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Chapter One

Lily

Jason traced a teasing path down Lily's ribs, sending a shiver of pure delight down her spine. The television cast shifting colors across the living room walls, but she couldn't care less about the movie playing on the screen. She squirmed, laughing into his shoulder as his fingers danced over her bare skin.

"You are missing the plot twist," Jason joked, his eyes crinkling at the corners with amusement.

"I am looking right at the best part," Lily countered playfully, tilting her head to catch his gaze.

Jason chuckled, the sound vibrating against her chest. "Is that right? Because I could have sworn you insisted we watch this thriller tonight."

"I changed my mind," she murmured, tangling her fingers into his dark hair. "You are infinitely more entertaining."

With a smooth, practiced motion, Jason grabbed her by the waist and pulled her effortlessly onto his lap. She straddled his hips, looping her arms around his neck as he leaned up to capture her lips. The kiss started as a gentle tease, a brush of mouths that quickly ignited into a consuming fire. His hands slid up her back, pressing her against his chest. She tasted the rich red wine they had been sharing all evening, mixed with his own intoxicating flavor. His tongue swept along her lower lip, coaxing it open, and she gasped into his mouth. The friction of his palms tracing the curve of her spine sent a jolt of electricity racing through her veins. Every touch from Jason felt safe, yet wildly exhilarating. She surrendered to the sensation, letting the lingering anxiety of her work week melt away into the comfort of his embrace.

A harsh knock rang out from the apartment door, breaking the spell.

Jason groaned against her mouth, his hands sliding down to rest firmly on her hips. "Ignore it," he murmured, pulling her back down for another bruising kiss. "Pretend we aren't home."

Lily smiled against his lips, entirely willing to comply. She kissed him back with matching enthusiasm, nipping playfully at his jawline.

But the person on the other side knocked again, much louder and much more insistent this time. The rhythmic thumping rattled the wood.

"I should probably get that," Lily sighed, pulling back from his embrace with a reluctant pout. "It might be Mrs. Taylor. She lives two doors down and she sometimes needs help with her groceries."

"Mrs. Taylor has terrible timing," Jason teased, stealing one last kiss before loosening his grip so she could stand.

With a lingering smile, Lily walked across the hardwood floor. She unlocked the deadbolt and swung the door open, fully prepared to see her elderly neighbor holding a missing cat flyer or a tin of cookies.

The blood drained from her face, leaving her numb. Her lungs seized, trapping the oxygen in her chest.

Ethan stood in the hallway. He looked exhausted, his tie undone and his tailored suit wrinkled, as if he had traveled a long way just to stand on her welcome mat. Yet, despite the fatigue etching his features, his eyes locked onto hers with a burning mixture of love, adoration, and intense passion. The sheer intensity of his gaze made her stomach drop into a bottomless pit, followed by a surging wave of hot resentment. He had no right to look at her like that. Not anymore. Not after what he did.

Lily just stared at him, speechless. Her mind raced, unable to process the sight of the man who had caused her so much grief standing right in front of her. The memories of London—the betrayal, the tears, the agonizing flight across the ocean—crashed over her in a suffocating wave.

"God, I missed you," Ethan breathed. He looked at her in a trance, as if she were a mirage he was afraid would vanish if he blinked.

Lily blinked, her shock morphing into rigid disbelief, and then, blinding anger.

"Are you out of your mind?" Lily hissed, her voice vibrating with unfiltered fury. "You don't get to just show up here after ripping my heart out and acting like nothing happened. Get the hell away from my door before I call the police."

"I came for you, Lily," he pleaded, taking a desperate step forward, crowding her space. "I need you to listen to me."

Footsteps approached from the living room. Jason appeared behind her, sensing the shift in the atmosphere. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her securely to his side, and pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple.

"Who is it, babe?" Jason asked, looking past her shoulder.

Ethan’s posture changed in a fraction of a second. The vulnerable, pleading man vanished, replaced by a rigid, territorial wall of tension. His jaw clenched tight, his eyes turning dark and lethal as they locked onto the man holding Lily.

"Who the hell is this?" Ethan demanded, his tone aggressive and dangerous.

Jason straightened up, his easygoing demeanor fading as he recognized the clear challenge. He pulled Lily a fraction closer to his chest, placing his body as a physical barrier. "I am her boyfriend. Who are you, and what do you want with Lily?"

Ethan did not blink. His expression turned to ice as he stared Jason down, delivering a blow designed to shatter the very foundation of Lily's new life.

"Her fiancé.”

Chapter Two