The moments after David uttered his question felt like an eternity. Elara could hear the pounding of her own heart, beating wild and frantic in her ears, as if trying to burst out of her chest. The cold diamond earring in David's palm felt like a dagger held to her throat.
David must not know about Kael. The sentence spun in her head, her only anchor to sanity. If David knew Kael was here, everything would explode. The broken promise, the forbidden kiss—it would all shatter the life they had built.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady the tremor in her hands and voice. The tears that had welled up earlier were forcefully held back, replaced by a thin, managed layer of panic.
"Oh my God! My earring!" she exclaimed, trying to sound relieved and annoyed, not guilty. Her hand flew to her now-bare earlobe. "I just realized it was missing. Thank you, Darling."
She took the earring from David's hand. Their fingers brushed momentarily, and Elara could feel the steel-cable tension in her husband's arm.
"How did this happen, El?" David asked, his voice still flat and dangerous. His eyes, like lasers, scanned every expression on her face, searching for cracks, searching for the lie. "And you... you look shaken."
This was the most critical moment. Elara averted her face, pretending to brush non-existent dust from her dress while avoiding his direct gaze.
"I... I felt a bit dizzy earlier," she began, launching into the lie she had concocted in her panic. "I went out for some air, but instead of getting better, my head started spinning more. I almost fell on the terrace." She lifted her face, showcasing the remnants of her earlier weakness. "A man—I didn't recognize him, probably another guest—happened to be passing by and steadied me. I think... in the confusion, my earring must have gotten pulled off accidentally."
She let out a sigh, trying to look tired and annoyed with herself. "I felt so foolish. I needed a few minutes to sit down and collect myself on a garden bench before I dared to come back in."
Silence hung between them. David didn't move. His face was a stone mask, giving no indication whether he believed her or not. Elara could feel a cold sweat trickling down her back.
"This man... what was his name?" David finally asked, his voice like a razor blade. "I should thank him for assisting my wife."
Elara's heart nearly stopped. "I... I didn't ask, David. I was too embarrassed and unwell. He left right after making sure I was okay." She reached for David's arm, attempting to show vulnerability. "Please, don't make this a thing. I already feel embarrassed enough. I just want to go home."
She searched David's eyes, trying to read what was behind them. Anger? Suspicion? Or... concern?
Finally, after a torturous few seconds, David let out a long breath. He didn't wrap his arm around her shoulders as he usually would. Instead, he just placed a stiff hand on her lower back, guiding her to turn around.
"You shouldn't have gone off alone if you weren't feeling well," he said, his tone still cool, but no longer threatening. "Let's go home. I'll tell the host you suddenly fell ill."
It wasn't forgiveness. It was a truce. A postponement.
As they walked through the ballroom, Elara forced a weak, apologetic smile for the host they encountered. Inside, she was trembling. Every laugh, every spotlight, felt like it was illuminating her betrayal.
And as they finally left the building, entering the silent cabin of the Rolls-Royce, she knew this wasn't the end. It was the beginning of a new game—a game where she would have to keep lying, keep acting, while a burning secret hid behind her smile, ready to explode at any moment.
David might not know about Kael tonight. But he had planted a seed of doubt. And that seed, once sown, would grow into a tree of suspicion hard to uproot. The ride home was silent and suffocating. Elara stared out the window, the phantom sensation of Kael's kiss still burning on her lips, while the weight of the fresh lie she had just told began to tighten around her neck.