"Hmm?"

"To meet my friends," Ethan said casually, but each word was clear and deliberate.

Sophia suddenly sat up and leaned against his chest, her bright eyes locking onto his, searching for any sign of sincerity.

Sincere-his eyes were incredibly sincere.

He actually wanted to take her to meet his friends?

Her arms wrapped around his firm waist as Ethan set the book aside. "You do realize this is dangerously close to flirting, right?"

"Huh?" She pouted in confusion, then gave a knowing little smile. "Maybe."

"Should we stay here or go back to the bedroom?" he mused aloud, then scooped her up effortlessly. "Better head back-can't exactly do much in here."

"You're the worst!" she giggled, playfully hitting his chest with a mock scolding.

The Saturday came quickly. It was the first time in six months that he had voluntarily brought her into his social circle. She spent the entire afternoon getting ready-choosing the perfect dress, applying flawless makeup.

"You look so good, how's anyone supposed to concentrate at work?" he teased, leaning against the doorframe.

"Is that 'anyone'. you?" she asked playfully.

He smiled but said nothing, walking over and wrapping his arms around her waist. For the first time, she felt like they were finally acting like a real married couple. Maybe the past misunderstandings had just been that-misunderstandings.

The gathering was held at one of the city's most exclusive private lounges. When they entered the private room, conversation paused briefly as several men turned to look at Sophia.

Ethan introduced her with a hand around her waist. "My wife, Sophia."

A man grinned. "So this is the wife you've been hiding for half a year? Didn't expect you to go for the sweet, stay-at-home type."

Sophia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Ethan pulled her closer with a protective smile. "Don't be fooled-she's got a wild side."

The group burst into laughter. Sophia gave him a mock glare, but inside, she melted a little at his open affection.

She observed the group as they chatted-these people operated on a level far beyond her daily life. She felt like a tourist in a foreign land, smiling politely while struggling to keep up.

Then she saw her.

In a shadowed corner sat a woman in a sleek black dress, her makeup flawless, her posture queenly. She wasn't part of the banter. Her eyes, however, never left Ethan.

Sophia recognized her instantly-it was the woman from the photo.

Chloe Patterson stood and approached, her heels clicking sharply on the floor like nails on Sophia's nerves. She stopped in front of her and extended a hand, smiling with perfect poise. "Hi. I'm Chloe."

Sophia noticed a faint pink scar on her wrist beneath a dainty bracelet-exactly where the bandage had been in the photo.

"I'm Sophia." She shook her hand, noting how cold Chloe's fingers were.

"You're very pretty," Chloe said, eyes scanning her like a scanner.

"So are you," Sophia replied, trying to read her-but all she saw was a bottomless calm.

"Well, look at that-everyone's here?" A cocky voice drifted in from outside before the man himself appeared.

Sophia blinked. He looked familiar. Where had she seen him before?

"Hey, why does this girl look so familiar?"

Their eyes locked for a few seconds before it hit them both at the same time.

"It's you!" Sophia blurted out.

"You're the girl who was supposed to confess to someone that night!" James exclaimed. Then, seeing the situation unfold around him, he stammered, "Wait, wait-you're the wife Ethan said he was bringing?"

"You guys are friends?" Sophia asked, still confused.

She turned to Ethan, who gave her a small nod to confirm. So-he had watched her get toyed with by his friend that night. and said nothing?

Ethan stood and came over, gently pulling her into his arms. As if reading her mind, he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "I'll make him apologize."

Still in a daze, Sophia let him lead her back to the group, unsure how to face James now.

But James didn't hesitate. He followed behind them, patting his chest dramatically. "Oh come on, I was just joking that night. Don't take it to heart. If I'd known you were Ethan's woman, no way I'd have messed with you."

Sophia had been holding in a wave of frustration, but seeing this goofy, apologetic version of James made her anger evaporate. Though. her annoyance with Ethan still lingered.

"Exactly. So all of this is Ethan's fault," she said, shooting him a sharp glare.

James nodded eagerly. "Totally agree. If he'd stopped me back then, we wouldn't be in this awkward mess now, right?"

Sophia couldn't help but laugh. James's antics were ridiculous, and somehow she ended up drinking a few extra rounds because of him. Ethan didn't seem to mind. With a glass of red wine in hand, he sat back and watched them with a faint smile in his eyes.

"Your wife's really something," Chloe said as she sat down beside him, her gaze fixed on Sophia.

Ethan smiled, clearly proud. "She's more than something. She's full of good surprises."

Chloe glanced at the wine on the table, grabbed a glass, and-without a word-downed it.

Ethan's brows furrowed instantly. He reached out and snatched the glass from her hand.

"What are you doing?" Chloe's eyes were dazed, unfocused.

Of course Ethan remembered-she couldn't hold her liquor. One sip, and she was done.

"You still care about me, don't you?" Chloe slurred, her tone suddenly open, no longer hiding behind pretense.

Ethan set the glass down, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.

"Do you have any idea what it's been like?" Chloe's voice cracked. "You won't see me, you ignore my messages-you won't even talk to me. Since you came back, I've felt worse than I did after we broke up!"

"You're drunk," Ethan said flatly, pushing her off as she slumped against him.

No one else dared intervene. Chloe was known for being unpredictable, and everyone knew her history with Ethan was. complicated.

Ethan motioned for James to help calm her down.

But Chloe suddenly shouted, "Stay out of this! All of you!"

Ethan's jaw tightened. "Are you done yet?"

Chloe seemed to collapse, her energy spent. She slumped into his arms, her breath reeking of alcohol.

"Take me home," she murmured, nearly unconscious.

He froze. Glanced at Sophia, who was slumped on the table, seemingly passed out. Then back at Chloe, sobbing in his arms.

Everyone in the room was watching.

One was his "drunk" wife. The other, his weeping ex.

Who would he choose?

Then she heard Ethan's voice-low and tired. "Watch her," he said to James.

A moment later, he left with Chloe.

Pretending to be asleep was excruciating. When Ethan had covered her with his jacket and leaned into the sofa, she had felt. comforted. But now, an hour had passed since he left with Chloe.

Everyone else eventually said their goodbyes, leaving only James to keep watch.

Sophia opened her eyes. "They all left?"

James looked startled. "Sophia! I mean. Mrs. Griffin. Ethan just stepped out. He'll be back soon."

"Oh," she said softly. "You can go. I'll wait."

"Are you sure?"

"I have a friend nearby. I'll call her. Ethan's always busy. I'm used to it." She called Lily.

James said, "Then I'll wait with you until your friend gets here. Otherwise, I won't feel right leaving you alone."

Sophia didn't refuse. During the wait, she ended up having two more drinks. Lily had been woken from sleep by the call. She didn't ask many questions-she knew Sophia hated troubling others, even her closest friends. For her to call this late, something must have happened.

And Lily quickly guessed-it had to be about Ethan.

By the time Lily arrived, Sophia had clearly had too much to drink. She kicked open the door with one sharp motion, startling James into jumping to his feet.

Lily shot him a sharp look. "You're Ethan's friend, right?"

"Yes," James replied, nodding.

"Where's Ethan?" she demanded.

"Uh." James stammered, clearly unsure how to respond.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Lily's glare was so fierce it made James instinctively take a step back.

Sophia tugged on her arm weakly. "Lily. take me home. I don't feel well."

"Yeah, yeah." Lily gave James one last pointed look, then wrapped an arm around Sophia and helped her down the stairs. "If you can't hold your liquor, stop drinking so much. Who ends up suffering? You! Honestly, Sophia, could you be any more clueless?"

As they were leaving, Ethan's car pulled up outside the club.

"Ethan, your wife's gone," James reported.

Ethan simply nodded. He knew Lily had taken her.

"You dropped Chloe off?" James asked as they retrieved his jacket.

"Yeah."

This time, his gentle and understanding wife might not be so easy to comfort.

He tried to call Sophia. She didn't answer. He called Lily.

"Mr. Griffin," Lily said coldly, "I'll take good care of Sophia tonight. No need to worry. When she sobers up-and calms down-you can talk."

Then she hung up.

Ethan didn't call again. Instead, he drove home alone to a house that now felt colder than ever.

"If I were you, I wouldn't pretend to be asleep," Lily grumbled. "You should've shown that woman who's boss!"

"What's the point of winning someone that way?" Sophia said quietly.

-

The next morning, Sophia kept checking her phone, willing it to ring. When it finally did, she hesitated.

But she picked up.

"I'm coming to get you," Ethan said gently.

She wanted to say no, say she needed space. But what came out was a simple, "Okay."

When she opened the door for him , she was so distracted that accidentally bumped her arm against the frame, letting out a dull thud. The pain made her brows knit together instantly.

Ethan didn't look great either. There were faint dark circles under his eyes. For a split second, Sophia felt a twinge of concern-but then she remembered: maybe he was just "tired" from taking care of Chloe last night. That flicker of sympathy was immediately swallowed by a deeper bitterness, and her expression grew cold.

Ethan noticed her awkward demeanor but merely gave a small, gentle smile. He reached out, trying to touch her cheek, but she turned away from his hand. His fingers froze midair for a second before he smoothly withdrew them. His voice held a trace of helpless teasing.

"Couldn't sleep alone."

Sophia finally looked up at him, meeting his eyes. Alone? Was that his way of explaining himself-telling her that he hadn't spent the night with Chloe?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ethan asked with a quiet laugh, amused by her intense stare. This time, he didn't ask for permission-he reached out and pulled her head gently against his chest, holding her tightly for a few moments before releasing her and taking her hand.

"Come on-let's go home."

Home did feel more comforting. The moment she stepped inside, the warm, familiar scent of food filled the air, wrapping around her like a soft blanket.

A subtle warmth stirred in her chest. She turned to glance at Ethan, who was changing his shoes at the entryway.

"I called my mom first thing this morning," Ethan said with a refined smile. "She said something light is best after a night of drinking."

After dinner, Ethan went to wash the dishes while Sophia lay on the couch watching TV. For a while, she allowed herself to forget the unpleasantness-but the fracture in her heart hadn't truly healed.

By late afternoon, she noticed a dull ache in her arm. She looked down and saw a large bruise forming. It must've been from when she bumped it that morning. She grabbed some ice from the freezer, wrapped it in a cloth, and started upstairs to apply a cold compress.

As she approached Ethan's study, she heard his voice through the door. He was on the phone.

"Hospital? I'm on my way."

He ended the call.

Sophia instinctively backed up, but it was too late-Ethan opened the door, and the two of them nearly collided.

She forced a small smile. "Who's in the hospital?"

Ethan paused for a couple of seconds before answering, "Just going to check on someone."

He took two steps, then turned back and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I'll be back soon."

She suddenly called after him. "Do you have to go?"

"Be good," he said with a soft smile, then turned and walked out the door without hesitation.

He didn't return until well past midnight.

Sophia hadn't been able to fall asleep. She felt the weight of the mattress shift as he got into bed. A few seconds later, his arm slipped around her, cool from the night air, pulling her slowly against him.

And she. simply lay there silently, pretending to be fast asleep, as if she hadn't felt a thing.

The next morning, as soon as Sophia arrived at the office, she was immediately summoned to Henry's office. She had barely set down her bag when she was pulled inside.

"Sophia, you've got to help me this time!" Henry exclaimed, grabbing her wrist in a near panic.

"Manager Collins, what's going on?" Sophia asked, startled. It was rare to see her usually composed supervisor in such a state. His face was pale, his forehead slightly shiny with sweat-something was seriously wrong.

Henry let out a long, defeated sigh. "There's a problem with the Brighten contract."

"What?" Sophia's eyes widened in disbelief. "But. but we signed everything, didn't we?"

She had worked so hard for that deal. The countless late nights, the tense negotiations, the emotional balancing act between professionalism and pressure-it had all led to that signed contract. Or so she thought.

"When Lucas's assistant dropped it off," Henry explained, "I was too excited to double-check everything. I didn't even notice."

He ran a hand down his face.

"Brighten forgot to stamp it."

"What?" Sophia gasped. "No stamp? Then it's not even legally binding-it's just a piece of paper!"

"I know. I know." Henry looked like he'd aged five years overnight. "I only realized when I tried to confirm the timeline for campaign execution. I called them, and the assistant told me Lucas wants to 'reconsider' the deal."

Sophia's heart sank. "But that's ridiculous. We agreed-he agreed."

"I don't care what you have to do," Henry interrupted, his tone growing desperate. "If we lose this, forget your commission-kiss your raise goodbye. Honestly, the whole company might not survive the quarter if this falls apart. You need to fix this."

Sophia felt the pressure crash down on her like a collapsing ceiling. Her chest tightened. The walls of the office felt like they were closing in.

She needed this commission-not just for her own career, but to cover her father's medical bills, to keep herself afloat, to survive. She clenched her fists. There was no time for panic.

And she had no one to turn to.

Ethan? At this hour, he was probably still at Chloe's bedside.

She would have to solve this alone.

Without another word, she grabbed the flawed contract and rushed out of the office. She didn't even take her coat.

At Brighten Group, the receptionist tried to stop her, but Sophia, fueled by anxiety and adrenaline, pushed through and stormed into Lucas's office.

And then she froze.

Sitting on the sofa opposite Lucas was Ethan.

He looked completely at ease, lounging like he was in a casual meeting. He glanced up at Sophia, a flicker of surprise crossing his face-but it was gone almost instantly, replaced by his usual calm. He gave her a polite nod, as if they were just acquaintances running into each other at a café.

Lucas, seated behind his massive desk, raised an eyebrow in amusement. He didn't seem even remotely surprised to see her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were with a client," Sophia said, suddenly feeling like she'd walked into a trap.

She could feel the heat rising to her face, not from embarrassment, but from frustration-at the situation, at herself, at Ethan's maddening indifference.

She looked at Ethan again. What was he doing here?

Then she remembered-he worked for SUN. This could be business between SUN and Brighten. It made sense. She was the one who had barged in unannounced.

"Come in," Lucas said coolly.

Sophia stepped forward and placed the contract on his desk. "Mr. Marshall, this contract. it's missing your company's stamp."

Lucas barely glanced at it. "Oh? No stamp?"

Sophia frowned. He obviously knew that already. What game was he playing?

"Apologies, Mr. Griffin," Lucas said with a knowing glance at Ethan. "Give us a moment."

Ethan nodded and picked up a magazine from the table, casually flipping through it like nothing in the room interested him.

Still, his presence made Sophia nervous. He had never seen her in this state-flustered, anxious, professionally vulnerable.

Taking a breath, she addressed Lucas again. "Mr. Marshall, I don't understand. We had a verbal agreement."

"Did we?" Lucas lifted a brow. "Remind me, Miss Marshall?"

Sophia's breath caught. "You agreed to this deal. I trust you're not the kind of man who goes back on his word."

Lucas gave a cold chuckle. "You're quite naive, aren't you? In business, only one thing matters-interest. What makes you think your little agency can meet our expectations?"

"Then why agree in the first place?" she snapped.

Lucas leaned back in his chair. "Shouldn't you be the one answering that?"

Sophia's eyes flicked to Ethan, worried he might misinterpret something. But Ethan didn't even look up. His gaze was fixed on the magazine, his expression unreadable.

Not wanting to argue in front of Ethan, Sophia pushed the contract forward. "We're sincere about this partnership. Please don't make things harder than they already are."

Lucas smiled thinly. "I'm sincere too. How about tonight-we find a quiet place to talk it over?"

Sophia's breath hitched. His tone was casual, but the implication was clear.

Her heart pounded as she felt Ethan's gaze finally lift from the magazine.

She could feel it-the heat of his stare on her skin, though she didn't dare look at him. Something wild and reckless twisted inside her. Her pride, her desperation, Ethan's silence-they all pushed her toward the edge.

She turned her eyes on Lucas, meeting his cold, calculating gaze.

"Fine," she said, her voice low but firm. "Tonight it is."