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Emma Grace has loved Ethan Hunt for as long as she can remember. As his wife, she gave him her heart, but all he ever gave her was cold indifference. When she was nearly assaulted and he turned a blind eye, too consumed by his lingering feelings for his first love, Emma finally broke. She let go of her futile love and poured herself into her career. To everyone's surprise, Emma thrived. Her talent and determination caught the attention of the company's top executives, and despite sabotage and jealousy from rivals, she rose through the ranks with confidence and grace. Ethan began to see her in a new light, especially as the woman he once idealized revealed her true, selfish nature. Now, Ethan wants to win back the woman he had taken for granted. But Emma has changed. She's no longer the devoted wife who waited in silence. Will his late love be enough to heal old wounds or is he already too late?
Hot.
That was Ethan Hunt's first sensation when he woke up.
Irritated, he tugged at his tie, already loosened, and sat up groggily, swaying a bit as he made his way toward the door.
He needed water.
As he fumbled for the doorknob and pulled the door open, he squinted and saw the faint outline of someone near the stairs.
A woman.
"Get me some water," he muttered, assuming it was just one of the maids.
"Uh-okay."
Emma Grace had only come downstairs for some water herself. She hadn't expected the bedroom door beside her to open, and seeing Ethan's handsome face caught her completely off guard, her heart racing.
They'd been married for a year now, and this was the first time he'd ever spoken to her with even the slightest trace of softness.
She hurried to the kitchen and quickly returned with a glass of warm water, only to find he'd gone back into the room, sprawled out on the bed like he didn't have a care in the world.
"...Ethan?"
The room was dim. Emma placed the glass on the nightstand, reaching for the lamp switch as she softly called out to him.
The click of the lamp echoed, and a warm, yellow glow filled the space.
"Mmm-"
Ethan's head was spinning, his mind fuzzy, but he vaguely heard someone whispering his name.
When he forced his eyes open, the first thing he saw was a woman, bathed in soft light, standing near the bed in an ivory nightdress.
In that split second, her worried gaze blurred into another face from his memories, one that smiled like sunshine.
"Lily..." he whispered almost soundlessly. Then, without warning, he reached out and pulled her in.
"Ah-" Emma gasped, not expecting to be yanked down just for calling his name. Before she could react, she was already lying on top of him.
"Ethan... Ethan, wake up-"
Her voice trembled. This was the closest she'd ever been to him, and she could hear his heartbeat, loud and steady.
She tried to move away, but his arm tightened around her waist, his other hand cradling the back of her head.
"Ngh..." Eyes wide with disbelief, Emma stared at his closed eyes, realizing he wasn't fully awake... but she stopped resisting.
She'd loved him for so long.
Her slender arms reached around his neck. From a distance, the two of them looked like a pair of swans gracefully entwined.
Feeling her respond, Ethan's large hand moved down. The thin fabric of her nightgown tore like paper under his touch-gentle yet burning.
Emma wasn't sure how to feel. This hadn't felt like him at first, but even now, even in this confusing moment, as long as it was him holding her... that was enough.
Her dark eyes sparkled with a quiet joy.
But the next second, everything collapsed.
Because from his lips, she heard one name whispered-to shatter that brief happiness.
"Lily."
Their bodies were still entwined, but Emma's heart turned cold. She froze.
The joy in her eyes vanished in an instant, leaving only silent tears trailing down her cheeks.
When Ethan opened his eyes, his head was splitting, but that wasn't the worst part-lying next to him was the last person he wanted to see.
"Emma, what the hell are you doing here?"
His voice was cold, and he rubbed his temples with visible irritation. One glance at the woman curled up under the covers, her neck dotted with unmistakable marks, and he didn't need a second guess to figure out what happened.
"You were drunk last night, I just-"
Emma's voice trailed off as she met the disgust clear on his face.
"So you just couldn't wait to crawl into my bed, huh?"
Ethan let out a low, mocking chuckle as he looked at her shrinking back. "Emma, I never realized before-not only are you shamelessly opportunistic, your skin's thicker than I thought."
They had been married a whole year, and he hadn't stepped foot upstairs. He even moved his study downstairs just to avoid her.
Emma's eyes welled up as his words cut deep. "Ethie, it's not like that, I didn't-"
"Don't call me that!"
His sharp voice sliced through her attempt to explain. Watching a tear make its way down her pale cheek, Ethan frowned and turned his head away, only to see a familiar nightgown crumpled on the floor.
"Who said you could wear this?"
He grabbed the nightdress, his sharp features turning even colder. "Emma, I told you before-stay away from her things."
"And stop trying to look like her to get my attention. It's disgusting."
He tossed the covers aside and moved to get up.
"I didn't..." Her voice trembled, his last sentence breaking what fragile strength she had left.
Watching him handle that nightgown so gingerly while treating her like trash, Emma couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears spilled from her eyes as she choked out a sob.
"Ethan... we've been married for a year. You know who I am. If I truly wanted to seduce you, why would I wait until now?"
"Yeah, that's the question." Ethan turned back, sarcasm flickering in his dark eyes.
"Emma, you know damn well I don't want you. If you wanted to sleep with me, just say it. Don't put on her act. The whole Grace family plays dirty, don't think I'm blind."
Three years ago, if it hadn't been for the crisis in his company, he would never have married her. In his heart, there was only one woman he saw as his everything.
If it hadn't been for that car accident...
His fists clenched at the thought.
Emma knew her father forced the marriage deal by offering to bail out Ethan's company, but she never imagined Ethan saw her this way.
Staring at the iciness in his face, Emma's eyes turned red as she clutched the blanket to her chest, stepped off the bed, and silently walked out of the room, heading upstairs, alone with her pain.
Chapter 1 Chapter 1 A Spark Waiting to Ignite
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Chapter 2 Chapter 2 An Intimate Relationship
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Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Harass
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Chapter 4 Chapter 4 You're Not Worthy
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Chapter 5 Chapter 5 She Was Mistaken Again
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Chapter 6 Chapter 6 On the Way
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Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Burning with Jealousy
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Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Her Gloomy Face
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Chapter 9 Chapter 9 A Custom-Made Suit
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Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Lighting the Fire
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Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Not Bad at All
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Chapter 12 Chapter 12 He's Got His Eyes on Her
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Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Barely Holding Back Her Rage
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Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Who Sent the Message
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Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Torment
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Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Grudge
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Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Lies
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Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Hesitation
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Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Who Do You Think You Are
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Chapter 20 Chapter 20 The Interview
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Chapter 21 Chapter 21 A Different Kind of Feeling
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Chapter 22 Chapter 22 The Design Was Leaked
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Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Shifting the Blame
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Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Her Best Friend
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Chapter 25 Chapter 25 He's the One Who Bought the Company
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Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Something Just Hit Her Heart
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Chapter 27 Chapter 27 It Hurts to See This
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Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Murder
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Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Promotion
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Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Has He Fallen for Her Over Time
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Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Meeting Again After All These Years
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Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Suspicion
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Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Drunk
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Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Caught in the Act
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Chapter 35 Chapter 35 She Fell in the Bathroom
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Chapter 36 Chapter 36 The One I Should Protect
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Chapter 37 Chapter 37 My Wife
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Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Injured
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Chapter 39 Chapter 39 I'd Advise You to Behave
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Chapter 40 Chapter 40 She's Become a Copy of That Woman
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