CHAPTER 12

Ethan’s jaw clenched as the front door slammed. He followed till he found her in the living room. He ran a hand through his hair, then turned to face Pearl, his expression taut, eyes wide with disbelief. "That wasn’t supposed to happen," he said, voice breathless with urgency. "Pearl, I swear to you—" Pearl stood frozen in place, her arms crossed protectively over her chest as if shielding herself from the sudden cold of the truth. Her silence pushed a tension between them so thick it felt like a third presence in the room. "She wants to get back ," he said, stepping closer, his voice low but sharp with frustration, "She keeps calling, messaging. But nudes, it was the first time." Pearl blinked, lips parting, but no words came out. Her brain churned, scraping for meaning, for clarity, for something that could undo the scene she had just witnessed. Fiona had waltzed into the room with venom disguised as charm…and worse, she had known exactly where to pierce. While all these happened