Chapter Six: The Woman In Red
1075 Words
Lena didn’t move.
She couldn’t.
The woman’s hand stayed wrapped around Ethan’s arm like she had every right to be there—like Lena was the intruder, not her.
And Ethan… didn’t remove it.
That was what hurt the most.
Not the stranger’s confidence.
Not the judging green eyes slowly scanning her from head to toe.
But Ethan’s silence.
“Interesting,” the woman in red said softly, her gaze lingering on Lena’s diamond necklace. “He really did choose someone new.”
Lena forced her voice to stay steady. “And you are?”
A smile curved the woman’s lips.
“Oh. He didn’t tell you about me.”
The way she said it made Lena’s stomach tighten.
Ethan finally spoke, his voice low. “Isabella.”
So she did have a name.
Isabella tilted her head slightly, still not letting go of his arm. “We used to work together.”
Lena didn’t miss the pause before work.
Not lovers.
Not ex-fiancée.
But close enough that the air between them still felt charged.
“Former business partner,” Ethan clarified evenly.
Isabella laughed softly. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
The tension sharpened instantly.
Adrian, leaning against the balcony rail, looked far too entertained.
“I see you’ve met my brother’s favorite complication,” he murmured to Lena.
“Stop,” Ethan said sharply without looking at him.
Adrian raised his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t say anything wrong.”
Isabella finally released Ethan’s arm—but only to step closer to Lena instead.
Up close, she was even more intimidating. Perfect hair. Perfect posture. The kind of woman who didn’t just enter rooms—she dominated them.
“So,” Isabella said gently, “how long have you been married to him?”
Lena hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
Isabella’s smile widened slightly.
“Ah. New.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “This conversation is over.”
But Isabella ignored him completely.
“You know,” she said to Lena, voice softening into something almost conversational, “Ethan doesn’t usually repeat relationships.”
Lena frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” Isabella replied, “once he’s done with someone… he’s done.”
The words landed like ice.
Lena turned to Ethan immediately. “Is that true?”
For the first time all night, Ethan looked genuinely irritated.
“That’s not relevant.”
“It is to me.”
Silence.
Then Isabella let out a small, amused sigh.
“You really didn’t tell her anything, did you?”
Adrian chuckled under his breath. “This is getting better.”
Ethan finally snapped his attention toward his brother. “Get out.”
But Isabella stepped in before Adrian could respond.
“No,” she said calmly. “I think I’ll stay.”
Her gaze returned to Lena.
“Since you’ve married into this family, you should at least understand what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Something in her tone shifted.
Less playful.
More deliberate.
“You see,” Isabella continued, “Ethan Vale doesn’t do emotional attachments.”
Lena’s heart beat a little faster. “And?”
“He does control.”
The word hung in the air.
Ethan’s expression darkened.
“That’s enough.”
But Isabella wasn’t finished.
“When he wants something,” she said quietly, “he studies it. Breaks it down. Removes uncertainty.”
Her eyes flicked briefly to Lena.
“And then he decides whether it’s useful.”
Lena’s throat went dry.
“Is that what I am?” she asked before she could stop herself.
Ethan’s answer came too quickly.
“No.”
But Isabella smiled like she didn’t believe him.
“Careful,” she whispered to Lena. “That’s exactly what he would say if you were.”
A cold silence followed.
Then Ethan stepped forward, his presence suddenly overwhelming.
“Leave,” he said to Isabella, voice dangerously controlled.
This time, she listened.
But not before leaning slightly toward Lena.
And whispering something only she could hear:
“Ask him about the accident.”
Then she walked away.
⸻
The rest of the gala blurred.
Lena barely remembered smiling at introductions or nodding at conversations. Everything felt distant, like she was underwater.
Ethan stayed close the entire time.
Too close.
Like he was making sure she didn’t slip away.
Like she knew something now that she wasn’t supposed to know.
By the time they left, Lena couldn’t hold the questions in anymore.
The car ride back to the mansion was silent at first.
Rain streaked across the windows, distorting city lights into long silver trails.
Finally, she spoke.
“Who is she really?”
Ethan didn’t look at her. “Someone from my past.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you need.”
Lena turned toward him sharply. “She said you don’t do emotional attachments.”
A pause.
Just long enough to confirm too much.
Then Ethan said quietly, “People say a lot of things.”
“But is it true?”
Silence.
The car slowed as they turned onto the private road leading to the estate.
“I don’t repeat relationships,” he said finally.
Lena exhaled slightly, but it didn’t ease the tension in her chest.
“That’s not what she meant.”
Ethan’s gaze shifted to her for the first time since the conversation started.
“And what do you think she meant?”
Lena hesitated.
Then, carefully:
“She made you sound like someone who replaces people.”
The words settled heavily between them.
Ethan’s expression didn’t change.
But something in the air did.
When the car finally stopped at the mansion gates, he spoke again—quieter this time.
“Isabella doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Lena looked at him.
“Then tell me the truth.”
For a moment, Ethan didn’t respond.
The rain outside grew louder, filling the silence.
Finally, he said:
“The truth is… she knew me when I was still deciding who I was allowed to become.”
Lena frowned slightly.
“That doesn’t explain anything.”
Ethan opened the car door.
But before stepping out, he added something that made her blood run cold.
“It will.”
Then he got out.
And Lena realized something terrifying—
Isabella hadn’t been warning her about Ethan’s past.
She had been warning her about what he might become again.
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