Suspicious Shade

Chapter 9: Kiss

Felix chuckled, clearly unconvinced by her response. "You know, Yve," he said, his voice taking on a more sinister tone. "I can tell when you're lying."

Yve felt a shiver run down her spine at his words, her anxiety growing by the second. But she held her ground, refusing to give in.

"I'm not lying," she insisted, her voice shaky.

Felix seemed to sense her anxiety and unease, and his smirk widened. He leaned back in his seat, still regarding her with a calculating expression.

"You sure about that?" he asked, his voice nonchalant. "Because it seems like there's more going on here than just a simple night of drinking and talking."

Yve felt a surge of guilt rush through her as Felix's words sank in. She knew he was right, but the thought of admitting to what she had done was too terrifying to bear.

"I...I..." she stuttered, her voice failing her. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she tried to conjure up an excuse, anything to get out of this conversation.

But before she could come up with anything, Felix just shrugged, a look of disinterest crossing his face. "You know what?" he said, changing the subject. "It doesn't even matter. If you don't want to tell me what happened, that's fine."

Yve was taken aback by his sudden indifference. She had expected anger or shock, but he was acting as if they were discussing something trivial.

Felix leaned back in his seat, his expression nonchalant. "I mean, it's not like we're in some passionate love match or anything," he said, his tone almost casual. "Our marriage is just an arrangement, after all. Why should I care what you do with other men?"

Yve felt a pang of hurt at his words. Maybe it was true that their marriage was an arrangement, but hearing him speak about it so casually still stung.

"So...you're saying you don't care that I spent the night with another man?" she asked, her voice betraying her vulnerability.

Yve took a deep breath, forcing herself to match Felix's casual facade. She shrugged, her expression becoming cold and stoic.

"You're right," she said, her tone mirroring his. "Why should either of us care? It's just an arrangement, after all."

Felix chuckled at her response, clearly amused by her attempt to mirror his nonchalant attitude.

"Exactly," he said, a smirk on his face. "We're just going through the motions, Yve. It doesn't matter who either of us spend the night with."

Yve nodded, still trying to hide the guilt and shame that was gnawing at her inside.

"Yeah," she agreed, her voice flat. "It doesn't matter."

Felix chuckled again, clearly entertained by their conversation. "You know, Yve," he said, his smile widening. "I have to admit, it's kind of liberating, isn't it? Knowing we don't have to pretend to care about each other's feelings."

Yve felt a pang of unease at his words, but she kept her expression neutral.

"I guess so," she replied, her voice still emotionless. "It does streamline things, doesn't it?"

Felix chuckled, clearly enjoying their cold, unfeeling banter. "Oh, absolutely," he said, his tone almost playful. "No pesky emotions to deal with, no need to consider each other's feelings. Just a simple, functional arrangement."

As Yve sat in the car, still uncomfortable with the conversation they were having, she suddenly remembered the party Felix had planned.

"By the way," she said, her voice still detached. "Don't you have that big party planned for my birthday tomorrow? Shouldn't you be getting ready for that?"