Married to my suspect

JONATHAN'S POV

As tempted as I was to knock on that door to remind my wife that we had been talking first, I resisted and worked out my frustration by burning holes into the tiled floors. She came back out and went back to her position by her side of the bed, and everything be darned, I couldn't help but take notice again how beautiful she was without makeup. Even in that shapeless baggy top and oversized shorts, she still looked absolutely pleasing to the eye. Her hair was in a messy bun atop her head. I cleared my throat to get my mind out of the gutter. Hopefully, she had no clue what I was thinking.

"Sorry about that." She apologized, and I waved her apology away like it didn't matter, even though it did. As much as I hated to admit it, I'd felt a feeling like this before. Why was it that when I was finally ready to accept the way I was feeling for the woman, she was asking for a divorce. Or was it the reverse?

"Where did I stop?" She asked, and I started blankly at her like I didn't remember, even though I did. Looking at it now, I hardly forgot what she said, looked like or even smelt like.

When the silence lengthened, I finally decided to help her. "You were offering an idea on what we could do."

The blankness in her face didn't change. "I mentioned the fact that there are circumstances right now that won't make the divorce easy, and you mentioned that it could be quiet. You wanted to say something else before the call came in."

I could see the regret in her face as she struggled to remember her train of thoughts, and I decided to do something crazy. I had definitely caught moments when she had been happy with me, and it had seemed like there had been a connection between us, or maybe I was being delusional, I no longer cared. I moved the vanity chair closer to her, watching the confusion grow on her face. "I know this started with a contract, but it's not been too bad right? Having you been by my side…" I watched her reaction and finished in a softer tone. "I don't want to lose what is between us."

Her eyes widened, and her breath started coming faster and more labored. I'd certainly expected her to be surprised, maybe pleased, confused, even disgusted was an option, but not for her to have a panic attack at my words.

I jumped to my feel to go and check on her, but she held shaking hands forward. I stopped in my tracks.

"Danielle." I said in a low tone, watching as she struggled to breathe. The times I'd seen her like this was when she came out of a violent nightmare. The fact that my not confession brought out a reaction this intense made something clench hard in my chest.

Regardless, I continued talking to her in low tones with soothing words I don't remember saying. Thankfully, she was able to relax, and her breathing became less labored. I took in a deep breath of relief when she finally lifted her head to look at me, but the relief turned into fear at the panic in her eyes.

"I'll just go back to my office." I said, heading softly to the door. I opened it and turned to see tears running down Danielle's face. "I'm really sorry."

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I responded to the mail I'd intentionally ignored, feeling in the right headspace to do so now. The best way to not think about what had just happened was to turn my focus to something else.

'Stay out of my family's business, and the worst your daughter will carry is the stain of being fired. Push further, and you'll find I can bury her reputation faster than you can rescue it.'

It hadn't taken long to find out what gave Julia, the woman I regretted ever meeting, so much power that she thought she could do what she wanted. Her father, a man known to prey on successful companies by first buying into them when they went public and then manipulating other shareholders into selling their shares to him. After which he ran the companies into debt. He had gotten bolder than asking his daughter to pretend to be in love with me. He is now sending me threatening mails.

I typed send and hit my fists on the table. I needed a drink. Or Ethan. I missed my brother. The anger drained as quickly as it had come, leaving only the hollow ache I could never shake. Ethan would've known what to say. He would definitely have had a word of advice for me. I sighed and got down on my knees, looking for something I'd hidden here the last time Danielle and I had been in this very room. I picked up the pen and sighed. I still couldn't forget Ethan's face and cautious voice when he had handed the pen to me like it was a family heirloom he shouldn't have been caught selling.

DANIELLE'S POV

Life sucked, but nothing could compare to how I was feeling right now. Why did I have a panic attack? Why did he have to say that? Why, when I had made up my mind? But most importantly, why had I freaked out and had a panic attack? What the heck was wrong with me?

I let the tears drop freely down my face as I considered what my next course of action would be.

I stood up on limp legs and trod into the bathroom to wash my face, solidified with my resolve. I poured water on my face and looked myself in the mirror. I needed to fix this and do that now, and the best way I could do that was to go back and reset everything, right from the beginning.

I stepped out of the room and moved in the dark until I got to Jonathan's office. I took a deep breath of courage and opened the door. I tensed as Jonathan turned towards the door at my entry and dropped the pen in his hand in his haste to stand up. Rather than the relief I would have expected at my presence, at that moment, he looked like someone that had been caught in a lie.

"Are you okay?" He asked, walking slowly towards me, as if expectant of an attack. "Do you need something?"

"I need to talk to you." I replied and closed the door, strengthening my resolve at the same time. I'd come too far to back out.

Jonathan was still staring at me in curiosity. "About what?" He asked.

Rather than answering him with words, I walked on trembling legs to the chair he had just vacated and bent to pick up the pen. "This."