Chapter 4: The Lovers' Secret
1055 Words
Amber stood frozen outside Ethan's office.
Her heart hammered against her chest as his words echoed in her mind.
"Once everything is transferred into our names, we'll get rid of her."
Get rid of her.
Just like they had done in her previous life.
The same people who smiled at her every day were already planning her destruction.
A cold fire ignited inside her.
She quietly stepped away from the door before Ethan could discover her.
Back in her bedroom, Amber sat on the edge of the bed.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Not from fear.
From anger.
For years she had blamed herself.
She had wondered what she had done wrong.
Why Ethan stopped loving her.
Why Bliss betrayed her.
Now she knew the truth.
Neither of them had ever loved her.
She had simply been their target.
A rich, trusting heiress they could manipulate.
Amber looked at the wedding photo sitting on her nightstand.
In the picture, she was smiling brightly.
Ethan stood beside her, pretending to be the perfect husband.
Looking at it now made her sick.
Without hesitation, she picked up the frame.
CRASH!
The glass shattered against the floor.
A servant passing by outside gasped.
Amber stared at the broken picture.
The image of Ethan's face was split down the middle.
A dark smile touched her lips.
"That's exactly what's going to happen to your life."
That evening, Ethan insisted on taking Amber to dinner.
In her previous life, she would have been delighted.
Now she knew why he was suddenly acting affectionate.
He was making sure she remained blind to his schemes.
The restaurant was luxurious.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead.
Soft music filled the air.
To everyone around them, they looked like a happy newlywed couple.
Only Amber knew the truth.
"Why are you staring at me?" Ethan asked with a smile.
Amber smiled back.
"I was thinking about how lucky I am."
His expression relaxed immediately.
Good.
Let him believe she was still foolish.
The bigger his confidence became, the harder he would fall.
Their meals arrived.
As Ethan talked about business, Amber pretended to listen.
Then something caught her attention.
Near the restaurant entrance stood a familiar figure.
Bliss.
Amber nearly laughed.
What a coincidence.
Or perhaps not a coincidence at all.
Bliss wasn't alone.
She was speaking with someone on the phone.
A smile played on her lips.
A smile Amber knew very well.
The smile Bliss always wore when talking to Ethan.
A few seconds later, Ethan's phone vibrated on the table.
Amber's eyes narrowed.
Ethan quickly glanced at the screen before rejecting the call.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He was becoming careless.
For the rest of dinner, Amber secretly observed him.
Every few minutes he checked his phone.
Every few minutes he appeared distracted.
By the time they returned home, Amber had made a decision.
Tonight she would follow him.
Midnight.
The mansion was silent.
Amber lay in bed pretending to sleep.
Beside her, Ethan checked his watch.
Five minutes later, he carefully climbed out of bed.
Amber kept her breathing steady.
Ethan changed into casual clothes.
Then he quietly left the room.
The moment the door closed, Amber opened her eyes.
Got you.
She quickly grabbed a jacket and followed him.
Fortunately, Ethan never suspected she would spy on him.
In his mind, Amber was still the naive wife he could easily deceive.
Twenty minutes later, Ethan's car stopped near an upscale apartment building.
Amber parked farther away and watched.
A familiar woman emerged from the shadows.
Bliss.
Amber's chest tightened despite already knowing the truth.
Seeing it with her own eyes still hurt.
Ethan immediately pulled Bliss into his arms.
Then he kissed her.
Passionately.
Amber's stomach churned.
Not because she loved Ethan anymore.
But because she remembered how much she had once loved him.
How much she had sacrificed for him.
All for this.
All for a liar.
Bliss wrapped her arms around his neck.
"When are you finally leaving her?" she asked.
Ethan smirked.
"Soon."
Amber's hands clenched.
Liar.
In her previous life he never intended to leave her.
He wanted her money first.
Bliss pouted.
"You've been saying that for months."
Ethan kissed her forehead.
"Trust me."
Then his expression darkened.
"Right now we have a bigger problem."
Bliss frowned.
"Adrian Knight?"
Ethan nodded.
Amber immediately paid attention.
So Adrian really was important.
"What do we do?" Bliss asked nervously.
Ethan looked around before lowering his voice.
"Find out what he knows."
Bliss bit her lip.
"And if he knows too much?"
For several seconds Ethan remained silent.
Then he said something that made Amber's blood run cold.
"Then we'll deal with him the same way we'll deal with Amber."
Amber's breath caught.
A chill ran down her spine.
There was something terrifying about Ethan's voice.
Something she had never noticed in her first life.
For a brief moment, he looked dangerous.
Like a man capable of anything.
Bliss seemed nervous too.
"What if things go wrong?"
Ethan grabbed her chin.
"They won't."
Then he smiled.
A smile Amber now recognized.
A predator's smile.
"We've come too far to fail."
Amber quickly recorded the conversation with her phone.
Every word.
Every threat.
Every confession.
This evidence could destroy them.
Yet somehow...
She felt it wasn't enough.
There was still something they were hiding.
Something bigger.
Something she hadn't discovered yet.
The next morning, Amber woke up exhausted.
She had barely slept.
As she walked downstairs, she found a package waiting for her.
No sender.
No address.
Just her name.
Amber frowned.
Carefully, she opened it.
Inside was a small velvet box.
Confused, she lifted the lid.
Her eyes widened.
Inside lay an old silver key.
Attached to it was a handwritten note.
Three words.
"Trust no one."
Amber's pulse quickened.
There was no signature.
Nothing to identify who sent it.
Then she noticed another piece of paper hidden beneath the box.
A photograph.
The moment she saw it, her blood turned to ice.
The photo showed her father.
Standing beside a young Adrian Knight.
And in the background...
Was Ethan.
Years before Ethan had supposedly met Amber.
Years before their wedding.
Years before everything began.
Amber stared at the photograph in shock.
Because suddenly one terrifying question entered her mind.
Had Ethan targeted her from the very beginning?
To be continued..
- Writer
