadn't been spared either.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette frowned at the mirror.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Why had he become so obsessed with leaving marks lately? Then again, she had no room to talk. She hadn't said 'no' once, had she?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She climbed out of bed, the apartment silent. The trash bin was empty—he’d already cleared it out. She pulled open her drawer and saw, with a flick of annoyance, that there were only two left.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Liar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He had said it was the last time.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Since she was off today, the thought of spending the day at home slowly recovering softened her resentment. When she walked out and saw breakfast warming in the oven, and spotted a sticky note on the fridge that read, \"The housekeeper is coming at noon, let her know what you want for lunch,\" any lingering irritation over Roman’s behavior vanished.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She wandered through the house, catching the low, rhythmic hum of the dryer on the balcony. She leaned over to peek inside, catching the silhouette of her undergarments tumbling within.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She couldn't help but smile.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Aside from the occasional bouts of unbridled, exhausting energy, Roman was, for all intents and purposes, a truly gentle husband.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She sank onto the sofa and pulled out her phone to text her \"hubby.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: I'm up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman: Breakfast is in the oven.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: I already ate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman: The cleaner will be there around noon to handle things. Don't worry about it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: Saw the note.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Roman: And?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Violette: Nothing. Just wanted to talk to you.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272917229]