Ethan's POV
I watched her walk toward the washroom. She was a little too drunk, swaying just a bit—but still managing to look confident.
Ten minutes passed.
She wasn't back.
Something didn't feel right.
I stood up from my seat, scanning the crowd, looking for that flash of red bikini and denim shorts. But she was nowhere. My gut twisted.
I started moving, pushing past the crowd, calling her name once—but the music drowned it.
Then I saw it.
In a shadowy corner near the back wall—she was there. Struggling. Her hands were pushing someone off.
It was that same group of rich brats who had hovered near her earlier.
My blood boiled.
She was trying to shove one of them away, her voice raised—but they weren't listening. One guy had her cornered, too close, his hand on her waist.
Without thinking, I rushed forward, fists clenched.
"Stay away from her," I growled, my voice like thunder as I shoved the guy closest to her against the wall.
The rest of them scattered, their laughter gone, replaced by fear.
"Ember..." I called out, but before I could say more, she collapsed against me.
I caught her just in time, her body limp as she fainted in my arms. I gently picked her up, holding her close, feeling the warmth of her breath against my neck.
She was light—too light—and I hated how vulnerable she looked.
I carried her back to our room, careful with every step, and laid her down softly on the bed. I knelt beside her, removing her shoes and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
She didn't stir.
I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, watching her peaceful face. Then, unable to fight the exhaustion myself, I lay down beside her.
Ember's POV
I blinked slowly, my eyes adjusting to the morning light filtering through the curtains. The first thing I felt was warmth… and then, the strong arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close.
My breath hitched.
Ethan.
His chest was against my back, his steady breath brushing against my hair. I froze, piecing together fragments of last night—the drinks, the dancing, the confrontation near the washroom…
"Oh no," I whispered to myself, my face burning in embarrassment.
I slowly, carefully, slid his hand off me and slipped out of bed. My body ached, my head throbbed, but the embarrassment was louder than any pain. I hurried into the washroom, trying to gather myself.
When I returned, Ethan was already sitting up in bed, his gaze steady on me.
"I'm sorry, Ethan… for everything that happened yesterday," I mumbled, not meeting his eyes.
"I ordered breakfast," he said simply, his tone unreadable.
"I'm not hungry… I'll go out for a bit," I said, trying to avoid the awkwardness.
"No, you're not going anywhere," he said, his voice firmer now. "First, eat."
Ember's POV
I sat quietly at the breakfast table, chewing slowly, avoiding his eyes. My mind was foggy from everything that had happened. This marriage… this whole setup—it wasn't love. It wasn't even close.
Then Ethan spoke.
"I need your help, Ember."
I finally looked up, waiting.
"I want Veronica back," he said, straightforward as ever. "She didn't even ask what happened when the video leaked. She just left. No questions. No fight. She gave up."
I nodded slightly. "So what does that have to do with me?"
"If she sees us together—close, like a real couple—it might trigger something in her. Make her realize what she's done."
A bitter chuckle slipped out of me. "You want to use your wife to make your ex jealous?"
"It's not like that," he said. "You're not in love with me. I'm not in love with you. That's why this works. You don't have anything to lose."
He wasn't wrong.
"I'll help you," I said coolly. "Because the sooner she comes back, the sooner I can leave."
"She's coming here," Ethan said, setting down his phone. "Two-day vacation. She's staying at the same resort."
I looked at him, my expression unreadable. "So… we need to play the part?"
He nodded. "Thick romance. Holding hands, soft touches. You know, the kind of stuff Veronica would never expect from me."
I folded my arms. "Okay. Done."
He raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"
"I said I'd help, didn't I?" I said, standing up. "We'll give her the show she came to see."
He gave a small smirk. "Starting tonight. There's a dinner event at the beach. She'll be there."
I met his gaze, expression calm and emotionless. "Then let's make her believe her ex is madly in love with his wife."