Chapter 23
In this chapter, Vanessa surprises Daven by insisting on accompanying him into his office, a departure from her usual behavior. She is deliberately affectionate and publicly possessive, wanting to assert their relationship in front of others, especially given the tension caused by the fact that Daven is still legally married to another woman. Vanessa’s desire for attention and closeness contrasts sharply with Daven’s increasingly cold and detached demeanor, highlighting a growing emotional distance between them.
Vanessa’s clinginess and demands for Daven’s focus frustrate him, and he responds with a quiet warning to stop, signaling a shift in their dynamic. Despite Vanessa’s efforts to maintain a public display of their engagement, Daven remains emotionally withdrawn, letting her leave without a response. This tension sets the stage for the deeper conflicts underlying their relationship.
Once alone in his office, Daven is haunted by memories of the previous night with Althea. Unlike his reserved and loyal feelings toward Vanessa, his encounter with Althea is charged with raw emotion and pent-up frustration. The chapter reveals Daven’s internal struggle with the forced marriage arranged by his grandmother and the guilt and confusion he feels over his actions with Althea.
Daven’s reflections on the night with Althea are vivid and intense, showing a side of him that is conflicted and vulnerable. The chapter ends with him caught between his obligations to Vanessa and the complicated feelings stirred by Althea, underscoring the emotional turmoil that defines his current situation.
Chapter 23
“Why are you coming up with me?” Daven asked, his brow furrowed in genuine confusion at Vanessa’s unusual behavior. Usually, she would have him drop her off somewhere before he headed into the office, never tagging along inside.
But today was different.
“Am I not allowed?” Vanessa responded softly, her voice sweet and smooth like honey. “Does it bother you p>
In truth, Daven rarely found fault with anything Vanessa did. He was accustomed to her doing whatever she wanted, and this kind of clinginess wasn’t new to him.
“I just want to walk my future husband to his office,” she said with a bright, almost radiant smile, slipping her arm through his and leaning in close as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She didn’t seem to mind the curious eyes on them. Employees were beginning to arrive, and some glanced their way, whispering quietly among themselves.
Of course they noticed. Vanessa Blake was impossible to overlook.
She wasn’t just a strikingly beautiful woman. She was a renowned model, frequently the face of top brands, and occasionally appeared in films—even if only in supporting roles. Her face was recognizable, and her presence impossible to ignore.
Normally, Vanessa hated being the center of attention in places like this. One wrong headline or an ill-timed photo could ruin everything. But today, she welcomed the spotlight. She wanted people to see. To understand.
To know that Daven Callister belonged to her.
Especially one woman.
The one who was still legally his wife.
“Can I at least walk you to the elevator?” she asked, her tone playful and affectionate, her eyes never leaving his. “I haven’t had enough time with you yet p>
She wanted everyone around to witness the image they made—a couple deeply in love, wrapped up in each other, leaving no room for anyone else.
“Do whatever you want,” Daven said, his voice cool and detached.
He didn’t pull away or argue. Maybe after everything, he’d grown used to it. This wasn’t the first time Vanessa had acted clingy, and in the past, he had even found it endearing.
But today… something about it grated on his nerves.
Something had shifted.
“Why are you so cold to me this morning?” Vanessa asked, pouting as she pressed closer, her voice turning into a whine as she clung to his side, bold and unbothered. “Did I do something wrong p>
“Vanessa,” Daven said quietly, his voice low and firm, a whisper edged with warning. “That’s enough p>
She sighed, clearly annoyed.
Without realizing it, they had stopped right in front of the elevator.
“I don’t know what’s going on with you today, Daven,” she said sharply. “But I’m your fiancée. You need to focus on me. Don’t forget, I waited for you. I stayed loyal without making a fuss. So don’t treat me like I’m invisible p>
With that, she pressed a quick, possessive kiss to his cheek—short, challenging, and full of unspoken demands.
Vanessa’s final words echoed in his mind long after she walked away.
“Have a great day at work, my darling fiancé. I’ll send you the fitting schedule for your wedding tux. Bye, darling p>
Daven didn’t respond. He let her leave without a glance back. When the elevator doors slid open, he stepped inside, his eyes never following her retreating figure.
His office felt eerily silent.
So quiet that even the hum of the air conditioning seemed overwhelmingly loud. Usually, Daven never had a moment to sit still—his workload was relentless, a constant tide of demands. But for the first time that morning, he found himself staring blankly at his computer screen.
Doing absolutely nothing.
“Breakfast,” he muttered under his breath.
Not because the meal itself was anything special, but because of how Althea had served it. The gentle way she moved. The quiet, tired smile she managed to wear with such grace. The faint blush that colored her cheeks when he asked her… that one question.
He hadn’t meant for last night to happen. From the start, Daven had promised himself he wouldn’t touch her. His loyalty belonged to Vanessa. His love had always been reserved for her. But somehow, the anger and frustration he’d been burying—the resentment over the choices forced upon him, the marriage he never wanted—had spilled out in front of Althea.
This marriage should never have existed. His grandmother should have compensated Althea’s mother properly for her death, not forced Daven into a union he never chose.
So why had it come to this?
Why was he replaying everything from last night over and over in his mind?
“Dav…” he could still hear her breathy, broken moan of his name. Her flushed face, damp hair clinging to her temples. “Please… slower,” she had whispered, arms wrapped around his shoulders.
“Slower?” he had smiled against her lips, brushing a kiss there. “Althea, if I go slow, it won’t feel as good p>
He hadn’t held back.
He had driven himself into her again and again, until she was trembling, arching, crying out his name in a way that nearly drove him mad. Her moans were breathless, filled with desire and longing, making his head spin. At some point, tears had slipped down her cheeks, yet she never once told him to stop. Instead, she clung to him like he was all she had.
The chapter delicately unravels the complex emotions tethered to Daven and Vanessa’s strained relationship, revealing the cracks beneath their public facade. Vanessa’s bold display of affection and possessiveness contrasts sharply with Daven’s growing detachment, highlighting the tension between duty and desire. Her yearning to be seen and acknowledged collides with his internal conflict, setting a poignant stage for the emotional distance that now defines their interactions.
Simultaneously, Daven’s thoughts linger on Althea, whose quiet vulnerability and unexpected intimacy awaken feelings he thought were reserved for Vanessa alone. This juxtaposition underscores the turmoil within him—a man caught between loyalty to a marriage he never chose and the raw, unguarded connection he shares with another. The chapter closes on this fragile balance, capturing the silent battles waged in the heart and the shadows cast by past choices.
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled emotions and unspoken tensions simmering beneath the surface of Daven’s life. As Vanessa’s public display of possessiveness contrasts sharply with Daven’s internal turmoil, readers can expect the fragile balance between duty, desire, and loyalty to be tested in ways that might force him to confront difficult truths. The quiet moments in his office hint at a growing restlessness, one that could lead to choices with far-reaching consequences.
Meanwhile, Althea’s presence lingers like a shadow, her vulnerability and the night they shared casting a new light on Daven’s conflicted heart. The emotional weight of their connection, combined with the obligations imposed by his family, sets the stage for a complex dance of passion, guilt, and perhaps unexpected alliances. As the story unfolds, the characters’ intertwined fates will challenge their understanding of love, loyalty, and the sacrifices they are willing to make.
Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.