Chapter 1

The Ex I Never Wanted to See Again

Sophie’s Pov

"You are still the same quiet girl who just takes whatever people hand to you, Sophie."

Ryan’s voice cuts right through the noisy ballroom, and the sting of his words burns deep in my chest. I grip the stem of my champagne glass so tight my knuckles turn white.

Around us, the lights of the grand hotel ballroom sparkle like a million tiny stars, but all I want is for the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

I came here tonight to do my job. As the event planner, I spent weeks organizing this huge charity gala for Ethan’s professional hockey team. I checked every table, tested every microphone, and made sure every detail was perfect.

The last thing I wanted was to cross paths with Ryan Carter. After he broke my heart, packed up his things, and acted like our years together meant nothing at all, I swore I would never let him hurt me again.

Yet here we are. Ryan stands in front of me with his arm around his new fiancée, glowing with happiness. He looks at me with that pitying smile that makes my stomach turn.

"Just admit it, Sophie," Ryan says softly, making sure only I can hear, though his eyes dart around to see who is watching. "You do not need to pretend you are fine. Everyone here knows you are still hung up on me. You cannot even look at me without your hands shaking."

My face feels boiling hot. Every pair of eyes in our corner seems glued to us. Whispers buzz around the room like angry bees. People are looking at me like I am some pathetic, broken toy left behind in the dust.

The humiliation is so heavy I can barely breathe. My heart pounds wildly against my ribs. I want to run, but my feet feel glued to the floor. I refuse to cry in front of him. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of breaking me one last time.

I lift my chin, forcing my voice to sound steady even though it trembles inside. "You are dreaming, Ryan. I do not want you. I never want to see you again."

"Sure you do," he laughs, a cold, mocking sound. "Who would ever want you after what we had? You have nobody."

That is my breaking point. Something snaps deep inside me. I am so tired of being weak. I am so tired of letting the Carters treat me like I do not matter. Without thinking, my eyes sweep across the crowded room, looking for an escape, looking for a shield, looking for anyone to save me from this nightmare.

My gaze lands on the far side of the room.

Standing near the tall glass doors is Ethan Carter.

Ethan. Ryan’s older brother. The star hockey player who has always looked at me like I was a pebble stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Ethan hates me. He always thought I was wrong for his brother, too quiet, too boring, too fragile. He is leaning against the wall with a scowl on his face, arms crossed over his broad chest, watching us with dark, piercing eyes. He looks ready to punch a wall just from being in this room.

When my eyes lock onto his, a crazy, desperate thought pops into my head. It is a terrible idea. It is a lie that could destroy whatever little peace I have left. But right now, I do not care. I just want Ryan to wipe that smug smile off his face.

I turn back to Ryan, square my shoulders, and speak loud enough for everyone around us to hear.

"You are wrong, Ryan," I say, my voice ringing clear in the air.

Ryan raises an eyebrow, his smile faltering just a little bit. "Oh, really? And who could possibly want you?"

I point my finger straight across the room, locking my eyes on Ryan’s disbelieving face.

"Ethan," I blurt out. "Ethan Carter."

Silence drops over our little circle like a heavy wet blanket. Ryan freezes, his mouth falling open. The people standing nearby gasp and turn their heads, their eyes darting from me to Ethan and back again.

My own heart stops beating. What did I just say? Did those words really just come out of my mouth? I named Ethan? The grumpiest, coldest, most intimidating hockey player in the league?

Across the room, Ethan stops dead in his tracks. He was lifting a glass to his lips, but his hand pauses mid-air. Slowly, very slowly, he lowers his glass. His head turns. His sharp, dangerous eyes lock directly onto mine from across the ballroom.

The look on his face is pure, unadulterated shock, quickly turning into a dark, terrifying fury. I can see the muscle ticking in his jaw from all the way over here. He knows what I just did. Everyone in the room knows.

Ryan looks back and forth between me and his brother, his face turning red with anger and confusion. "Ethan? Are you out of your mind? My brother can't stand you!"

"Not anymore," I lie, my voice shaking so badly now that I can barely form the words. I have to commit to it now. There is no turning back. "We are together, Ryan. So leave me alone."

Before Ryan can say another word, the crowd parts. Heavy, steady footsteps echo across the floor.

I swallow hard as Ethan starts walking toward us. He does not look happy. He looks like a storm cloud ready to burst, his tall frame cutting through the crowd like a knife. Every step he takes brings him closer to me, and with every step, the air in the room feels thinner and hotter.

What have I gotten myself into? Ethan is going to kill me right here in front of everyone.