Ethan grabbed the villa phone and called his assistant.
“Track down Ashley Whitmore. I want every detail–where she is, what she’s been doing these past two
years, everyone she’s been with.”
Even if he didn’t love her, he wouldn’t tolerate being betrayed.
Fueled by rage, Ethan left the villa and headed straight to Ashley’s city.
He was going to find out exactly who the other man was.
But the moment he opened the door to her old apartment, he froze.
The place was empty.
Even the battered secondhand couch they’d picked out together and hauled home by hand was gone.
A strange, suffocating feeling rose in his chest.
He clenched his fists and stepped into the bedroom.
Gone.
The bed where they’d made love so many times–gone.
Even the puzzle portrait from their wedding photo was gone.
Ashley had treasured it–even with one piece missing.
He’d offered to get a new one dozens of times. She refused every time.
She used to wipe it down constantly, hugging it like a child at night.
But now, it was gone too.
A wave of panic hit him like a crashing tide.
Ethan’s hands began to tremble. It felt as if something deep inside him had just… collapsed.
Ashley had destroyed every trace of their life together–just to run off with some other man?
A raw, unexplainable rage surged through him.
He slammed his fist into the wall, skin splitting on impact, blood smearing the drywall.
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“Ashley… don’t let me find you. Because if I do–I swear, you’ll regret it.”
He stormed out of the apartment and rushed back to Westbridge that very night.
The next day, he learned that Lila had been throwing a tantrum in the hospital. She was refusing to eat.
Reluctantly, Ethan went to visit her.
Lila was sobbing like her world had ended. He wrapped his arms around her with guilt, convincing himself
again:
Only the princess he’d raised with his own hands deserved his care and protection.
“I’m sorry, Lila. I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” he whispered.
“I promise–I’ll never do it again.”
Ethan stayed by her side day and night.
Unless absolutely necessary for work, he didn’t even check the report on Ashley’s whereabouts.
As soon as Lila was discharged, he took her on a tour across Europe. Fashion shows, auctions, fine dining.
On the surface, it was just like old times.
But somehow, everything felt… hollow.
He couldn’t find joy in any of it.
One evening, Lila curled up in his lap and traced circles on his chest with her fingers.
“Ethan, it’s been a while. I miss you…” she purred.
Ethan gently took her hand and pressed it flat against his chest.
“Lila, you’re pregnant now. We need to be careful.”
Lila pouted, clearly frustrated.
She wriggled closer, rubbing against him, trying to ignite some spark.
But nothing happened.
The man who once needed only a glance was now completely unaffected.
“Hmph! You should go be a monk,” Lila grumbled and turned away in a huff.
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Ethan stared at her back, and for some reason, a different image filled his mind-
Ashley’s back, when she was angry with him.
It was just after they got married.
He had nearly collapsed from heatstroke after delivering takeout in 104–degree heat–just to buy her a
birthday gift.
Ashley had been furious.
“Ethan Campbell, I saved your life, and this is how you treat it? I don’t care about gifts–I care about you!”
He hadn’t understood why she was mad.
He tried to explain. She got even angrier.
Eventually, she turned away and refused to speak to him.
He’d hugged her from behind, over and over, whispering apologies into her ear.
That night, even though he’d meant only to just hold her, his restraint snapped.
He took her–ignoring her resistance.
He could still remember her red cheeks, her tearful glare.
“Even in a marriage, forcing it is still a crime!” she’d said.
That image–flushed cheeks, trembling body, eyes blazing with both fury and desire–burned hot in his
mind.
And suddenly… his body reacted.
The heat surged through him like a spark on gasoline.
The desire that hadn’t stirred for Lila was now raging out of control.
Chapter 10
