Buried in shame. Rising in power

CHAPTER TWO — The Man She Married Isn’t Who She Thinks

The night after the Dawson anniversary gala was quiet—too quiet for Ethan’s liking.

Mia had barely spoken a word since they got home. She moved around their small apartment with a stiffness that made Ethan’s chest tighten. She wasn’t angry… at least not entirely. It was something worse.

She was confused.

The way the mysterious man at the gala had bowed to Ethan—calling him Young Master—had shattered everything she thought she knew.

Now, she couldn’t look at him the same.

Ethan stood by the window, watching the dark street below, the weight of Mia’s silence heavier than any threat he’d ever faced.

Finally, she spoke.

“Ethan…” Her voice was soft. Careful. “What happened tonight? Who was that man? And why did he—why did he act like he knew you?”

Ethan didn’t turn around. His fingers curled into fists at his sides.

This was exactly what he’d tried to avoid.

“Mia,” he said quietly, “there are things I never wanted to bring into your life.”

“That’s what scares me,” she whispered.

Before he could reply, the lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then everything went black.

Mia gasped. Ethan’s head snapped upward.

“Stay behind me,” he said instantly.

“But—”

“Mia. Please.”

His voice held a gravity she’d never heard before—commanding, sharp, lethal.

The hallway outside creaked.

Someone was there.

Three shadows slipped into the apartment without hesitation—swift, trained, and armed. Their faces were masked, their movements silent.

Mia stumbled back. “Ethan—call the police—”

“No.” Ethan stepped forward, placing himself between her and the intruders. “They’re not here for you.”

One of the masked men aimed straight at Ethan.

“Target confirmed. Capture alive.”

Mia’s blood ran cold.

Target? Capture? Alive?

None of this made sense.

But before fear could fully register, Ethan moved.

Not as the timid, humble husband she knew.

Not as the quiet man who swallowed humiliation every day.

He moved like a shadow unleashed.

In a flash, he disarmed the first attacker, twisting the man’s wrist until a bone cracked. The masked man screamed, dropping his weapon. Ethan kicked him into a wall so hard the plaster cracked.

The second man lunged.

Ethan dodged effortlessly, grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him onto the dining table with a force that shook the entire apartment.

Mia’s breath caught.

This wasn’t just self-defense.

This was training—cold, precise, deadly.

The third attacker swung a blade. Ethan snatched the man’s wrist mid-air and flipped him over his shoulder. The intruder landed with a thud that made Mia jump.

It all happened in less than ten seconds.

Three trained men lay groaning on the floor, defeated.

Mia stared at her husband, trembling—not out of fear of him, but fear of everything she didn’t know.

Ethan stood there, chest rising steadily, eyes darker than she’d ever seen them.

He wasn’t even out of breath.

“Ethan…” Her voice broke. “Who are you?”

He looked at her slowly.

Not with fear.

Not with guilt.

But with a deep, heartbreaking resignation.

Before he could answer, the phone of one of the attackers buzzed on the floor.

A single message appeared:

“Phase One complete. Do not let the Young Master escape. Reinforcements arriving in 4 minutes.”

Young Master.

Again.

Mia felt her heart drop.

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “We need to leave. Now.”

Mia shook her head, voice trembling. “Ethan… you promised me we were just living a simple life. You promised there were no secrets.”

He stepped closer, gently cupping her cheek despite the chaos around them.

“I never lied about loving you,” he said. “But I lied about everything else.”

The pounding of heavy footsteps echoed from the stairwell outside.

More were coming.

Dozens.

“Ethan—what is happening? Who are these people? Why are they calling you—”

The door burst open before she could finish.

This time, a much larger group flooded in—each one armed, coordinated, and deadly.

Mia grabbed Ethan’s arm, terrified.

“Ethan… please tell me the truth.”

He squeezed her hand, eyes steady, voice calm despite the danger closing in around them.

“I will,” he said. “But first…”

His expression hardened into something cold and imperial.

“…I need to keep you alive.”

He stepped forward, ready to face them, the shadows of his past rising around him like ghosts.

And Mia realized—

She hadn’t married a poor, ordinary man.

She had married someone the world feared.

Someone powerful.

Someone hunted.

Someone she might never fully understand.

Ethan prepares to battle the second wave—far more dangerous and organized—while Mia tries to process the terrifying truth: her gentle husband is living a life far bigger than hers… and far deadlier.