Emily's POVI closed my eyes and thought about the past. I missed my dad, and I wished he was still here. I knew he would never have forced me into something like this, and I felt like I was letting him down by going along with it. I wished I could go back in time and change things, but I knew that was impossible. All I could do was try to make the best of the situation and hope that things would get better.I thought about my mom and how our relationship had changed over the years. We used to be so close, but after she married Olivia's dad, things started to shift. It was like she was trying to please him by putting his daughter first, and I felt like I was no longer a priority. I couldn't understand why she had changed so much, and I wondered if I would ever be able to repair our relationship.I went to take a shower, hoping the hot water would wash away my frustration. As I got dressed, I tried to push aside my anger and focus on what I had to do. I headed to the kitchen and began

Emily's POV"So, what would you like?" Liam asked, his warm smile melting my heart. I felt a flutter in my chest as I looked into his eyes. But I was still too preoccupied to make a decision. "I'm not sure yet, what about you?" "I'll have whatever you're having," he said, surprising me. I was not expecting him to say that. I couldn't help but feel a little bit flattered that he wanted to have the same thing as me. "Okay." I had a huge smile. "I'll have the grilled salmon with a side of asparagus," I said, picking one of the most popular dishes on the menu. "That sounds delicious."His eyes lit up. "Do you want to share a dessert?" he leaned forward in his chair. I felt a flutter in my stomach again, and I nodded. "That sounds great," I felt a little bit giddy.The waiter came to take our order, and we both placed our orders. He then asked if we wanted anything to drink, and we both ordered a glass of wine. As we waited for our food to arrive, we made small talk, talking about o

Emily's POVI felt a pang of guilt, knowing I didn't want to answer the call in front of Liam. It would be too awkward, and I didn't want to risk spoiling the mood. I silenced the phone and put it back in my purse, turning my attention back to Liam."Why didn't you answer it?" His voice was curious. I felt a pang of guilt, knowing I had just lied to him. "It's my sister." I tried to sound nonchalant. "She always wants something." The lie felt heavy on my tongue, but I pushed the guilt away.I wanted to tell Liam everything, to come clean and let him in on the secret. But I remembered Ethan's warning, and I knew I couldn't take the risk. I had to keep the secret, no matter how much it was eating away at me. I felt a knot in my stomach, knowing I was doing something wrong. But I had to keep my promise to Ethan, no matter what.The phone kept vibrating, like a constant reminder of my secret. I knew I had to turn it off, to escape the temptation to answer it. I reached for the phone

Ethan's POVAs I got closer to the kitchen, I could hear Emily's voice. It sounded like she was on the phone, and I stopped to listen. I could hear her talking, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. She was smiling and blushing, and it was clear that she was smitten with whoever she was talking to. It was none of my business, and she was entitled to her own life. As I entered the kitchen, Emily quickly ended her call. It was clear that she wasn't comfortable with me being around. I didn't care.She didn't say a word to me, but she seemed to be going about her business, making breakfast as if nothing had happened. I wanted to apologize for the way I had yelled at her earlier, but my pride was getting in the way. I knew I had been wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to admit it. I was at a loss for what to do.I finally mustered up the courage to speak to her. "Hey." I tried to sound nonchalant. But she didn't look up from what she was doing, and it was clear she was avoiding

Emily's POV"Which of these would you like?" the saleswoman asked, her smile wide and enthusiastic. I was a bit taken aback by her enthusiasm, and I didn't know what to say. I had no idea what to choose, or even how to begin. "Your fiance, Ethan, is a very handsome and wealthy man," the saleswoman said, her voice almost a whisper. "I'm sure many girls would kill to be in your shoes." I felt a knot in my stomach, not knowing how to respond to her. I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't want to give her the wrong idea."You're really lucky," she continued. "Your boyfriend is very generous, and he has excellent taste." I felt even more embarrassed at her assumption that he was my boyfriend. I wasn't sure how to correct her, so I just remained silent."I think you should try on the navy blue dress." Her enthusiasm coming back. "It will match perfectly with your fiance's pants." I felt like I was stuck in an awkward situation, not knowing how to get out of it. I looked at her, a pu