“Long story short, his parents aren’t dead,” Ethan said as he pulled into one of his mansions.
“What?” I exclaimed. “Don’t shorten the story! Please, tell me the full details,” I demanded, watching him park in the underground garage.
Ethan sighed and turned to face me. “Wayne’s parents are not dead,” he repeated.
I narrowed my eyes, waiting for more. “They’re at the island,” Ethan continued.
My eyes widened. “When I took you to the island, I used the opportunity to see them. They’ve been hiding from Christof because he wanted them dead. They stole from both me and Christof,” Ethan explained.
I nodded, starting to piece things together. “And the video?” I asked.
Ethan smiled. “Faked. It was a video I made to convince Christof they were dead. He was starting to doubt my kills,” he said with a shrug.
“And you didn’t tell me? You let me judge you all this time?” I said, feeling a pang of guilt.
“Your judgment wasn’t far from the truth. I have killed people, Emily,” Ethan said, locking eyes with me, waiting for my reaction.
“I know, but you’ve also saved people,” I responded softly. “Does Wayne know? Did he get to see his parents?”
Ethan nodded. “I kept Wayne in a secure location. After Christof’s death, he went to be with them.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed, as things began to make sense. “So, this is your way of making it up to him?”
“Exactly,” Ethan said, his lips curling into a smile. I blushed.
“Well, now that story time is over, can we go inside? I’m famished,” Ethan said.
“Let’s go. I’ve learned how to cook a lot of meals these days,” I said proudly as I got out of the car. Over the past three years, I had kept myself busy, cooking being one of my newfound skills.
“You think I’m hungry for food?” Ethan asked with a mischievous grin, rushing toward me and scooping me up effortlessly.
I swallowed hard as our eyes locked, my heart racing. “Hmm…” was all I could manage as he carried me through the doors. Before I could even pull my lips together, he kissed me, deep and passionate.
What followed left me utterly exhausted. Rounds and rounds of deep passionate lovemaking. Ethan was right, he was starving. He devoured me like a lion with his first meal, leaving me breathless and trembling, the bed soaked from our passion.
I lay on his chest as he gently caressed my hair. Before I knew it, I had drifted off into a deep sleep.
When I woke up, the bed was empty. Ethan was gone. “Ethan?” I called out, looking around the house.
I found one of the maids cleaning. “Have you seen Ethan?” I asked.
“Mr. Marcel left early this morning,” she replied.
I nodded, picking up my phone to call him. “Where are you?” I asked as soon as he picked up.
“Oh, I had some work to attend to. I won’t be back until later. If you’re bored, you can call Jennifer to keep you company,” Ethan said casually, but then I heard a giggle in the background, a woman’s voice.
“Work?” I echoed, my heart racing as doubt started creeping in. Was Ethan cheating on me?
“Yes, bye!” he said abruptly, hanging up before I could say another word.
My mind spiraled, thoughts running wild. Could Ethan be with another woman? My heart tightened with dread. Could it be? I wondered, doubting everything.
My thoughts took a darker turn. “It’s possible,” I told myself. “Did you really think he could keep it in his pants all those years? Three years, He’s probably back to his old habits, planning to keep you as a trophy wife.”
I shook my head, trying to clear the ridiculous thoughts. “No, Ethan wouldn’t do that,” I told myself firmly. He had been willing to take a death sentence for me, there was no way he’d betray me now.
I lifted my phone, about to call him for a proper explanation, when an urgent call from my father came in.
“Emily,” my father said, his voice panicked. “You need to come home now!”