e you kid

, like someone had just punched him

o him just a second ago until Ethan stepped in and yanke

shot him a sarcastic smirk, not even bothering to check Micha

g grip on her wrist, and the next second, she was b

in erupted, his voice sharp and laced with mockery. "Seriously, did Matthew never teach

meet a cold, disdainful glare from

l holding onto the hope t

pty and weightless. She didn't spare him another glance, missing

g how calm and unfazed she looked while he was an emotional me

r face at places like this again." He tossed the words at her lik

stop herself. She looked up at hi

d back, stared at her face for a solid second, then said, s

ike that,

hoed the words under her breath,

ince she last heard those sa

ittle splashes. She covered her chest with one hand, mouth parted as memories o

ainfully, it had al

ooked up again, he

deep enough, you can't cry a

.

the Hunts' mansion-

z-b

a text woke Emma

ull ache, she glanced at the beds

ring weather alert. She sat up from bed, tossed the phone

not surprising. Honestly, Emma thought it might

from the cleaning. As her soft slippers slid to one si

O

wall, carefully lifting her foot

made her stop breathing. Left with no choice, she gritted her teeth, c

footsteps echoed, and a tall figure appear

.

a.

top floor, inside the C

gh the folders on the desk and suddenly realiz

g file from home, but for some reason, before his finger hit the call button, a face flashed

tead, as if on impulse, Ethan d

empty the place was, that strange flicker of

ve gone to

keys on the shoe cabinet and head

iced it was halfway open-his

nter the study when he wasn't hom

he door open, only to find Emma si

e realized the moment he sai

t permission. She hadn't expected him to suddenly come back, and now with he

The second she put weight on it, her leg ga

A

e glanced down, his eyes locked onto the re

brows drew in sharply as he set his phone aside an

stinctively grabbing his neck fo