105 - The Words He Finally Said
The house was too quiet.
Ethan pushed the front door shut behind him and stood there for a moment, breathing through his nose. The drive back had been long, his mind circling the same uneasy thought over and over. He'd tried to ignore it on the road. Tried to convince himself he was overreacting.
Then he saw the paper on the table.
The marriage contract.
It lay open, its pages spread as if someone had been reading it recently. Not hidden. Not locked away. Just sitting there.
Ethan didn't move for a second.
His jaw tightened slowly.
He walked toward the table and picked it up, his eyes scanning the familiar lines—legal language, terms, dates, signatures.
His signature.
Scarlett's signature.
His hand slowly curled around the pages.
A sound escaped his throat before he realized it. Low. Rough.
Then he crushed the contract in his fist and hurled it across the room.
The paper smacked against the wall and slid to the floor in a wrinkled heap.
Ethan stood there breathing hard.
Upstairs, Scarlett jerked upright at the sound.
Her heart kicked against her ribs.
For half a second she thought she knew who it was.
"Andrian?" she called softly.
No answer.
Barefoot, she stepped into the hallway, the wooden floor cool beneath her feet. She still held the photo frame she'd been looking at—one of the wedding photos they'd taken months ago.
Her pulse fluttered nervously as she walked toward the stairs.
The house felt... strange.
Still.
She started down the steps—
—and froze.
It wasn't Andrian.
It was Ethan.
He stood in the center of the living room, tall and completely still, his coat still on, shadows cutting across his face. The crumpled contract lay near his shoes.
When his eyes lifted and met hers, Scarlett's breath stalled.
The photo frame slipped from her hand.
It landed softly on the carpet.
"E-Ethan..."
Her voice barely held together.
Neither of them moved.
"I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow," she said, swallowing.
"I wasn't."
His voice sounded rough, like he hadn't used it in a while.
His gaze flicked toward the crumpled contract on the floor and then back to her.
"But something came up," he added quietly. "Thought I'd come home early."
Scarlett's fingers tightened around the banister.
"Oh," she said faintly. "You... you should've called."
Ethan gave a humorless breath through his nose.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Maybe I should've."
Her stomach twisted.
Say something.
Explain.
But Catherine's warning slid through her mind like a knife.
If this contract leaks, Ethan will choose his empire first.
Her throat closed.
Ethan began walking.
Slowly. Each step measured.
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at her.
"Tell me something."
His voice had gone cold.
"What is happening?"
Scarlett opened her mouth.
"Ethan, I—"
"When," he interrupted, "were you planning to tell me?"
Her eyes dropped.
"I... I don't know what you mean."
The words sounded weak even to her own ears.
In the next second Ethan was in front of her.
His hand closed around her wrist, firm and warm. He shoved the crumpled paper toward her.
"Then explain this."
His voice cracked.
Scarlett stared at the contract.
Her pulse thudded under his fingers.
"Where did you even find that?" she asked quietly.
"In my house," Ethan said flatly. "On my table. Where apparently anyone could read it."
"I wasn't showing it to anyone—"
"Scarlett."
The way he said her name stopped her.
He let go of her wrist abruptly and turned away.
"Come with me," he muttered.
Scarlett followed him down the hallway, her chest tight.
He pushed open the bedroom door.
Then stopped.
Scarlett stepped in behind him and immediately knew what he was looking at.
The suitcase sat on the bed.
Half-packed.
Her folded clothes rested inside. The zipper hung open slightly, and a sweater sleeve had slipped over the edge.
Ethan stared at it for several seconds.
Then he looked back at her.
"So," he said quietly.
"You were planning to run."
"No," Scarlett said quickly.
"It's not like that."
"Then explain it," he replied.
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"What is happening, Scarlett?"
She twisted her fingers together.
"Answer me."
Still silence.
His voice snapped.
"Answer me!"
Scarlett flinched.
Her eyes stung.
The lie sat like a stone in her throat.
"I..." she started.
Her voice trembled.
"I don't want to be part of this contract anymore."
Ethan's expression went very still.
"I want to move out of this marriage."
The words hung there.
For a moment Ethan didn't react at all.
Then he took a slow step forward.
"So that's it?" he asked.
Scarlett swallowed.
"I don't want to keep waiting for you," she whispered.
Her voice felt like glass.
"So... I'm leaving."
She tried to step past him.
Her hand pressed lightly against his chest.
For a brief second he didn't move.
Then his arm wrapped around her waist.
He pulled her back before she could take two steps.
Her back bumped against the wall.
Ethan planted his hands against the wall on either side of her.
Caging her in.
"Leaving?" he repeated.
"You think you can just... what, pack a suitcase and disappear?"
"You can't keep me here," Scarlett said.
"Don't test me."
The words came out hoarse.
He searched her face carefully, like he was trying to see something she wasn't saying.
Scarlett's eyes burned.
"Why can't you just let me go?"
Ethan let out a short breath.
His chest brushed hers with every inhale.
"Because," he said roughly, "I need to hear the truth from your mouth."
His gaze sharpened.
"Are you going to say it?"
Her hands rested weakly against his chest.
She stayed silent.
The quiet stretched.
Ethan's palm hit the wall beside her head with a loud crack.
Scarlett flinched.
"Why?" he demanded.
"Why can't you just say it?"
She bit her lower lip.
Still nothing.
Ethan leaned closer.
"Who put this in your head?" he asked.
His voice lowered.
"Was it Catherine?"
Scarlett stiffened.
"Or Andrian?"
Her shoulders tensed.
But she said nothing.
Ethan grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"Scarlett!"
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
Still she didn't speak.
For a moment something cracked across his face—hurt, disbelief.
Then he leaned forward and rested his forehead against the wall beside her.
His arms remained braced around her.
Scarlett could feel the tension in them.
When he spoke again, his voice was quieter.
"Why won't you trust me?"
Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut.
Her fists clenched.
She wanted to tell him everything.
But Catherine's threat pressed down on her like weight.
Then her phone buzzed sharply.
Scarlett froze.
Ethan's head lifted.
The phone lit up on the nightstand.
Catherine.
Ethan reached for it first.
"Answer it," he said.
Scarlett hesitated.
"Now."
Her throat tightened.
"H-Hello..."
Catherine's voice came through immediately.
"Finally. Scarlett, where are you? I heard Ethan's coming back any minute. You don't have much time."
Scarlett's heart pounded.
"Tell me you're ready."
She glanced at Ethan.
He watched her without blinking.
"O-Okay," she whispered.
"Good," Catherine said briskly. "Andrian and I will be there in thirty minutes. You'll leave with him tonight."
Scarlett's stomach dropped.
"What—Andrian—?"
But Catherine continued.
"If you say a word to Ethan, the contract goes public. Every reporter in the city will know you're just a bought bride."
Scarlett's fingers dug into the fabric of her dress.
"And what do you think happens then?" Catherine said coolly.
"His investors run. His empire burns."
A small laugh followed.
"And Ethan? He'll hate you for it."
Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut.
"You'll be the woman who destroyed him."
The line went dead.
The room fell silent.
Scarlett's knees weakened.
A sob slipped out.
Ethan caught her immediately before she fell.
His hands gripped her arms, steadying her.
"Is that why you want to leave me?"
His voice sounded different now.
Less anger.
More hurt.
Scarlett couldn't answer.
Tears blurred her vision.
Ethan looked at her for a long moment.
Then he said quietly,
"Do you really think I would choose my empire over you?"
Scarlett lifted her head.
Her eyes searched his face.
She looked almost afraid to believe him.
Her voice came out as a whisper.
"Say it again..."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
But he didn't hesitate.
"I love you, Scarlett."