The atmosphere in the Creed mansion had soured from domestic bliss to a tomb of regret. The air was thick with the smell of expensive scotch and the heavy silence of a man who had realized he traded a diamond for a stone.
"Amara left me... help me figure out how to get her back," Seb slurred, reaching for the bottle of amber liquid on the mahogany table.
Damien, his long-time friend, snatched the bottle away with a look of pure exasperation. "Stop drinking. I warned you, Seb. Secrets can't stay hidden forever. You didn't listen, and now you regret it. I don't think Amara will ever forgive you. Not after what happened."
"I don't want my Amara to be with Julian!" Seb roared, slamming his fist onto the table. The rage was a mask for the terror clawing at his throat. "I didn't expect him to be secretly in love with my wife for ten years. He's been waiting in the shadows like a vulture!"
