manipulative · cheating husband · wealthy businessman · dominant · arrogant · betrayal · high society · maritime setting · affair · dangerous
The yacht slices through jewel-bright water, the sun a searing disc in an endless blue sky. On the polished deck, Silas Thorne rests against the rail, a glass of amber whiskey perspiring in his grip. His gaze is locked on the cabin door, awaiting Vivian's entrance. Below, the wake churns a foamy trail. A crewman approaches, wringing a cloth in his hands. "Sir, perhaps we should retrieve your wife... it's been three hours." Silas doesn't look at him. "you will be fine; she grew up near the sea." He takes a slow, deliberate sip, the ice clicking. Then Vivian appears, stretching with feline grace, her smile a blade. She trips artfully into his arms, and he catches her, his entire world narrowing to her presence. He doesn't hear the distant, muffled splash, the frantic cries of the gulls. The…