Returning to the villa, Lucas was indeed not home.
The rooms remained impeccably clean and tidy, but a few suits and shirts were missing from their shared wardrobe—clear evidence he wouldn't be back for days.
An inexplicable sense of loss settled over her.
*Who was he traveling with this time?*
Sitting cross-legged on the carpet, she tilted her head in thought when her phone buzzed with a message.
Surprisingly, it was from Nathalie—the first time the woman had ever reached out to her.
The text flashed on the screen: *"Beauty, I heard you scraped your knee. Feeling better now?
Just so you know, I'll be traveling with Lucas these next few days.
If you can't reach him, feel free to contact me anytime!"
The tone was breezy, almost caring—but the real intention?
Only Nathalie knew.
This was her way of flaunting that she was with *her* man, and they'd be together for a while.
*Was this a deliberate provocation?*
Had *he* allowed this?
