Chapter 2
Ethan’s face froze for like half a second, then he bounced right back.
“Busted! I was gonna save that bracelet for after you have the baby – surprise you when you’re not expecting it. You see everything.
don’t you?”
He looked all embarrassed and cute. For a second, I almost fell for it again.
But on my way home from the hospital, I’d stalked her Instagram.
Emma Whitmore. Trust fund princess, fresh back from her little European art tour. Already getting featured in galleries and shit.
Her latest Instagram post? There was that emerald bracelet, right on her wrist.
I didn’t call him out. Just smiled and shook my head.
When I stayed quiet, Ethan pulled me close, switching gears fast.
“So what’s the verdict from yesterday? How’s our little one doing? Strong like daddy?”
I casually pulled out the ultrasound report. Still wrinkled from my death grip, but you could read it just fine.
Ethan’s eyes went wide.
“Wait… twins?!”
He kept staring at it, then literally picked me up and spun me around.
Then panicked and put me down like I was made of glass.
“Shit, babe, sorry – I’m just so pumped. Mia, thank you. This is incredible. Best gift ever! I love you so much.”
His eyes were actually getting watery. He kept kissing me over and over.
On the way to dinner, he started humming some random love song, swapping out all the lyrics with my name.
The city blurred past the window as memories crashed over me.
When my parents died in that car crash – crushed by debt and stress – I wanted to die too. But Ethan was there. Day and night, he had my back. Kept the vultures away when they came for what was left.
He held me when I was falling apart:
“As long as you’re breathing, there’s hope.”
He was terrified I’d hurt myself. Barely left my side for three months straight. That’s when I fell completely for him.
Everyone told me I’d hit the jackpot. Dating a Cross? I was living the dream.
But Ethan made sure the whole world knew:
“Being with Mia is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
He even got my name tattooed somewhere private – said once he marked himself, he’d belong to me forever.
When his parents couldn’t stand me, he moved us out of the family mansion.
1723
Chapter 2
I’ll never forget him crying in my arms:
“They think I’m weak. Scared my uncle’s gonna take over, so they want me to marry some socialite for business.”
“But if I can’t have you, I don’t want any of it. The company, the money- none of it matters. I just want you.”
It broke my heart. I worked myself into the ground for him. Closed deals, schmoozing at three events a night, drinking all I puked blood, pulling all-nighter till I collapsed.
I never wanted to hold him back. I wanted to help him win. I wanted us to have a future.
And now? He’d made it to the top.
Morrison Industries – the company he bought for pennies after destroying my family was now his biggest money maker, all because I’d worked myself to death for him.
He got everything he wanted.
So he doesn’t need me anymore.
We pulled up to this ridiculously fancy hotel.
Floor-to-ceiling windows, servers treating us like royalty – Ethan strutted in looking like he owned the place. Every head turned.
He pulled out my chair like a perfect gentleman, grinning:
“Should we be ordering for four tonight?”
Ethan had ordered everything exactly how I liked it.
After the server left, he locked eyes with me, his voice gentle:
“You seem off today. You feeling okay?”
I was about to bullshit my way through an answer when this voice cut through from behind me.
“Ethan! What a coincidence.”
I turned around. Of course I knew that face.
