Chapter 6

Maya

Security closes in around us before I can gather my thoughts. Questions are fired from every direction, but they blur into meaningless noise beneath the relentless crack of camera shutters. Ethan's hand remains firmly around my waist as we are hurried through the grand lobby and out toward the black luxury sedan waiting at the curb. Ethan opens the rear door, silently urging me inside.

The heavy leather door of the luxury club sedan clicks shut, instantly suffocating the roar of the press pack outside.

The moment we are behind closed doors, my professional mask shatters.

"Are you completely out of your mind?!" I spin around in the leather seat, my chest heaving beneath my green silk dress as I glare at Ethan.

Ethan doesn't answer immediately. He calmly unties his black velvet bowtie, tossing it onto the armrest between us. He looks completely unaffected, though the tight line of his jaw tells a different story.

"I explicitly stated the rules, Ethan," I hiss, my voice a fierce, low whisper so the driver behind the glass partition won't hear. "No touching unless the cameras are flashing, and absolutely no kissing. You completely crossed the line tonight!"

"The cameras were flashing, Doc," he replies, his voice a low, smooth murmur. He runs a hand through his dark hair, looking at me with those piercing hazel eyes. "In case you missed it, there were about fifty lenses shoved into our faces."

"You know exactly what I meant!" I snap, my hands shaking with a volatile mix of anger and leftover adrenaline. "A protective arm around the waist is one thing. Violating my personal space and pulling me into a... into that? That wasn't part of the agreement. You compromised my professional integrity!"

"I saved the contract; you think I wanted that?” he fires back, his voice dropping into a harsher, defensive register as he leans toward me. "Harrison was seconds away from ripping the whole story out of our hands." Julian was standing right there, waiting for me to lose my temper. If I didn't do something drastic to change the narrative, the headline tomorrow wouldn't be about our romance. It would be about how Westbridge United hired a paid handler to control a ticking time bomb."

His jaw hardens as he drags a hand through his damp hair. The confined space of the sedan traps the clean scent of rain and expensive cologne between us, making the silence feel almost suffocating.

"It was just a game, Maya. A performance. It’s what the media wanted, so I gave it to them."

A sharp pang of betrayal hits me before I can stop it. "It didn't feel like performance, it felt…”I cut myself off, swallowing the words before I confess how much that kiss had actually paralyzed my brain.

Ethan freezes. For a fraction of a second, the arrogant, untouchable superstar's armor cracks. His gaze drops to my lips, then snaps back up to my eyes. The irritation in his face softens into something unfamiliar. Something heavy, quiet, and surprisingly raw.

He takes a slow, deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath his crisp white shirt.

"Look," he says softly, interrupting the long silence, his voice rough. He looks away, staring out at the blurred streetlights of London. His fingers instinctively reach up, spinning the silver ring hanging from the chain around his neck, a habit I know he only uses when he’s genuinely unsettled. When he looks back at me, his eyes are entirely honest. "I'm sorry."

I blink, completely caught off guard. Ethan Cross just apologized.

"I shouldn't have done it without warning you," he continues, his tone sincere but firm. "I reacted on instinct because I couldn't let Julian win. I didn't mean to make you feel compromised. But you need to understand something, Maya: this world is a shark tank. If we don't play the part perfectly, they will tear both of us apart. I won't let them ruin my career, and I know you can't afford to let them ruin your brother's chance at that surgery."

The mention of Leo brings the cold, hard reality crashing back down on my shoulders. He's right. I am tied to this beast because I have to be.

Before I can respond, a harsh, demanding buzz vibrates from the purse slung over my shoulder.

I pull out my phone. The screen displays an unknown number, but the text message preview is crystal clear.

Unknown: Elegant dress, Doctor. Didn't know Westbridge included personal security in Ethan's contract. Hope the overtime pay is worth it.

My breath catches. A sudden wave of nausea hits me.

"What is it?" Ethan’s voice instantly turns sharp.

Before I can hide the screen, his large hand reaches out, gently but firmly taking the phone from my fingers. I watch his hazel eyes scan the text.

In an instant, the soft, apologetic man vanishes. His posture locks. His muscles go completely rigid, and his face turns into a mask of pure, unadulterated fury. The sheer, dangerous aura radiating off him makes the air inside the sedan feel ten degrees colder.

"Julian," Ethan growls, his grip on my phone so hard I think the glass might shatter. "It's just a provocation. He wants you to react."

The luxury sedan smooths to a halt against the curb. I look out the window. We are in front of my dark, quiet apartment building.

Ethan looks down at me, but his anger isn't directed at me anymore. He hands the phone back, his fingers briefly brushing against mine.

"He is crossing the line," Ethan says, his voice dropping into a deadly, possessive whisper that sends a shiver straight down my spine. "He shouldn't drag you into this. Go inside, Maya. I'll see you at the training ground tomorrow morning."

I grab my purse and step out into the rain, his dark hazel gaze tracking me until the apartment doors close behind me.