LOGINEmily sneered. “I regret it even more now. Marrying you was my biggest mistake. I’ll suffer for it till the day I die—all because I married a wretched man like you.”The word wretched hit Ethan like a slap. His fists curled, heat rose behind his eyes, and his chest throbbed with anger. The longer he stared at her, the more he feared he’d do something he couldn’t take back.He spun on his heel, slid into the driver’s seat, and stared straight ahead. He waited until Emily tossed her shopping into the trunk, then climbed in beside him.He expected an apology. None came.Instead, Emily angled her phone and started posing, smiling sweetly at the screen. The sight grated on him until he couldn’t hold it in.“Instead of thinking about a way forward,” he sneered, “you’re busy snapping useless pictures.”She rolled her eyes. “Thinking and hard work are for men, not for ladies. I’m meant to be pampered and spoiled, not overworked. Okay?”Something in him snapped. He slammed the brakes and pulle
Emily flagged down a taxi, rode back to the hotel, and unlocked the door to find Ethan pacing, his face creased with worry.“Where have you been?” he demanded as soon as she stepped inside.She frowned. “Why are you interrogating me? What does where I go have to do with you? Since when do I have to report to you?”Ethan’s expression darkened. “We’re not rich anymore, Emily. Your parents aren’t here to protect us, there aren’t secret bodyguards shadowing our every move. We’re broke—damn broke—and instead of helping, you’re making it worse. Why did you leave without your phone? Why are you turning our lives into hell?”She let out a sharp, derisive laugh. “If you were half a man, we wouldn’t be broke. You’ve always depended on a woman to keep you afloat. Now no rich lady wants you, and you can’t improve our lives without conning someone.”Color drained from his face. His fists clenched; his eyes reddened. Still, Emily didn’t care. She walked past him, took a shower, and left him standin
When Winnie asked the question, Beatrice leveled a serious look at her daughter and warned, “He isn’t just terrifying—he’s the devil everyone tells you to avoid. Nobody wants to go against him.”Winnie furrowed her brow. “Why is everyone scared of him?” she asked, curious. Then she shrugged. “I’ve met him twice. He seemed harmless. He’s not as bad as people say.”Beatrice’s face paled. “Stay away from him,” she said coldly. “People have died of poisoning just from a handshake—or simply by standing too close.”Winnie’s eyes widened, her mouth parting in disbelief. She thought her mother was exaggerating, but the look on Beatrice’s face said she meant every word.“Even his father was powerless against him,” Beatrice went on. “He ruined Andy’s father’s marriage. He orchestrated the first terrorist attack that claimed hundreds of lives just to paint the government in a bad light. They could never find evidence to pin it on him. He still walks free.”The more Winnie listened, the straighte
Andy sighed. “Dad, I honestly have no idea how Uncle Regan thinks. He’s unpredictable.”His grandfather nodded, as if he hadn’t expected a better answer. “That little brat looked me in the eye and said I forced his mother to commit suicide. Said cancer is treatable. Said if I hadn’t been eager to see her die, I wouldn’t have convinced her to give up treatment.”Anger tightened the old man’s face. Andy couldn’t tell whether to be angry on his behalf or pity him. In that moment, Andy finally understood how hard it must have been to raise Regan—he must have made life miserable for everyone around him.“I miss your grandmother,” his grandfather murmured, voice rough with memory. “She was the only one he listened to. If she were alive, that evil genius would’ve been married with kids by now.”The room grew heavy with silence. Andy wondered how best to confront Regan while his grandfather drifted into the past.Then the old man snapped, “Little brat, did you tell your wife to hide and avoid
Alicia never thought Andy was a coward or that he feared his uncle. But in that moment, she fully understood how terrifying the man truly was—and why Andy would rather not provoke him.What she felt more than anything, though, was Andy’s concern and affection. She reached for his hands and squeezed them, her voice soft but steady. “I’ll stand by you, hubby. Don’t be afraid. With me by your side, nothing will happen to us. We’re going to overcome this.”Feeling suddenly vulnerable, Andy pulled her into a tight embrace. “Promise me nothing will happen to you,” he murmured. “I couldn’t live with myself if you got hurt.”Alicia eased back, pressed a kiss to his forehead, and smiled. “Nothing will happen to me. I promise. I’ll stand by you, and we’ll face everything together.”He exhaled, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. Still, worry edged his voice. “Please—be careful. Watch every step. Someone’s watching you, waiting for an opening. I’m going to send some of my men to follow yo
Ethan edged back, hands raised, his voice thin with fear. “Put the knife down, Emily. We shouldn’t hurt ourselves over nothing.”Emily barked out a laugh—sharp, unhinged—and tilted her head, eyes glittering with a fierce, brittle intensity. “If you dare leave me, I’ll make sure we both get hurt. Don’t you ever leave me.”“I won’t,” Ethan said quickly. “I’ll never leave you. Nothing will make me. Just—please—put the knife down.”She lifted the blade again. He flinched. Her laugh softened into an eerie giggle.“Are you afraid of dying?” she asked, lips curling as if at a private joke.Ethan clenched his jaw, sweat bleeding through his hairline despite the cold air humming from the vent. He angled himself closer to the door. “Don’t do this, Emily. I’m begging you.”She widened her eyes in a mimicry of surprise, then drifted toward the window. The blade hovered near her neck. “Should I kill myself so you can run to her?”Color drained from Ethan’s face. “Don’t. Please—don’t.”She gripped







