Ethan’s mind raced as he sat in the back of his sleek black SUV, the city lights streaking past the tinted windows. His phone buzzed on the leather seat beside him, and he hesitated for a moment before picking it up. The name on the screen made his stomach tighten. James Han.They hadn’t spoken in years, not since Ethan had cut ties with him. But now, with Lila resurfacing and his world starting to crack, he needed someone who understood the kind of games she played.“James,” Ethan said, his voice low and controlled as the call connected.There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a slow exhale, as if this was a moment he’d been waiting for. “Ethan. I was wondering when you’d call.”Ethan’s jaw clenched. He was not in the mood for James’ games, he only wanted to get to the bottom of things. “I need information. Now.” He said and sending his urgency, James sighed and gave him an address for them to meet.Twenty minutes later, Ethan stepped into a dimly lit bar tucked into th
The morning sun streamed through the kitchen window, and Hannah stood by the counter, absentmindedly stirring her coffee. Her mind was racing with the bitter echoes of the past few weeks—the late nights, the whispered phone calls, and the distance growing between them.When Ethan finally walked into the kitchen, his hair still damp from the shower, she turned to face him again, her heart pounding wildly. She couldn’t take this anymore. She couldn’t keep her anger contained anymore. “Ethan,” she said, her voice sharper than she intended. He paused, his hand halfway to the fridge, eyes narrowing slightly as he picked up on her tone.“Hannah,” he replied cautiously, a little surprised that she was speaking to him. Hannah set her mug down gently, locking eyes with Ethan despite the tense silence. “I need you to stop pretending everything is fine. I found the letter.”Ethan’s entire body stiffened. The color drained from his face, and his eyes darted to the side, catching a glimpse of th
Ethan’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he pulled up to the bar where he had agreed to meet with Julian. The neon sign outside flickered against the dark sky, casting a harsh glow over the sleek black car he had parked near the entrance. His mind raced, replaying the confrontation with Hannah over Lila’s letter just days ago. He had managed to stumble his way through a half-baked explanation, but the doubt in Hannah’s eyes had cut deeper than he expected.When he stepped out of the car, his jaw was set, and his shoulders squared as he pushed through the heavy glass doors into the dimly lit bar. The scent of aged whiskey and polished leather had hit him immediately, blending with the low hum of chatter in the bar. Julian was already there, seated in a corner booth, with one arm draped casually over the backrest as he nursed a glass of scotch.Ethan took a deep breath and approached him, and the moment Julian looked up, there was a slow, knowing smile that crept onto his
The next morning, Hannah pushed the door to Ethan’s office open, holding a laundry basket on her hip. She had been meaning to clear out the clutter in his workspace for weeks, but with the triplets, her writing and Ethan’s constant late nights, there never seemed to be time.The room was just as she remembered, dark wood, glass shelves lined with business awards, and a massive desk covered in neat stacks of papers. Ethan had always been meticulous, and his world was always defined by order and control.She set the laundry basket down and began gathering the empty coffee mugs and scattered papers from his desk, her fingers brushing over a small stack of financial reports. As she reached for the last one, something caught her eye—a delicate envelope, its edges slightly crumpled, peeking out from beneath a thick stack of spreadsheets.Hannah hesitated, her heart quickening as she slid the envelope free. Her name was scrawled across the front in looping, elegant handwriting she didn’t rec
Ethan stood by his window, drumming his fingers against the cool glass as he stared blankly at the city skyline and then suddenly his phone buzzed. The sharp vibration sliced through the tense silence and he glanced down at the screen which lit up with a familiar number. For a moment, he hesitated, his jaw tightening before he flipped the phone facedown, letting the call ring out.Downstairs, Hannah was setting the table for dinner, her hands moving stiffly as her mind wandered. She had noticed the change in Ethan—his distant stares, the way his shoulders seemed permanently tensed, his sudden, almost obsessive need to know her every move. He had always been protective, but this felt different.The sound of his heavy footsteps on the stairs made her look up and he walked into the kitchen, his expression sharp, his eyes shadowed, with his fingers still curled into tight fists.“Dinner’s ready,” she said softly, trying to catch his eye as he moved past her to the sink.He gave a tight no
Ethan stepped out of the elevator and immediately, he could hear the quiet humming from the distant clatter of keyboards and the soft murmur of phone conversations. He adjusted his cuffs, rolling his shoulders squarely as he strode down the hallway, his mind already tangled in the things he had to do.As he reached his office door, he frowned. It was slightly ajar, with a line of light cutting through the dim hallway. He never left it that way.His heart quickened, and his mind started to run with thoughts as he pushed the door open. Lila was sitting in his chair, her long, perfectly manicured nails tapping against his desk, flipping through his papers with an almost bored, casual air. She looked up slowly, her crimson lips curving into a smile, her dark eyes glinting with the same dangerous spark he remembered all too well.“Hello, Ethan,” she purred, leaning back in his leather chair, crossing one leg over the other like she owned the place.Ethan’s jaw tightened, his hand gripping
Hannah cradled Bella against her chest, swaying gently as the baby’s soft breaths warmed the side of her neck. The living room was filled with the soft, melodic tunes of the mobile overhead, a welcome background to the chaos of parenthood.Her phone chimed on the coffee table, the sharp, digital note cutting through the peaceful scene. She adjusted Bella carefully before reaching for it, her thumb sliding over the smooth glass screen.It was an email from the Screenwriters’ Guild and immediately she saw it, her heart skipped a beat. She sat down slowly, eyes flicking from the playful twins to the small, glowing screen in her hand. She tapped the message open, her breath catching as the words came into focus.Dear Hannah, Congratulations! Your script, “Echoes of Us,” has been selected for our upcoming major industry showcase. We are thrilled to invite you to share your work with top directors, producers, and fellow screenwriters…Immediately she was done reading it, her hand flew to h
The clatter of pots and the sizzle of garlic filled the kitchen, but the warm, comforting aroma of Hannah’s cooking did little to ease the tension that had taken root in the house. She stirred the pan, her mind racing with a hundred unspoken thoughts, each one tangled in a way she couldn’t quite unravel.It had been days since she first noticed the change in Ethan, the way his jaw seemed permanently clenched, his shoulders drawn tight, his gaze distant, like he was constantly fighting a battle in his mind.She tried to push the thoughts away, to focus on the present, on the sound of the triplets giggling in the living room, the soft hum of the fridge, the familiar clink of her wedding ring as she stirred the pot.She had decided to make his favorite—spaghetti carbonara, the dish he had once declared the best he’d ever tasted, the one that always brought a smile to his face, even on the hardest days.And so that morning, she set the table, carefully placing the polished silverware besi
The morning sun streamed through the windows and casted a soft glow across the polished floors. Ethan was in his home office, staring at the never-ending flow of emails on his laptop, his mind still reeling from his tense meeting with Julian the night before. Until now, he had tried to keep his business engagements a secret from Hannah, knowing that she might flip if she found out he was working again.He had barely slept last night, his thoughts were a chaotic swirl of jealousy, fear, and resentment. He had thought he could control every aspect of his life, that his past was neatly locked away, buried beneath layers of wealth and power, but now things were starting to fall out of control again.Julian’s smug words had cracked something inside him, exposing old wounds he had worked so hard to forget.Right at that moment, a soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts, and he glanced up to see the butler standing in the doorway, with a small, neatly wrapped package in his glove