Secretly His: May The Best Man Dare To Kiss The Bride!

"Melanie, why don't you step away for a few days? I can take care of Saturday's interview."

At the sound of that, Melanie Shaw turned her head and answered in an even tone, "Thanks, but I'm fine. Really."

The day before, an anonymous envelope had arrived. Inside were several photographs. In each one, her husband stood close to a woman she didn't recognize, their bodies pressed together in ways no marriage should allow. The message needed no explanation. He was involved with someone else.

Tucked in with the photos was the address of a jewelry store.

Pulling herself back to the present, Melanie said, "You can go ahead. I'll walk around by myself for a bit."

Once her assistant left, her eyes drifted again toward the jewelry store across the street.

Through the glass, a man dressed in a fitted suit had his arm wrapped around a woman's waist. His expression carried warmth that felt intimate.

With a slight tilt of her chin, the woman gave him room to clasp a necklace around her neck.

They spoke to each other with easy smiles, and the closeness between them left no room for doubt.

For several seconds, Melanie kept watching before she forced herself to look elsewhere.

The suited man was none other than her husband, Gabriel Clayton.

As for the woman beside him, she had been a stranger until recently.

According to the investigator she hired, the woman was a well-known beauty influencer named Chelsey Wallace.

A sharp sting burned behind Melanie's eyes, and a heavy ache spread through her chest. She reached for the edge of a nearby counter to steady herself.

Ten full years. She had given Gabriel ten years of her life, yet now she stood outside like an outsider, quietly witnessing the happiness he shared with someone else.

Nearby, a sales clerk spoke to a coworker without lowering her voice. "That's the famous beauty influencer everyone's talking about. Her career's taking off, and she's got such a devoted boyfriend too. She's really blessed."

Every word landed on Melanie like a blade she couldn't see. The pain didn't stay on the surface. It sank deep and settled in her chest. Of course, that woman was blessed.

Without thinking, Melanie stepped away from the counter and drifted toward a quieter corner, yet her gaze betrayed her and returned to the couple.

Chelsey didn't come from wealth, and she didn't carry herself with the same polish Melanie had been taught. Still, her features were soft and appealing. Her eyes, bright and expressive, held nothing back as she looked at Gabriel.

A storm of questions rose in Melanie's mind. What had Chelsey done to win over the man who used to treat his wife with patience and care? How had she managed to erase ten years of devotion and make him cast aside his promises? When had he fallen so completely for a rising influencer whose fame had come almost overnight?

Tears blurred Melanie's vision.

——

By the time Melanie