Chapter 21

Hannah and Viona continued to stay with me for the next few days, though the atmosphere remained icy whenever Noah was present. I avoided him at every turn. If he entered a room, I’d find an excuse to leave. If he tried to speak, I’d increase the music volume or engage Viona in a loud conversation.

By the evening of the third day, the tension was palpable. Even Viona seemed weary. Over dinner, she declared, “You need to talk to him. I can’t take this anymore.”

I paused, mid-bite. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Come on, Hannah. Whatever’s happening, giving him the cold shoulder isn’t helping.”

Yeah, right, I thought wryly. Nothing ever helps; I could try to make amends, but Noah’s still in love with Zoe, probably sleeping with her, and I’m going to catch him.

Later that night, in the study reviewing paperwork for the eating disorder campaign, I heard a knock. “Come in,” I called, expecting Viona.

The door opened to reveal Noah, and I instantly regretted not locking it. “Get out,” I said coldly.

“Enough, Hannah,” he growled, entering and shutting the door. “We need to talk.”

I remained focused on the papers. “I’m busy.”

Noah slammed his hand on the desk, making me jump. “I know what you’re doing,” he accused, jabbing a finger at me. “You planted that picture in my offering bundle at the Lunar Festival, didn’t you?”

That grabbed my attention. I looked up, eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he snapped. “You’re trying to make me look bad, create a cheating scandal so you can look better during the divorce. It’s typical of you to scheme like this. And to think I believed you felt genuine remorse after your last scheme against Zoe.”

Anger surged. I had felt genuine remorse… before realizing Noah was still deeply in love with Zoe and likely sleeping with her regularly.

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you,” I sneered. “I don’t need to ‘scheme,’ Noah. You’re suspicious enough on your own. I’ll catch you in your lies, and then you’ll be sorry.”

Noah ran a hand through his hair. “What do I need to do to prove I’m not sleeping with Zoe?” he hissed.

I shrugged. “How about you travel back in time and decide not to place that picture of you two in your offering bundle?”

“I’ve told you a hundred times, Hannah… I didn’t put that picture there. Zoe still has her copy, so she didn’t either. You’re the only one who could have known where I kept it.”

“Is that so?” I scoffed. “Why did you even keep that picture, Noah?”

“It’s just a picture. I’m allowed to keep old photos.”

“It’s more than ‘just a picture,’ Noah. Zoe wasn’t just an ex. She was your fated mate, and you never got over her.”