Mirabelle’s POV:
I woke up slowly, the morning light passing through the curtains and falling gently on Noah’s sleeping face. His body was sprawled across the bed. I smiled as I watched him sleep, his hair a little scattered. He looked peaceful, and I almost hated to disturb him.
It was Sunday, so neither of us had work to worry about. I stretched, careful not to wake him, and quietly slipped out of bed.
My stomach growled a little -apparently, I was hungrier than I thought. I ran across the room, brushing my teeth in the bathroom before making my way to the kitchen.
As I stepped into the kitchen, I immediately spotted Jamie. She was standing by the counter, engrossed in her phone. I didn’t think much of it at first, but as I took a step closer, I noticed the way she seemed to be focused so intently on her screen, like she was trying to hide something.
“Jamie!” I called out.
She jumped, her body shaking as if I’d startled her. And the phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor with a loud thud. For a moment, she just stared at it, her face pale, before she hurriedly bent down to retrieve it.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, taking a step forward.
Jamie straightened, her face flushed with, and she mumbled something I couldn’t quite catch. “I-I was just startled.”
I didn’t buy it for a second. Something was off.
“Really? You look like you were hiding something,” I said, crossing my arms as I raised an eyebrow.
Her eyes darted nervously to the phone in her hands, and I could see the way her fingers trembled as she held it. Without giving her a chance to speak, I snatched the phone from her, my gaze on her. She tried to pull it away, but I was faster.
I turned the phone on. And the screen revealed a lock screen.
“Password,” I said.
Jamie hesitated, clearly torn between resisting and obeying. Finally, she gave in and entered the code. The screen unlocked, and I was immediately hit with the headline of an entertainment gossip article.
“International Model Natasha Banks Spotted Leaving The Silver Fork With A Mysterious Man. She Was Later Seen Entering Her Apartment with Him. Who Is He?”
My heart sank. I scrolled further down the article, my hands beginning to tremble. The next picture wasn’t so clear, it was an image of a man stepping out of a car with Natasha and together they entered an apartment. And then-another photo, this one taken from a distance, of him exiting her apartment later in the evening, wearing an entirely different outfit.
The final blow came in the form of a caption: “An anonymous journalist posts a clearer picture of the man with Natasha. It is none other than billionaire CEO of SNS Inc., Noah Sylvester.”
The room began to spin around me as I processed the words. Tears welled up in my eyes before I could stop them. My hand shook uncontrollably, and the phone slipped from my fingers, falling with a soft thud onto the floor again. Jamie stood frozen, not sure whether to comfort me or stay out of the way.
I felt a rush of heat in my chest-anger, betrayal, confusion. The kind of emotions that made my head feel like it was going to explode. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. How could he?
I stood there for a long moment, trying to gather my thoughts, but nothing seemed to make sense. This wasn’t like Noah. He’d always been so trustworthy, so attentive. He had never given me a reason to doubt him. But this… this was a slap to my face.
I turned away from Jamie, desperate to get out of the kitchen, to find some air, but I froze in the doorway.
“Lend me your phone for a while,” I said, turning to Jamie. I didn’t wait for her to respond before bending down and picking up the phone.
I rushed back upstairs to our room, my heart pounding in my chest. Noah was sitting on the edge of the bed, his laptop open in front of him. His eyes lifted when I walked in, a soft smile spreading across his face.
“Morning,” He said, but I barely heard it.
I stood frozen in the doorway for a long time, my mind racing. What should I say to him? How could I look at him knowing what I now knew?
But my mouth was already moving before I could stop myself. “What’s this?” I demanded, holding up Jamie’s phone, showing him the article.
Noah blinked, looking momentarily confused before his eyes scanned the screen. When he realized what I was showing him, his face paled slightly.
“Mira, listen-”
“No, don’t you dare explain. You think I’m stupid?” I could feel the heat rising in my face. “You were with Natasha last night. You went to her apartment. You even changed your clothes.”
He stood up from the bed. “Mira, please,” he pleaded. “Let me explain.”
I was shaking now, my voice louder, and I could feel the tears threatening to fall again. “Explain what? What’s there to explain? You were there, with her, and then you left her apartment wearing something else. What does that look like to you, Noah?”
“I swear, it’s not what you think,” he said, taking a step forward.
“Not what I think?” I laughed bitterly, stepping back. “You think I’m going to believe that? I don’t care about whatever excuse you have. I care about the fact that you didn’t even think of telling me.”
I was practically yelling now. I saw Noah’s jaw tighten as he approached, but when I shoved him away from me, he stopped.
“Mira, please-”
“No!” I snapped. “I’m not listening to your excuses. You know what? I’ll get back at you. I promise I will.”
I turned around and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
I needed to get away from him, away from everything. I quickly dressed in a pink sundress and slipped on wedge heels. My hair was a messy bun. I didn’t care how I looked-I just needed to get out.
I grabbed my white Birkin bag and picked up my phone, dialing Ken’s number. “Hey, Ken,” I said as soon as he picked up. “I spoke with the investors last night, and they came up with a proposal. Why don’t we meet up today and discuss it?”
I heard him shift on the other end. “Sure, sounds good. I’ll be free this afternoon.”
“Great.” I replied. “I’ll text you the address.”
I hung up and slipped the phone back into my bag, walking past Noah as I left the room. He was standing at the edge of the bed.
I gave him one last glare. ‘I will make sure you regret what you did.’ I said to myself, then I walked out of the house.