My fingers tighten around the phone 130

Emma’s POV
“Ethan!” His name burst from my lips the instant he appeared in the doorway. Without thinking, I launched myself at him,
wrapping my legs around his waist and tangling my fingers in his thick black hair. My mouth found his, desperate and
hungry, but his lips remained stubbornly closed despite my tongue tracing their outline. When he jerked his head away, I
settled for trailing kisses along his jaw and down his neck instead. God, he smelled incredible—that powerful alpha scent
that made me dizzy with want. When he grabbed my hair and yanked my head back, I couldn’t help the small whimper
that escaped me. Such dominance should have excited me, but the coldness in his eyes made my stomach drop.
Ethan roughly pushed me away, steadying me with one hand on my upper arm as I stumbled back onto my feet. His gaze
was cutting, glacial. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
I giggled nervously, trying again to reach for that perfectly chiseled jawline only to have my hand batted away. This wasn’t how I’d imagined our reunion, but it couldn’t deter me. He had come for me, just like Bella promised. I knew he
still wanted me. Aria hadn’t completely ruined what we had! I pouted, tugging at the arm he was using to restrain me.
“Don’t be like that, Ethan. Let’s dance?”
“Dancing? Not happening, Emma.” The muscles in Ethan’s jaw tightened visibly. “You can barely stand straight.”
I pouted playfully, trailing my fingers up his arm, feeling goosebumps rise under my touch. “Don’t be such a buzzkill. I’ve
hardly had anything to—”
“Yeah, right. Nothing except half the bar,” Leo muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. That smug bastard had been a
thorn in my side for too long. Ethan’s gaze traveled around the house—my house—taking in the extravagant decorations,
the crowd, the chaos, before those amber eyes returned to me with such cold fury that my breath caught.
We locked eyes for what felt like eternity, his gaze pinning me like a butterfly to a board. Without warning, he released
me, and I collapsed unceremoniously onto the cold marble floor. Pain shot through my knees, and a humiliating yelp
escaped my lips before I could stop it. Leo’s barely concealed snicker made my blood boil beneath the artificial euphoria
of whatever Bella had given me.
“What the actual fuck?” I snarled, loud enough that several nearby conversations stopped abruptly. “You show up and
then treat me like garbage in my home?”
Bella materialized at my side, her fingernails digging into my arm as she smiled tightly. “Let’s continue this conversation
somewhere more… intimate, shall we?”
“Like cockroaches to a dumpster,” Leo said, looking pointedly at Bella. “Always showing up where you’re least wanted.”
“This gathering needs to disperse immediately,” the older woman announced with an authority that made several
partygoers glance nervously toward the exit.
I barked out a harsh laugh, struggling to my feet with as much dignity as possible. “Nobody asked you.” All three of them
stared at me with varying degrees of shock and disgust. I swayed slightly but lifted my chin defiantly. “This place is mine.
A gift from the man standing right here. So I’m the only one who decides when my guests leave.”
“You actually gave this woman an entire property?” The elegant older woman hissed at Ethan, clutching his sleeve.
“Mother, I’ll explain later,” Ethan cut her off with a weary exhale, dragging his hand through his already disheveled hair.
My stomach dropped like a stone. “Mom? You mean your mother? No… that’s not right, I’ve met your mother, she looks
nothing like—”
“Damn, this is better than a soap opera,” Bella muttered. I shot her a furious glare. This was all her fault! If she hadn’t
forced me to host this party or coerced me into taking those drugs and alcohol, I wouldn’t be in this mess.
“Leo, kill the music and clear this place out,” Ethan commanded. He turned to his “mother,” his voice softening. “I’ll
handle this. Would you wait for me outside?”
I placed my hand on Ethan’s forearm, desperate to salvage something. “Ethan! Who is she really? Your mother doesn’t
look like that at all.”
“She’s my godmother, and yes, my actual mother witnessed all this too before leaving after she called me. Emma, you’ve
thoroughly embarrassed me and my family.”
His godmother? I’d never heard a damn thing about any godmother. “Why didn’t you tell me your godmother and
mother were coming? I must have made such a bad impression…”
He grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward my bedroom. Ethan’s grip was firm and unyielding, my arm aching from his
fingers clamped around it as I stumbled to keep up with his determined stride. All I could think about was how severely
I’d fucked up. As Ethan pushed open the door to my bedroom, I heard Leo shouting behind us: “Alright, everyone, party’s
over!”
Ethan shoved me into the room and slammed the door behind us. He stood with his back to me, but I could see his
shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides, and I began to
tremble. Memories of Ethan’s hand around my throat after we were together the night of the opera charity gala came
flooding back, fear seeping from my pores like sweat.
“If you continue playing these games, I could do anything to you,” Ethan growled through clenched teeth, then turned to
face me.
“I’m not playing any games!” I protested weakly, genuine tears threatening to spill. “I didn’t do anything wrong! You’re
the one who showed up here!”
Ethan nodded, briefly closing his eyes before countering, “You’re right. This apartment is yours, and it will remain yours.”
“Exactly! This is my house now, and I can throw parties if I want to.” I stomped my foot, trying to shake off the fear. I still
couldn’t meet Ethan’s eyes directly, but I could pretend to be brave.
“Yes, you can,” Ethan replied, taking a step closer. Silent rage permeated the air around us, making it so thick I felt I might
suffocate. My body wouldn’t stop shaking with terror. His lips pulled back in a wolf-like snarl, “But what you cannot do is
kiss me, jump into my arms, or pretend we’re intimate.”
I stared at him open-mouthed, trying to process what he’d just said. It felt like I was hearing it in slow motion through my
foggy brain, but a moment later it registered. I looked away, anywhere but at his face. “Ethan, I’m sorry. I thought you were here for me. I got excited.”
“I warned you, Emma,” Ethan’s voice was low but crystal clear. “I’ve made my position abundantly clear.”
“Yes, you did. I’m sorry, I won’t touch you again,” I sobbed. “Bella told me you’d come here. Said you’d accepted her
invitation to see me. When I saw you walk through that door, I just acted on instinct.”
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“And insulting my godmother? Another drunken mistake?”
“No! I mean, yes! If I’d known she was your godmother, I would have—”
“Been nicer to her? Tried to charm her like you attempted with my grandmother and mother, hoping to win my favor?”
Ethan snarled.
“That’s not it! Ethan, I—”
Ethan moved away from me. “From now on, I won’t be showing my face around you anymore. The allowance will
continue to be paid through a third party. This party proves you can’t be a responsible adult, so your funds will be
restricted. I’ll also be sending someone to help you with your mental health issues.”
“No, Ethan, please!” I cried, grabbing for him. “Please don’t do that. I don’t need a therapist, I just need you! I love you!
You owe me, for what you took from me!”
Ethan seized my wrists, “I deeply regret what happened between us. I will atone every day for the pain I’ve caused you. However, I will never be with you. When I look at you, all I can see is shame and disgust for that moment. The crime I
committed against you will forever stain my life.”
“You don’t mean that!” I wailed loudly, using my weight to try to break free from Ethan’s control, but his strength was too much. “You only think that because Aria! She’s the problem! If she wasn’t here, you would love me!”
“That’s exactly what I think. Aria has nothing to do with this. Even before I met Aria, that’s how I felt. I am ashamed of
myself, Emma. I will never love you.” He stepped back, releasing me. Ethan’s face was impossible to read, devoid of any
emotion. “Now, I have to go smooth things over with my two mothers.”
Ethan left me standing there. All the fear transmuted into rage. As I processed everything, one thought kept echoing
through my mind: This was all Aria’s fault.