Chapter 37

Kenya.

"Levi, you never stop being a tease," Kirsten remarked, her eyes shifting to me with a warm, knowing glint. "Never mind them, Kenya. You'll soon learn that the men in our husbands' circle possess a certain... dramatic flair."

Her husband, Henry Macklesfield, placed a hand on his chest feigning hurt, which drew a round of laughter from the group. I couldn't help but admire Kirsten. She possessed an effortless charisma—elegant, slightly curvy, with her hair beautifully braided and accented by a diamond pin. Her skin glowed with a hue similar to mine. Even Henry was striking, with auburn curls and golden eyes that seemed to dance with mischief.

“How are the kids?” Levi asked, breaking my musings. Kids? I looked at them in a new light. They both looked far too youthful to be parents.

“They’re wonderful, staying with their grandparents in Canada,” Henry replied, pulling Kirsten into an affectionate embrace and kissing her brow. The adoration between them was palpable—a connection built on genuine love. I felt a pang of envy.

As Levi offered champagne, I noticed Kirsten quietly decline. Levi followed her gaze to her silhouette, and his eyes widened.

"No way! You’re expecting?" Levi gasped, his voice brimming with genuine excitement. When they both nodded triumphantly, Levi pulled Kirsten into a celebratory hug. In that moment, I saw a different side of him—a loyal, joy-filled friend.

"Congratulations," I added, truly happy for them.

"It feels like a ray of sunshine after everything we’ve been through," Kirsten said, sharing an intimate look with Henry that made the air between them crackle with emotion.

“Catherine, Henry’s ex-wife, caused quite a stir recently,” Levi whispered in my ear, his breath grazing my skin in a way that was far too distracting. He briefly explained the scandal that had strained their relationship, involving family connections and legal battles.

"Let’s leave the ladies to get acquainted while we head to my office for a moment," Levi suggested, leading Henry away.

"I desperately need a break from these shoes," Kirsten confessed once they were gone. I smiled, feeling the ice between us break.

"Do they hurt?" I asked. I felt a minor wave of intimidation; Kirsten seemed to have everything—the perfect life, the perfect love, and now a new beginning.

"Terribly," Kirsten said, fixing me with a penetrating look. "But for a bride who just won the heart of a man like Levi, you look... troubled."

My mask slipped. “Is it that obvious?”

"Only if someone is looking closely. You have a way of glancing at your husband that suggests more than just wedding jitters."

I hesitated, then the words spilled out. “I don't love him, Kirsten.” I waited for her to judge me, to see me as the person the media portrayed.

Instead, she offered a soft smile. “If it’s any consolation, my marriage to Henry didn't start with love at first sight either. I had a past—a difficult one. My twins aren't biologically Henry’s, but he adopted them and loved them as his own from day one.”

I was stunned. The depth of Henry’s devotion was incredible.

"This baby is our first together," she continued. "But he has been true through every up and down. I’m not saying you have to love Levi today, Kenya. But give yourself permission to exist in this union. Don't let the circumstances of how it started enslave your future. Use the resources he’s given you to build something of your own. Re-invent yourself, just as I did."

Her words felt like a lifeline. "He... he blackmailed me into this," I whispered.

"Then use that 'blackmail' to fuel your own dreams," she encouraged, holding my hands. "Carve your own niche. Be the woman you always wanted to be. Don't let him—or anyone—extinguish your light."

I felt tears welling up, a release of all the tension I’d been carrying.