CHAPTER THREE
1293 Words
MAYA’S POV
“Ethan… what exactly have we gotten ourselves into?”
Nobody answered.
I stood staring at the article on Ethan’s phone while my heart pounded. This couldn’t be happening.
One misunderstanding. One stupid encounter. And suddenly, the entire internet thought I was dating a billionaire.
I looked at Ethan. He looked just as unhappy as I felt.
Good. At least I wasn’t suffering alone.
“This is insane,” I said.
“It is,” Ethan agreed.
Liam took the phone from me and scrolled through several articles. His expression got worse with each one.
“Oh, this is bad.”
“How bad?” I asked.
He showed me the screen. Another article. Another photo. Another ridiculous headline.
*MYSTERY WOMAN STEALS ETHAN STERLING’S HEART.*
I nearly screamed. “Steals his heart? I barely know him!”
A few people nearby recognized Ethan and immediately started taking more pictures. The flashes made me uncomfortable.
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Let’s leave.”
For the first time, I noticed how tense he looked. Not annoyed. I'm not angry. Tense. Like someone trapped.
Liam quickly opened the SUV door. “Get in.”
“What?” I asked.
“You can’t stay here.”
“I can go home.”
“No, you can’t.”
I frowned. “Why?”
Liam pointed behind us.
I turned.
My stomach dropped.
Three reporters were already crossing the street toward us. One was holding a camera. Another had a microphone.
“Oh.”
“Exactly,” Liam said.
A second later, Ethan gently grabbed my arm. “Get in the car.”
Something in his voice made me listen. We quickly climbed inside. The door closed. The SUV pulled away.
The reporters started running after us, but they were too late.
I released a breath. “Please tell me this isn’t normal.”
“It isn’t,” Liam said. “It is for us.”
I looked at Ethan. He was staring out the window, silent, distant, like his mind was somewhere else.
For some reason, I remembered the article. “Seven years. Widower.”
The word stuck in my head.
I knew who Ethan Sterling was. Everybody did. But I never paid attention to celebrity news. I knew he owned airlines. I knew he was rich. That was it.
Now I was realizing there was much more to his story.
The car became quiet. Too quiet.
Finally, I looked at Ethan. “What happened seven years ago?”
The question hung in the air. Liam immediately stopped smiling. The driver’s eyes met Ethan’s in the mirror.
Nobody spoke.
Then Ethan looked at me. His expression was unreadable.
“My wife died.”
The words hit me harder than I expected.
“Oh.”
“And my daughter.”
My heart sank. I instantly regretted asking.
“I’m sorry.”
Ethan nodded once. Nothing more. But the sadness in his eyes said enough.
The rest of the drive passed in silence.
****************
Twenty minutes later, the SUV stopped in front of a beautiful restaurant.
I blinked. “Why are we here?”
Liam grinned. “Dinner.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Absolutely yes.”
I pointed at myself. “I am not having dinner with billionaires.”
“Too late.”
Before I could argue, Liam was already out of the car.
I groaned. Ethan actually looked amused.
“You don’t like rich people?”
“I don’t trust rich people.”
His eyebrow lifted. “That’s a strong opinion.”
“It’s an accurate opinion.”
That earned me another rare smile.
Unfortunately, that smile was witnessed by Liam. And Liam looked entirely too pleased about it.
I was beginning to understand why Ethan kept telling him no.
We entered the restaurant. The staff immediately recognized the Sterling brothers, greeting them warmly. Another reminder that we lived in completely different worlds.
I felt awkward the entire time. The chairs probably cost more than my monthly salary. The wine list looked like a mortgage payment. The dessert menu could probably pay my rent.
I wanted to leave. But somehow, Liam kept talking—mostly teasing Ethan. Surprisingly, Ethan occasionally teased him back.
Watching them together was strange. I expected cold billionaire robots. Instead, they acted like normal brothers. Annoying brothers. But normal.
Halfway through dinner, Ethan’s phone rang. His expression darkened immediately.
Mother. Again.
He excused himself and stepped away.
The moment he disappeared, Liam leaned forward. “Oh no.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
“I know that look.”
“What look?”
“The look that says you’re about to interfere in somebody else’s life.”
Liam laughed. “Fair.”
I sighed. “What do you want?”
He studied me for a second, then surprised me.
“Do you know how long it’s been since Ethan laughed?”
I blinked. “What?”
“I’m serious.” The smile disappeared from his face. “My brother hasn’t really lived since the accident.”
I looked toward Ethan. He was standing near a window, speaking on the phone. Even from a distance, he looked tired. Older somehow. Lonely.
Liam continued. “Everyone tries to fix him.”
“I’m not everyone.”
“I know.”
“And I’m definitely not fixing anybody.”
“I know that too.” He smiled. “That’s why you’re different.”
I didn’t like where this conversation was heading. At all.
Fortunately, Ethan returned before Liam could continue. Unfortunately, he didn’t look happy. Not even close.
“What happened?” Liam asked.
Ethan sat down. “My mother.”
“That’s never good.”
I looked between them. “What did she do?”
Ethan rubbed his forehead. For a moment, he looked exhausted. Then he looked directly at me and said five words that nearly made me choke on my water.
“She wants to meet you.”
I coughed. Liam burst out laughing.
“No.”
Ethan nodded. “Yes.”
“No.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
I stared at both brothers, absolutely horrified. “Why would she want to meet me?”
Neither of them answered immediately. That was not comforting.
Then Ethan finally spoke. “Because she believes you’re my girlfriend.”
I nearly dropped my glass. “I am not your girlfriend.”
“I know.”
“You know.”
“Liam knows.”
Liam nodded. “I definitely know.”
“Then why……”
Ethan interrupted me. “Because my mother doesn’t believe us.”
Silence.
I blinked. Once. Twice. Three times.
Then I laughed. Because surely this was a joke.
Nobody joined me.
The laughter died instantly.
“Oh my God.”
Ethan nodded. “That’s exactly what I said.”
Before I could respond, my phone suddenly started vibrating. Then vibrating again. And again.
I frowned and looked at the screen. Unknown numbers. Dozens of messages. Social media notifications. Friend requests. Missed calls. Hundreds of them.
My stomach dropped. Someone had found my account. Someone had found my name.
And judging by the speed of the notifications, the internet had found me too.
I slowly looked up at Ethan. For the first time all evening, genuine panic filled my chest.
“Ethan.”
His expression immediately changed. “What is it?”
I swallowed hard. “They know who I am.”
The colour drained from Liam’s face.
Ethan grabbed my phone. His jaw tightened as he read the messages. Then he looked at me.
The tension in his eyes made my pulse race. Because the next words out of his mouth changed everything.
“Maya.”
“What?”
“We have a serious problem.”
- Writer
