Emily's voice sliced through the silence like a blade, her words sharp and clear:
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
All eyes at the dinner table turned to her.
Ryder's lips twitched with amusement.
"Leaving tomorrow?" he echoed.
"Yes," Emily replied, trying to sound casual. "I need to get back home. Back to work."
Her eyes flicked to Ethan, searching for a reaction.
There was none.
"Emily..." Riley called softly, sensing the pain beneath her friend's voice.
Emily turned to her, giving a small smile.
"Now that you have someone who can help, I don't think I'm needed anymore, Ril."
Riley frowned and reached for her hand, gripping it tightly.
"You were always the best help I could ever ask for."
Emily's smile trembled, but she said nothing more. She stared down at her food, her appetite gone.
⸻
After dinner, the others dispersed. Emily lingered, gathering what courage she had left. She stood before Ethan's room, took a deep breath, and knocked.
Silence.
She knocked again.
Still no answer.
The door creaked open when she pushed it gently.
Inside, it was dark...curtains drawn, shadows pooling in every corner.
"Ethan?" she called out quietly.
A hand grabbed her, covering her mouth.
"Shh," his voice whispered.
Her eyes widened. He removed his hand slowly.
"Ethan," she breathed, recognizing his voice, even in the darkness.
She reached up, her fingers brushing his face, then his damp, disheveled hair.
Before she could speak again, he pressed her gently against the wall.
He could see her clearly. She wore a thin nightgown that left little to the imagination. Her skin was warm under his fingertips as his hand traced from her bare arm to her waist.
She trembled beneath his touch.
Then...he kissed her.
It wasn't gentle. It was wild. Consuming. Desperate.
He kissed her like he'd been holding back for far too long, his mouth ravaging hers with hunger and longing.
When he finally pulled away, Emily's lips were swollen, her breath uneven.
"Ethan," she whispered, her voice soft, laced with need.
He wrapped his arms around her, tightly. Possessively.
She felt small in his hold. Fragile. Like a flame in the hands of a storm.
"You're driving me insane, little lamb," he murmured against her ear.
"That's what I want," she whispered back, her fingers curling against his shirt.
But suddenly, he pulled away and flipped on the lights.
The room bathed in pale brightness. His expression was no longer hungry...it was cold. Distant.
"Why are you here?" he asked.
The words cut through her like a blade.
Emily blinked.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
"You already said that." His tone was clipped, impassive.
"Aren't you going to ask me to stay?" Her voice cracked with vulnerability.
He turned to her, face unreadable.
"Why?"
Her breath caught.
"I can't stop you from leaving, Emily."
And just like that, he turned his back on her.
Emily stood frozen. Then she turned and fled from the room, the pain catching up to her in heavy waves.
She entered Riley's room and found her friend sleeping. Quietly, she slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
The tears came hard. Silent. Violent.
She sat on the cold marble floor, arms wrapped around her knees as the ache in her chest grew heavier. She stripped off her dress and sank into the bathtub, letting the water run. She washed herself, but nothing could scrub off the feeling of being unwanted.
⸻
By morning, her face was puffy and her eyes swollen. She stood before the mirror, pressing cold spoons to her eyes, trying to mask the evidence of her heartbreak.
Behind her, Riley stirred.
"Emily?"
She quickly put the spoon down and turned around, forcing a smile.
"You're awake."
"You're really leaving?" Riley asked, already frowning.
Emily nodded.
"Henry's driving me home."
Riley sat up.
"What happened?"
Emily hesitated, then sat beside her and spilled everything—Ethan's kiss, his touch, and the cruel detachment that followed.
Riley's eyes darkened.
"I'm going to kill him."
Emily chuckled weakly.
"No need."
Riley grabbed her hands.
"You didn't deserve that, Emily."
Trying to shift the mood, Riley perked up suddenly.
"Hey, guess what? Julian's club is opening tonight. Let's go. Just you and me. Girls' night."
Emily hesitated.
"Ril, you shouldn't be around crowds yet. Not with your powers—"
"I can control it. I'll be fine. I just want a night out. For both of us."
After a moment, Emily nodded.
"Alright. Let's go tonight."
⸻
She left the mansion without seeing Ethan. She was too embarrassed, too raw. Seeing him would only deepen the wound.
Back home, her mother welcomed her with open arms, thankful to have her daughter back. Emily kept the details vague, explaining that she'd taken Riley to stay with a cousin to clear her mind.
Later that day, Emily visited the orphanage, needing to ground herself...somewhere familiar. Somewhere safe.
But even as she smiled at the children, her thoughts drifted back to the man who kissed her like he owned her and cast her aside like she meant nothing.
And tonight... she would face that pain, or try to drown it, beneath the neon lights of Julian's club.