Entangled With My Rival CEO

Chapter 28

A man stood gazing out of the window, his eyes fixed upon the boundless blackness beyond the glass.

Detached from the world around him, he felt adrift in a tempest of doubt.

His mind was consumed by his life and its uncertain direction.

Just then, a gentle arm wrapped around his waist, drew him into a comforting embrace.

He didn't need to look to know it was his wife. Her distinct fragrance confirmed her presence.

"Hi," she whispered softly into his ear. Her hands wandered up under his pyjama shirt, tracing soothing patterns across his skin.

"You're back," he said simply, his gaze still fixed on the window.

She hummed contentedly, her face nuzzling closer to his earlobe.

Despite her busy schedule running her modeling agency, Luminous Stars Modeling Agency, Clarissa always tried to spend quality time with her husband and children.

However, she often felt that it wasn't enough to make up for the time she had to spend away from them.

Clarissa was aware that her husband was probably mad that she couldn't attend the art auction at his gallery once again, and she wanted to find a way to make it up to him.

Taking in a deep breath, she pressed herself against his back, her hips tantalizingly close to his behind in a way that would make any man swoon.

But when he didn't respond to her affectionate gestures, she frowned.

"What's wrong, Honey?" she asked, showering his neck with soft kisses.

"Nothing," he replied, his tone devoid of emotion.

Instead of turning to her and embracing her, he stepped away from her touch.

"I just don't feel like it," he said matter-of-factly as he walked towards the bed and sat down.

"Again?" she asked, disbelief etched on her face. Her eyebrows furrowed as she narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

She crossed her arms over her chest with an exasperated sigh.

"Reynold, it's been two months since we've been intimate, and that's longer than we've ever gone without having sex," Clarissa said, her voice a mix of desperation and frustration.

For the past two months, she had been trying to reignite their physical relationship, but all she received in return were cold stares or monosyllabic responses.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked, trying to stay calm.

With his head bowed and hair obscuring his face, Reynold shook his head in refusal to answer Clarissa's questions.

She approached him on the bed, embracing him and pleading for him to open up to her.

"What's wrong? Is it because I couldn't make it to the auction?" she asked, sensing that his silence might be tied to her absence from the event.

To her surprise, Reynold was dismissive of her concern. "You've missed more important events that were dear to me. Why would I be upset about the annual art auction?"

The sharpness in Reynold's tone caught Clarissa off-guard.

She took a moment to compose herself before speaking again, her voice soft and steady. "I thought we had moved past this. Are you still holding grudges?" she asked, her red lips forming a thin line against her pale complexion.

Reynold's gaze met hers briefly before darting away, a tinge of coldness in his voice as he spoke, "Of course we are." His tone lacked conviction, making Clarissa question the sincerity of his words.

"I'm just really exhausted these days." He mumbled, the words sounding rehearsed and not quite truthful.

"The auction, followed by the fight between your nephew and John Fraser, took a toll on me. I just want to rest." He disengaged from her embrace and lay down on the bed, pulling the covers over himself and closing his eyes, clearly signaling an end to their conversation.

Clarissa stood there in disappointment, as she watched him drift off to sleep.

She decided to take a shower before retiring for the night, her mind still grappling with the unraveling of their relationship.

It used to be so full of love and intimacy, but now they communicated sparingly and even when she tried to initiate conversation, his responses were short and distant.

She couldn't help but wonder what had changed between them.

After changing into her pajamas, Clarissa climbed into bed and snuggled up next to her partner, hoping to feel his warmth.

However, he remained still, feigning sleep.

Clarissa sighed heavily, feeling a sense of disconnection.

Despite her efforts to ignore it, she found it difficult to fall asleep.

The emptiness in the bed beside her only amplified the feeling of his lack of affection, and it weighed heavy on her heart.

She turned to face the ceiling, searching for answers to the questions that plagued her mind, but no solution seemed to present itself.

She couldn't help but ponder the cause of his sudden change in behavior.

Was it something she said or did she overlook something else?

"Honey," she whispered, gently nudging his shoulder.

When there was no response, she called out louder, "Reynold!"

Finally, Reynold exhaled in frustration and opened his eyes, facing Clarissa.

"Can you please keep it down? You'll wake the kids," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry, I just couldn't get a response from you," Clarissa explained.

"What do you want?" Reynold asked, sounding tired as he threw off the blanket and sat up.

Clarissa hesitated before asking in a soft voice, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Reynold replied, but his answer was unconvincing.

Clarissa gave him a skeptical look. "You're not telling the truth."

Reynold raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her comment.

"How do you know?" Reynold asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Because you've been acting differently for a while now. It feels like you're distancing yourself from me, and it's really starting to worry me," Clarissa said, scooting closer to him and placing her hand on his hip in a comforting gesture.

Reynold shifted away from her touch, making her hand fall onto the bed. He avoided her gaze and spoke up.

"I told you before, I'm just really tired these days," he said, laying back down on his side with his back towards her.

"But you've been saying that for the past two months, and I miss our cuddles," Clarissa pouted.

Clarissa's heart sank as she observed Reynold's tense posture and unresponsive behavior.

She reached over and placed her arm around him, rubbing his lower back gently.

"Please, tell me if there's anything I did to upset you," she pleaded, planting soft kisses on his neck and earlobes.

She then seductively slid her hand down his pyjama pants and inside, caressing his shaft with her hand.

"So I can make it up to you," she whispered suggestively.

At first, Reynold didn't respond, but as Clarissa continued to stroke him, she could feel his body responding.

However, just as she thought she was making progress, Reynold suddenly grabbed her wrist and stopped her, causing her to yelp in surprise.

"Stop it," Reynold growled as he turned to glare at her.

Clarissa stared back at him, her heart racing. "Why?" she asked, genuinely confused.

Reynold's emerald green eyes were blazing with frustration and anger as he turned to face her.

He exhaled sharply, his voice thick with irritation as he spoke. "You can't keep doing this."

Clarissa gazed at him, her forehead furrowed with confusion. "Doing what?" she asked, genuinely bewildered.

Reynold's frustration was palpable as he replied, "You know what."

With a muttered sigh of irritation, he rose from the bed and headed towards the door. "You can have the bed. I'll sleep in one of the other rooms."

Tears pricked at the corners of Clarissa's eyes as she watched him leave.

"Reynold!" she cried out, her voice tinged with indignation as her throat tightened with emotion.