Chapter 1

Emily’s POV… 

My three-year-long facade of happiness finally came to an end in a single day. How did this happen? I’ll tell you. It all started the day I caught him cheating on me. I stood there frozen in the doorway like a block of ice. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears. 

The scene in front of me felt like a cruel joke- Daniel, this same man I had loved for three years, was there before me, tangled up with another woman in our bed. I repeat- OUR bed. 

At first, neither of them noticed me, but when Daniel finally looked up, his expression wasn’t one of guilt or regret. It was annoyance. As if I were the one who had done something wrong. 

“Emily,” he said, casually pulling the sheet over himself. “You weren’t supposed to be home yet.” 

That was it. No apologies. No frantic explanations. Just those cold, indifferent words that sliced through me like a knife. 

The bitch beside him- brunette, sat up smirking- she didn’t even bother covering up. She just raised an eyebrow, as if I were the one intruding. 

Right there and then, I felt something inside me crack wide open. 

I had imagined a future with this man. A life. Marriage, a home, maybe even kids. I had given him three years of my life, my time, my trust. And this was how he repaid me? 

My vision blurred with tears, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction. 

“So, this is who you are,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “This is what I meant to you?” 

Daniel sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Emily, come on. Don’t be dramatic. These things happen.” 

These things happen. These things happen. Are you seriously kidding me right now? 

I almost laughed. Almost, but instead, I did the only thing I could- I turned on my heel and walked away. 

I didn’t pack a bag. I didn’t scream or cry or beg him to explain. I just left, because if Daniel Sinclair had just shown me who he truly was, I wasn’t going to waste another second pretending he was someone else. 

I was done. 

But as I stepped out into the cold night, one thought lingered in my mind. 

What now? 

To be honest, I didn’t know the answer to that. All I knew was that I couldn’t wait to be out of here in a flash. Anywhere but here. 

*** 

***3 MONTHS LATER*** 

I adjusted the strap of my midnight-blue gown and forced a polite smile as I stepped into the glittering ballroom. The Monarch Foundation Charity Gala was the kind of event I usually avoided- wealthy elites, overpriced champagne, and empty small talk- but my boss had insisted I attend to represent our company. 

I had prepared myself for an evening of forced pleasantries and networking. What I hadn’t prepared for was bumping into a Sinclair. Yes, they were present at this gala. Thankfully, not Daniel though, but his parents and older brother, Ethan. I should have known. The Sinclair family had deep ties to the Monarch Foundation so of course they would be here. 

I tugged at the hem of my gown, reminding myself that I was here for work, not to admire the extravagance, not to think about him or anything that had to do with him. 

My ex. 

I dreaded the possibility of running into him tonight, but after scanning the room twice, I heaved a sigh of relief- Daniel wasn’t here. 

Good. 

I made my way toward the bar, weaving through clusters of socialites and business moguls, when-

Oof! 

A firm chest stopped me in my tracks. The collision sent a slight jolt through me, and I quickly stepped back, flustered. 

"Whoa. Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you," a deep, smooth voice said.

I looked up—and immediately froze.

Ethan Sinclair.

Daniel’s older brother.

How had he appeared here in only a matter of seconds? 

My eyes didn’t resist scanning him from head to toe. Up close, he was even more striking than I remembered—tall, broad-shouldered, effortlessly commanding in a tailored black tux. His piercing blue eyes studied me with mild amusement, as if he were trying to place where he knew me from. 

Then recognition flickered across his face. "Emily Carter."

My stomach clenched. Of course, he remembered me, though it took a while for him to recall. I had been with Daniel for three years, after all. But the way he said my name—curious, not dismissive—caught me off guard.

"Ethan," I said, regaining my composure. "I didn’t expect to see you here."

He arched a brow. "Likewise. It’s been a while."

"Yeah," I said, forcing a polite smile. "Almost a year." Since I last saw him, of course. He and Daniel barely spent time with each other. If you didn’t know them on a close level like I did, you would’ve never believe they were related. The two brothers always acted like distant cousins whenever they saw each other. 

They also had entirely different personalities. Ethan was aloof and rumored to have been with many women. I also heard he’s never gone out with the same woman twice. He was also very competent and wealthy, much more accomplished than his brother. Daniel, on the other hand was calmer when it came to money and women. 

Enough thinking about Daniel. I groaned inwardly. 

Ethan studied me for a beat, his gaze sharp but unreadable. "Didn’t think these kinds of events were your thing."

I huffed a soft laugh. "They’re not. I’m here for work."

His lips quirked. "Ah. So you got roped into it, too."

"Something like that," I admitted.

A moment of silence settled between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. There was something different about Ethan—he wasn’t filling the space with empty small talk, wasn’t looking at me with the same arrogance his brother had always carried.

Before I could say anything else, a waiter passed by, offering a tray of champagne. Ethan plucked two glasses and held one out to me.

"Since we’re both stuck here," he said, tilting his head slightly, "might as well make it interesting."

I hesitated—then, with a small smirk, took the glass from him. At that moment, a wicked idea formed in my head. If Daniel could replace me so easily, why shouldn’t I have a little fun of my own?

"Alright, Sinclair," I said, lifting my flute. "Let’s see what you’ve got."