A Second Chance For Revenge

When I reached the door, my nerves prickled beneath the surface, but I forced myself to stay calm. I took a steady breath, smoothing out any trace of unease. I couldn't afford to let it show, not here, not now.

I opened the door and stepped inside, my eyes scanning the room quickly, trying to prepare for whatever I might find. Relief washed over me, light and unexpected. The space wasn't what I had imagined. I'd expected something grand and intimidating, somewhere calculated to keep me on edge.

Instead, it was just a simple workspace. A desk sat by the window, papers stacked in uneven piles, as though they'd been left in the middle of a thought. Bookshelves lined the walls, crammed with volumes that looked well-read rather than decorative. The air was quiet, filled only with the faint stillness of a room meant for thinking rather than performing.

It was surprisingly unassuming, and that comforted me more than I expected. This wasn't the kind of room designed to overwhelm. It felt practical, functional—a space meant for conversation.

I straightened my back, letting the tension in my chest ease slightly. Whatever lay ahead, at least here I wouldn't feel completely out of my depth.

Before I could even get to the main topic with Phillip, the familiar buzz of my phone interrupted us. It was Tila again. I frowned at the screen, her name flashing across it. She'd already called twice, and I hadn't picked up. I didn't need to answer. Not now.

The phone continued to vibrate on the table, a silent threat that I had to face sooner or later. But the more it rang, the more I realized how much I didn't want to pick up. How much I wanted to stay here

I think I'll stay the night here," I said, my voice steady but deliberate, as I met Phillip's gaze. The words were almost casual, but I knew how much weight they carried.

I didn't need to explain more. The tension in the air thickened, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was the kind of power play that I had grown used to, the one where every action had a ripple effect.

The quiet between us stretched for a moment, but Phillip didn't say anything more. He didn't need to. He understood exactly what I was doing, and that was enough.

Phillip's voice broke the silence, teasing, playful in a way that made me pause. I raised an eyebrow, sensing that he was about to push me in a direction I didn't quite want to go.

"If we're deciding to spend the night," he said with a faint smirk, "a man and a woman, sharing a room…" His voice trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, but his meaning hung in the air between us.

I felt my pulse quicken, an unexpected warmth spreading through me. I refused to let him see it. "What are you implying?" I asked, my tone more even than I felt.

He leaned back in his chair, clearly enjoying himself. "Well," he said slowly, as if savoring the moment, "it's only natural to assume that something must have happened, right? I mean, a harmonious married life is, after all, an important part of marriage." His eyes gleamed with amusement, studying me as though I were a puzzle he was waiting to solve.

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, I found myself caught in the net he'd cast so effortlessly. My mind raced, but I forced myself to stay composed. I had to. He wanted me to react, to show a crack in the armor I had built.

But I didn't bite. "I'm not sure where you're going with this," I replied coolly, crossing my arms in front of me as if that could shield me from the uncomfortable tension he was trying to create.

Phillip chuckled softly, his gaze never leaving mine. "Just an observation," he said smoothly. "But if you're staying the night, in my room no less, the world might start to assume things. And assumptions, well, they're such powerful things, aren't they?"

I felt a flutter of something strange in my chest, but I refused to let it show. "I don't care what the world assumes," I said, my voice steady. "I'm here because I choose to be."

"Of course," he said, that knowing smile still in place. "But people don't always see it that way." He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering. 

His words lingered in the air, heavy with meaning. I could feel the subtle challenge beneath them, the unspoken dare to make a choice. A choice that would shift the way the world saw me. The way I saw myself.

But I couldn't give him the satisfaction of an immediate reaction. I wouldn't. Not yet.

"So?" I said, pushing my emotions down, focusing on the task at hand. "Let them assume. I'm not here for anyone's approval."

Phillip studied me for a long moment, as if weighing my words. The smile on his lips didn't fade, but something in his eyes softened, a flicker of respect—or maybe something else—passing between us.

"Very well," he said after a beat, settling back into his ch

air. "Let's see where this night leads, then."