The memory instantly soured his mood.
Lucas hadn't followed the rules.
Hadn't respected the position Ethan had built.
He had simply walked into Elana's life and somehow become everything Ethan had spent years trying to be.
The trusted one.
The loved one.
The man she chose.
The thought made his jaw clench.
Across the room, his phone vibrated.
Again.
And again.
And again.
He didn't need to look to know who it was.
Sophia.
Lately she seemed incapable of going more than an hour without contacting him.
Another crisis.
Another complaint.
Another demand for attention.
Eventually he picked up the phone.
Seven unread messages.
He skimmed them quickly.
Mostly complaints about the media.
Complaints about Lucas.
Complaints about Elana.
The same cycle repeated endlessly.
Ethan
