The mass doped slightly under his weight. It was a scent that was impossible to ignore. Even with the space between them, she could still catch the faint, familiar scent of cedarwood—Lucas’s scent—mixed with the warmth of his skin. It was a…

She traced. Lying on her side, her body went rigid, unmoving. Why hadn’t he left? Why was he back? Confusion whirled in her mind. They were getting divorced, and sharing a bed at this point felt almost absurd.

But Lucas didn’t utter a word. He didn’t touch her. It wasn’t long before his breathing evened out, as if he had already drifted off. Evelyn wasn’t even there.

Slowly, her tense nerves began to settle. It made sense; he was just keeping up appearances for Maria. That was the only reason he was here. Lucas had always been cold and distant with her. Even when they had slept together, it had been a duty, not a desire. He had never really wanted her. That thought was enough for Evelyn to finally let sleep pull her under.

The next morning, she was startled awake by the vibration of a phone next to her pillow. Still half-asleep, she reached for it and blindly swiped to answer. A woman’s voice, soft and teasing, came through the speaker.

“Good morning, Luca. Are you picking me up late?”

Evelyn snapped awake, the realization hitting her like a slap to the face.

“Lucas? Ace, you there? Is someone with you?” the woman on the phone asked, suspicion creeping into her tone.

Evelyn instinctively turned to glance at the person beside her. Before she could react, a warm, solid body pressed against her back, strong arms caging her in, pulling her into the heat of his chest.

The suddenness sent a rush of awareness through her. She could feel his presence, his scent, and his sheer intensity. Stunned, she turned her head.

Lucan was already awake. His expression was calm and alert, as if he had been up for a while. Without a word, he reached over and smoothly slipped the phone from her hand and answered.

Evelyn’s chest tightened. She was his legal spouse, yet she felt like some secret that needed to be hidden, like she was the one who had to avoid being caught. Her back remained pressed against his solid frame; his body heat was unmistakable. His voice flashed, and she instinctively tried to pull away.

Lucas moved first. He sat up, putting distance between them. “I’ll call you later.” Then, he hung up and looked at her.

Evelyn straightened, regaining her composure. “Sorry, I didn’t realize it was your phone.”

Lucas let out a short, amused sigh. He nodded and walked toward the bathroom. “Then do me a favor, Grant. Don’t make that mistake again.” Evelyn pressed her lips together. She got the message. He was worried Tiffany would understand, or worse—he thought she had done it on purpose.

She frowned slightly. No explanation would change his mind. She got out of bed, tidied herself up, and headed to freshen up.

Lucas stepped out just as Evelyn was passing by. He had noticed it earlier, how much thinner she had become. Nose up close, her bare face looked even more pale, drained of color. Without thinking, he suddenly asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Evelyn froze. Her fear leapt from sheer surprise. Lucas studied her for a moment before speaking again, his voice unusually neutral as he asked, “Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

The unexpected question jolted her back to reality. Had he noticed something? Did she look that bad? She couldn’t let him find out. If Lucas knew she was sick, it would only give him more reason to justify his actions.

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine.” His concern caught her off guard.