Emma
Before Ethan could respond, the sharp click of heels echoed through the silence, each step slicing through the tension.
"Babe…" Susie's voice was saccharine sweet, a mockery of familiarity, as she linked her arm with Ethan's. Her smile stretched wide, a smug triumph in every inch of her. She didn't even glance at me, too absorbed in him. She was his—her presence a sharp reminder of everything I thought I'd left behind.
My heart slammed painfully against my chest, breath caught in my throat. This was the moment I never thought I'd see—her, the woman he'd left me for, flaunting her victory. Ethan's arm wrapped around her like she was always meant to be there. Hadn't he promised me there was no one else? That we were solid, that we had a future?
Ethan's eyes found mine, filled with regret—too little, too late. It wasn't the regret I'd longed for, just the weight of a decision he couldn't undo. Seeing them together was suffocating. The world spun beneath me, and my stomach twisted in betrayal.
"Emma, please, let me explain." His voice was desperate, but I barely heard him over the roar of blood in my ears. His arm was still around her. I couldn't process it.
I wanted to scream, demand answers, shatter this reality. Instead, I took a step back, then another, my body numb, strength draining away. I turned and walked away, desperate for air, for peace.
The hallway stretched before me, heavy with silence, until Alexander's gaze pinned me. His presence, like a storm, made the air thick and suffocating. I debated turning away, but I couldn't. The tension between us was too real, too sharp. Neither of us spoke, yet it felt like a secret, something we both knew but refused to acknowledge.
I wasn't just caught between two men—I was trapped in two cages, both suffocating, neither letting me breathe.
I turned to leave, but Alexander's hand shot out, gripping my arm with a force that stopped me cold. His touch was like steel, cold and unyielding.
"Don't go," he whispered, his voice betraying the calm he always wore. Was it control? Desire? Or something darker?
I yanked my arm free. "I don't want to interrupt your happy moment," I snapped, the words bitter on my tongue. I wasn't sure if I was referring to Ethan or to the mess Alexander had dragged me into. It didn't matter. The anger, the hurt, the bitterness—everything swirled together.
Behind me, Ethan's voice cracked. "Emma, it's not what you think."
But I couldn't hear him. The truth was laid bare, and nothing he said would change it. I was married to his father now, stuck in a relationship built on manipulation. There was no place for me in the middle anymore.
Alexander didn't speak, but his presence loomed over me like an anchor. He stepped closer, drawing me in without a word. His grip still chilled my arm, a reminder of everything I had lost, everything I was too afraid to admit I still wanted.
"Come with me," he commanded, his voice low. I didn't resist. Part of me wanted to scream, lash out, but another part of me wanted to follow, to see where this twisted dance would lead. I didn't know what I was walking into, but I couldn't shake the pull.
He led me down the hall, each step echoing in the silence. I could feel him behind me, a constant, suffocating presence. His breath brushed my neck, too close, too intimate. The cold stone walls felt both grounding and distant, a harsh contrast to the heat swirling between us.
At the end of the hall, Alexander opened a door to a dark room and shoved me inside. The door clicked shut behind us, cutting off everything else.
I froze, my back against the door, the air thick with tension. Alexander didn't move at first. He watched me, his eyes like flames, burning through the space between us. I should've turned away, should've run, but I couldn't.
"What do you want from me, Alexander?" My voice was steadier than I felt, my chest tight, breath shallow. I fought to stay in control, but with each passing second, it was slipping away.
He didn't answer right away. His gaze flicked to my lips, and everything between us hung in the balance. His breath steady, mine ragged, the weight of his stare too much to bear.
Then, as if instinct, he stepped closer. His body brushed mine, sending a jolt through me. The heat of him enveloped me. Before I could react, I was lost in the tension. My breath caught.
"Sit," he ordered, his voice low. "Sit and listen."
I obeyed, my hands trembling as I moved to the bed. The world spun too fast, but I sat down, trying to steady myself. I didn't dare look up, afraid of the storm I'd see in his eyes. But I felt it—his gaze on me, like a weight pressing down on my skin.
The tension thickened. And then, something shifted. I moved on the bed, my shoulder brushing against his chest.
It was an accident, a small touch, but the instant my skin met his, something ignited. A spark. Heat flooded through me, leaving me breathless.
I pulled away, heart racing. What was happening?
Alexander's expression darkened, but there was something else—something raw, dangerous. He stepped closer, too close now. I could feel the warmth of his body against mine, and for a second, I wasn't sure if I was trembling from fear or desire.
"Is this what you wanted all along?" he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. The words hit me like a punch, and I froze. Had he known?
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. My body moved of its own accord, closer to him despite my mind screaming at me to stop.
His lips were inches from my ear, and I could feel his chest rise and fall with each breath. "You can deny it all you want, Emma, but you can't deny what's between us."
The air between us crackled, thick with tension. Just as I thought I couldn't bear it any longer, I stumbled. My leg caught the edge of the bed, and before I could stop myself, I grabbed his shirt to steady myself.
The buttons popped open, and his chest was exposed. I gasped, my fingers grazing his skin. The jolt was electric, like a shock that left me breathless.
We stood there, frozen. Our bodies too close. Our hearts racing in sync. Then, just as the silence threatened to swallow me whole, his voice cut through.
"You wanted this, didn't you?" His lips were on my neck, his breath hot against my skin.
I couldn't answer. My body betrayed me, my mind lost in the electric tension. And in that moment, I knew everything had changed.