The realization hit Ethan like cold water. Ethan set his glass down and looked at Sophie."You're right," he said. His voice was low. "I needed to see this. All of it."Sophie's eyebrows rose a fraction. She clearly hadn't expected the admission to come so easily."Coming here tonight," Ethan continued, "was the right call. You helped me."A slow, triumphant smile spread across Sophie's face. She tilted her beer toward him in a mock toast."Well," she said, drawing the word out like taffy, "since you're feeling so grateful — how about returning the favor?"Ethan's eyes narrowed. "What kind of favor?""A small one." Sophie held up her thumb and index finger, barely a centimeter apart. "Tiny, really.""Spit it out." Sophie set her bottle down and leaned forward, both elbows on the table."Day after tomorrow. College reunion. Our old classmates — mine and Vivian's." She paused, letting the name hang in the smoky air. "Vivian will be there. And Damian will be right beside her, playing th

Two evenings later, as work let out, Ethan sent a message to Aurora telling her he had a gathering today and would be returning late, before heading downstairs.Sophie's red BMW sat idling at the curb, engine purring like a cat that had been waiting too long for dinner.Ethan spotted her the second he stepped through the revolving doors. She was impossible to miss — black designer dress clinging to every curve, silver-gray hair swept over one shoulder, crimson lips pursed in an exaggerated pout."Darling, would it kill you to leave five minutes early? I've been roasting out here for half an hour."Ethan didn't respond to the complaint. His eyes swept the sidewalk — two Stellaris employees lingered near the entrance, already glancing their way."Get in the car," he said. "Now."Sophie's pout deepened. "Not even a compliment? I spent two hours —""Sophie." His voice was flat. "Last time you showed up here, three departments were gossiping about it for a week. Drive."She huffed. “Fine,“

Ethan set down his knife. Slowly. He turned to face her, expression flat as a frozen lake."Enough of what?" "You're my husband." Vivian's voice climbed half an octave. "And you're sitting here letting this woman feed you like some — like some kept pet. In front of everyone. Do you think this is funny? Do you think I'll just sit here and watch?""But darling, it really is funny." Sophie took the opportunity to lean into Ethan.Vivian caught the movement. Her voice dropped. "Sophie Whitfield, you're the heiress to the Whitfield name. Have some self-respect and get your hands off my husband."Sophie didn't flinch. "I'll touch whoever I want. You got a problem with that?""Shameless." Sophie smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."The table had gone completely still. Forks frozen mid-air. Conversations dead. Every pair of eyes ping-ponged between the two women like spectators at a blood sport.Ethan picked up his glass of water. Took a slow drink. Then set it down and turned to Vivi

The last note of "Cheater, Cheater" faded into the dead air of the karaoke suite.Nobody clapped. Ethan set the microphone down on the table. His gaze swept across the room — the frozen faces, the half-raised glasses, the phones that had stopped recording mid-chorus.Vivian sat in the far corner. Her face was the color of ash.Good enough. He checked his phone one more time. Still nothing from Aurora. The unread message sat there like a small, cold stone in his chest. She always replied. Always. Even if it was just a single emoji or a voice note telling him not to stay out too late.It's already too late. He needs to get home as soon as possible to check what happened to Aurora. He was worried about some kind of accident happening in Aurora.Sophie stumbled toward him, both hands reaching for his arm. Her cheeks were flushed deep scarlet, and her eyes had that glassy, unfocused shine of someone who'd crossed the line between tipsy and wrecked about four drinks ago."Ethan — one mo