As the words left Ethan's lips, Emily couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Ethan took a deep breath. "I mean that maybe the contract was just a formality. Maybe what we had between us was real, even if we didn't realize it at the time."Emily felt a surge of hope. Could it be possible? Could Ethan have finally realized what he had lost?But she refused to let herself get carried away. "Ethan, you can't just say things like that and expect everything to be okay. You hurt me, and I can't just forget that.""I know," Ethan said. "And I'm not asking you to forget. I just want you to know that I never stopped caring about you. Even when we were apart, I thought about you every day."Emily felt a sense of warmth spread through her chest. She had missed Ethan more than she ever thought possible, and she couldn't deny the fact that she still cared about him.But she refused
Ethan didn't hesitate. He punched Andrew in the face, knocking him to the ground.Emily gasped, shocked at the sudden violence.But Ethan wasn't done. He kicked Andrew in the stomach, making him groan in pain."I won't let you hurt her, Andrew. She's mine. She always has been, and she always will be," Ethan said, his voice filled with fury.Andrew tried to get back up, but Ethan punched him again, this time in the nose. Blood gushed out of Andrew's nostrils, and he fell back down to the ground, unconscious.Emily looked at Ethan, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and admiration. She had never seen him so angry, so fierce."Ethan, stop. Please. He's not worth it," Emily said, her voice trembling.Ethan turned to look at her, his eyes softening. "I'm sorry, Emily. I just couldn't stand to see him hurting you like that."Emily nodded, feeling grateful for Ethan's protection.From that day on, Andrew never bothered Emily again. He knew that Ethan was not someone to be trifled with
Emily's eyes widened in shock as she realized who it was. She had never expected to see Andrew again, especially not like t"What's he doing here?" she asked Ethan, her voice shaking with feaEthan frowned, his eyes fixed on Andrew. "I don't know, but we need to get out of here. NowThey quickly got out of the car and started running, hoping to lose Andrew in the crowd. But he was too fast. He caught up with them in a matter of second"What do you want, Andrew?" Ethan demanded, his voice angrAndrew smirked. "I just wanted to say hi to my old friends. But it seems like you two are too busy for meEmily felt a surge of anger. "We're not friends, Andrew. And we have no reason to talk to youAndrew's smirk faded. "Is that so? Well, I have a reason to talk to you, Emily. You owe me something, rememberEmily glared at him. "I don't owe you anything. Our deal is overAndrew's eyes narrowed. "Oh, is it? Because I seem to remember that you signed a contract. And that contract said that you wo
In the bustling city of New York, Emily was on cloud nine. After years of hard work, she had finally landed her dream job at one of the most prestigious law firms in the city. As she sat at her new desk, surrounded by towering stacks of legal papers, Emily couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. She had made it.But her elation was short-lived when she received a call from her parents, who were on her case about settling down and getting married. "You're not getting any younger, Emily," her mother had said. "We want grandchildren, you know."Emily had always felt pressured by her parents to get married and start a family, but she wasn't interested in that kind of life. She was focused on her career and had always felt like marriage would be a distraction. But her parents didn't understand that. They wanted her to follow in their footsteps and become a successful lawyer and a devoted spouse and parent.As Emily was mulling over her parents' phone call, her boss
They went to doctor's appointments, talked to lawyers, and even took a birthing class.Emily was surprised at how well they got along. Ethan was funny and charming, and he made her feel special. They even went on a few dates, something that wasn't required in the contract but that Ethan insisted on.But just as Emily was starting to feel comfortable in her new life, things took a dark turn. One night, as she was walking home from the office, she noticed a car following her. She quickened her pace, but the car kept getting closer. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind, and she felt a sharp pain in her neck.The next thing Emily knew, she was lying on the ground, dazed and confused. She tried to get up, but her body felt heavy, and her head was pounding. As she looked around, she realized she was in an unfamiliar place, a dark and dingy room with no windows."Welcome to your new home, Emily," a voice said from the shadows.Emily recognized the voice immediately. It was Ethan's. But
Emily glared at Ethan, her hands shaking with anger. She couldn't believe what he had done to her. She had trusted him, and he had betrayed her in the worst way possible."You promised to protect me," Emily said, her voice low and menacing. "But instead, you locked me up like an animal. Why did you do it, Ethan? Why did you put me through this?"Ethan looked at Emily, his eyes filled with sadness and regret. "I didn't have a choice, Emily," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I made a deal with someone, and they wanted you. They threatened to hurt me if I didn't give them what they wanted. I had to do it, Emily. I had to keep you safe."Emily scoffed. "Keep me safe? You call this safe? You've put my life in danger, Ethan. You've ruined everything."Ethan walked over to Emily and took her hand. "I know, Emily. I know I've made a terrible mistake, but I'm trying to make it right. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you, Emily. Please, you have to believe m
As they ran through the dark alleyways, Emily could hear the sound of their pursuers gaining on them. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could feel her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She had never been so scared in her life."Quick, this way!" Jack shouted, grabbing Emily's hand and pulling her down a narrow alley.As they ran, Emily could see the glint of metal from the guns of their pursuers. She could hear their heavy footsteps pounding the pavement behind them, getting closer and closer.Just when Emily thought they were done for, Jack led them into a small, abandoned building. They ran up a flight of stairs and burst into a small room."Lock the door!" Jack shouted, pushing a rickety old table against the door.Emily looked around the room, her eyes darting back and forth in panic. There was no way out."What are we going to do?" Emily whispered, her voice trembling."We'll wait here until they give up," Ethan said, his voice surprisingly calm. "They won't be
Emily's heart raced as she watched Ethan fight off their captor. She had never seen him so angry before, and it was both frightening and exhilarating.Jack pulled Emily away from the scene, urging her to run. They had to get away before more people showed up.As they ran through the deserted streets, Emily couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see their pursuers hot on their heels."Ethan, we can't keep running like this," Emily gasped, her lungs burning from the exertion. "We have to do something."Ethan looked at Emily, his eyes full of determination. "I know. We need to find a safe place to regroup."They turned a corner and saw a small convenience store up ahead. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing."Let's go in there," Ethan said, pointing to the store.Emily nodded, following Ethan into the store. As they looked around, they saw a man behind the counter, reading a magazine."Excuse me, sir," E