~LAYLA~
I was still half-asleep when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. The morning light filtered through my curtains, and I squinted at the screen to see Erica's name flashing.
"Have you seen the news?" she asked breathlessly as soon as I picked up.
"No, what's up?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and trying to shake off the fog of sleep. "It's barely seven in the morning."
"Check online. Now." She hung up abruptly, leaving me confused and slightly alarmed.
I grabbed my phone with both hands, my heart already starting to race as I navigated to the news sites.
The first headline made my blood run cold: "TROUBLE IN PARADISE? Sources close to the power couple suggest all may not be well in the O'Brien household."
I scrolled down, reading every word with growing horror. They were questioning our marriage, pointing out that we were rarely seen together outside of business functions, analysing our body language in photos. My stomach twisted into knots.
