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Chapter 47
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
Chapter 46
The private karaoke suite was massive — leather couches, neon mood lighting, a sixty-five-inch screen dominating one wall. Ryan had booked the premium room and ordered a spread of cocktails and beer.Sophie ordered five more rounds before anyone else could speak."Sophie, everyone already drank at dinner. Maybe we should ease up —""Ryan, darling, you don't have to drink. We will."She hooked her arm through Ethan's and swept into the room, pulling him onto the center couch directly in front of the screen.The singing started. Sophie commandeered the tablet and queued song after song. Seven tracks total. Six of them were love duets.Every single duet, she dragged Ethan to the front.The first song — she stood close, swaying into his shoulder. By the third, she was leaning her head against his arm during the bridge. By the fifth, she was gazing up at him with an expression so convincing that even people who knew this was a performance started to wonder.And then there was Ethan's voi
Chapter 45
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
Chapter 44
The silence was exactly what Sophie had been hoping for. Ethan could feel her grip tighten on his arm — not from nerves, but from barely contained delight."Sorry we're late, everyone!" Sophie's voice rang out, bright and cheerful, as if she hadn't just detonated a bomb in the room.She scanned the seating arrangement in half a second. Plenty of open chairs. She chose the two directly beside Vivian."Here looks great," she said, pulling Ethan into the seat next to his wife.Ethan sat. Vivian on his left. Sophie on his right. Damian one seat further, on Vivian's other side.The symmetry was almost poetic.Sophie didn't waste a single second. She kept her hand looped through Ethan's arm, leaning into him, her perfume cutting through the room's neutral scent like a declaration of war.Ryan Torres cleared his throat from across the table. "So — should we order?""Oh, have you not ordered yet?" Sophie snatched the leather-bound menu before anyone else could reach it. She flipped it open wi
Chapter 43
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,“
Chapter 42
"Dad —" "This is letting the wolf through the front door, Vivian! And you're holding it open!""The wolf is already at the door!" Vivian's composure cracked. "Dad, open your eyes. Lockwood Industries is bleeding. Our supply chain is fractured, our market share is shrinking, and we don't have the capital to fight back. We need outside resources."Reginald's jaw worked. He said nothing.Vivian pressed forward. "Damian gave me his word. His uncle will invest — capital only. No interference with management. No board seats. We retain full operational control.""And you believe that.""I believe that without this deal, there won't be a company left to control." Vivian's voice steadied. "Vincent Hale's network opens the door to the entire coastal region. We could break into markets we've never had access to. This isn't just survival, Dad — this is growth."She took a breath."Risk and opportunity — you taught me they're two sides of the same coin."The silence stretched. Reginald sank ba
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