Ethan hadn't seen Sophia in two weeks.
Two weeks of silence, of unanswered calls, of staring at the empty side of his bed. He told himself she just needed space. That maybe, just maybe, she would come back.
But when he walked into the upscale restaurant on Main Street that night, all of his hope shattered.
She was there.
And she wasn't alone.
Sophia sat at a corner table, dressed in a sleek black dress that hugged her curves. Her laughter floated across the room, sharp and cruel to Ethan's ears. Beside her sat a man Ethan had never seen before — tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair styled to perfection and a watch on his wrist that probably cost more than Ethan's car.
The man leaned close to Sophia, whispering something that made her giggle like a schoolgirl. Ethan felt sick.
"Sir? Table for one?" the hostess asked politely.
But Ethan couldn't move. His eyes were locked on the scene, his chest burning. He watched as Sophia reached across the table, placing her hand over the stranger's. The gesture was intimate, familiar.
And then the man looked up.
For a second, their eyes met. Ethan froze, caught in the intensity of that gaze. The man's eyes were sharp, calculating, almost as if he could see straight through Ethan. Then, just as quickly, the man smiled — a flawless, charming smile — and turned back to Sophia.
Ethan's hands curled into fists at his sides. He finally forced himself to step back, hiding near the bar. His ears rang as fragments of their conversation drifted over the hum of the restaurant.
"Adrian Knight," Sophia's voice carried proudly, as if she wanted the whole world to hear. "The Adrian Knight. Can you believe it?"
Adrian Knight. The name clicked in Ethan's mind. Knight Industries — real estate, hotels, luxury everything. A family so wealthy their last name was practically a brand.
No wonder Sophia was glowing.
Ethan's stomach twisted as he ordered a drink he couldn't afford, just to stay hidden long enough to watch them. He told himself it was curiosity, but deep down he knew it was something uglier: jealousy.
When Sophia leaned in and kissed Adrian softly across the table, Ethan's chest felt like it was splitting in two.
But then he noticed something.
Adrian's eyes didn't close. They flicked away, scanning the room, distant — as if he wasn't really in the moment at all. His smile was perfect, his posture impeccable, but something about it felt… rehearsed.
Ethan frowned, confusion mixing with anger. What kind of man kissed a woman like that — as if he was playing a role, rather than living it?
He didn't know the answer. Not yet.
But as he watched Sophia laugh and cling to Adrian's arm, Ethan swore under his breath.
This wasn't over.
Sophia might have chosen Adrian Knight, but Ethan Carter wasn't done fighting for her.
And he had no idea that his plan for revenge would soon change his life in ways he never imagined.