The Space Between Heartbeats

Prologue

The penthouse was silent, save for the rhythmic ticking of the platinum watch on the nightstand-a gift Yunqi had never truly appreciated because it hadn't come from the hand he wanted.

Ayen sat at the edge of the sprawling king-sized bed, his fingers tracing the silk sheets. He was wearing the wedding ring, a heavy band of white gold that felt more like a shackle than a promise. In the other room, he could hear the clink of ice against glass. Yunqi was drinking again, staring at the portrait in his study-the one he thought Ayen didn't know about.

"You're thinking about him again," Ayen whispered to the empty room, his voice barely a tremor.

He knew his place. He was the "Safety Net." The "Strategic Alliance." He was the man who warmed the bed but never the heart. He was the one who stayed when the First Love ran, yet he was the one who felt like an intruder in his own home.

The door creaked open, and Yunqi stood there, his silhouette sharp against the hallway light. His eyes stayed on Ayen's face, but his mind was five thousand miles away, lost in a memory of a London airport and a promise that had been broken.

"Ayen," Yunqi said, his voice cold and devoid of the warmth Ayen craved. "Turn out the light. I have a board meeting at six."

No "I love you." No "How was your day?"

Ayen reached for the lamp, his heart fracturing just a little bit more. He was the husband on paper, the partner in the eyes of the world, but in this house, he was nothing more than a shadow.