Chapter 1 Chapter 1 A Spark Waiting to Ignite

Hot.

That was Ethan Hunt's first sensation when he woke up.

Irritated, he tugged at his tie, already loosened, and sat up groggily, swaying a bit as he made his way toward the door.

He needed water.

As he fumbled for the doorknob and pulled the door open, he squinted and saw the faint outline of someone near the stairs.

A woman.

"Get me some water," he muttered, assuming it was just one of the maids.

"Uh-okay."

Emma Grace had only come downstairs for some water herself. She hadn't expected the bedroom door beside her to open, and seeing Ethan's handsome face caught her completely off guard, her heart racing.

They'd been married for a year now, and this was the first time he'd ever spoken to her with even the slightest trace of softness.

She hurried to the kitchen and quickly returned with a glass of warm water, only to find he'd gone back into the room, sprawled out on the bed like he didn't have a care in the world.

"...Ethan?"

The room was dim. Emma placed the glass on the nightstand, reaching for the lamp switch as she softly called out to him.

The click of the lamp echoed, and a warm, yellow glow filled the space.

"Mmm-"

Ethan's head was spinning, his mind fuzzy, but he vaguely heard someone whispering his name.

When he forced his eyes open, the first thing he saw was a woman, bathed in soft light, standing near the bed in an ivory nightdress.

In that split second, her worried gaze blurred into another face from his memories, one that smiled like sunshine.

"Lily..." he whispered almost soundlessly. Then, without warning, he reached out and pulled her in.

"Ah-" Emma gasped, not expecting to be yanked down just for calling his name. Before she could react, she was already lying on top of him.

"Ethan... Ethan, wake up-"

Her voice trembled. This was the closest she'd ever been to him, and she could hear his heartbeat, loud and steady.

She tried to move away, but his arm tightened around her waist, his other hand cradling the back of her head.

"Ngh..." Eyes wide with disbelief, Emma stared at his closed eyes, realizing he wasn't fully awake... but she stopped resisting.

She'd loved him for so long.

Her slender arms reached around his neck. From a distance, the two of them looked like a pair of swans gracefully entwined.

Feeling her respond, Ethan's large hand moved down. The thin fabric of her nightgown tore like paper under his touch-gentle yet burning.

Emma wasn't sure how to feel. This hadn't felt like him at first, but even now, even in this confusing moment, as long as it was him holding her... that was enough.

Her dark eyes sparkled with a quiet joy.

But the next second, everything collapsed.

Because from his lips, she heard one name whispered-to shatter that brief happiness.

"Lily."

Their bodies were still entwined, but Emma's heart turned cold. She froze.

The joy in her eyes vanished in an instant, leaving only silent tears trailing down her cheeks.

When Ethan opened his eyes, his head was splitting, but that wasn't the worst part-lying next to him was the last person he wanted to see.

"Emma, what the hell are you doing here?"

His voice was cold, and he rubbed his temples with visible irritation. One glance at the woman curled up under the covers, her neck dotted with unmistakable marks, and he didn't need a second guess to figure out what happened.

"You were drunk last night, I just-"

Emma's voice trailed off as she met the disgust clear on his face.

"So you just couldn't wait to crawl into my bed, huh?"

Ethan let out a low, mocking chuckle as he looked at her shrinking back. "Emma, I never realized before-not only are you shamelessly opportunistic, your skin's thicker than I thought."

They had been married a whole year, and he hadn't stepped foot upstairs. He even moved his study downstairs just to avoid her.

Emma's eyes welled up as his words cut deep. "Ethie, it's not like that, I didn't-"

"Don't call me that!"

His sharp voice sliced through her attempt to explain. Watching a tear make its way down her pale cheek, Ethan frowned and turned his head away, only to see a familiar nightgown crumpled on the floor.

"Who said you could wear this?"

He grabbed the nightdress, his sharp features turning even colder. "Emma, I told you before-stay away from her things."

"And stop trying to look like her to get my attention. It's disgusting."

He tossed the covers aside and moved to get up.

"I didn't..." Her voice trembled, his last sentence breaking what fragile strength she had left.

Watching him handle that nightgown so gingerly while treating her like trash, Emma couldn't hold it in anymore. Tears spilled from her eyes as she choked out a sob.

"Ethan... we've been married for a year. You know who I am. If I truly wanted to seduce you, why would I wait until now?"

"Yeah, that's the question." Ethan turned back, sarcasm flickering in his dark eyes.

"Emma, you know damn well I don't want you. If you wanted to sleep with me, just say it. Don't put on her act. The whole Grace family plays dirty, don't think I'm blind."

Three years ago, if it hadn't been for the crisis in his company, he would never have married her. In his heart, there was only one woman he saw as his everything.

If it hadn't been for that car accident...

His fists clenched at the thought.

Emma knew her father forced the marriage deal by offering to bail out Ethan's company, but she never imagined Ethan saw her this way.

Staring at the iciness in his face, Emma's eyes turned red as she clutched the blanket to her chest, stepped off the bed, and silently walked out of the room, heading upstairs, alone with her pain.