Chapter 75 Chapter 75
Chapter 75
A few days later.
Ethan stepped out of the penthouse, his jacket already on, phone in one hand as he headed toward his car. He was halfway down the short steps when the sound of another engine reached him.
An SUV slowed near the curb.
He glanced up without interest—then paused.
The door opened.
For a second, he wasn’t sure it was really her.
Amelia stepped out.
She shut the door behind her with care, adjusted the strap of her bag, then lifted her head. Her dress clung to her perfectly, fitted in a way that left nothing to guess. She walked toward him slowly, deliberately, her steps measured, confident, almost rehearsed.
Ethan watched her approach, his face unreadable.
“Hello, Ethan,” she said, her voice soft, sweet, practiced.
She smiled like they were still something.
He didn’t answer.
He gave a short nod, more out of politeness than anything else, and reached for the car door.
Amelia moved fast.
She stepped in front of him, placing her hand on the door before he could open it. She turned toward him, tilting her head slightly, eyes warm, lips curved just enough to suggest familiarity.
“Can’t I even say hi?” she asked gently.
Ethan exhaled through his nose. “Move, Amelia.”
She didn’t.
Instead, she laughed lightly, brushing the moment off like nothing was wrong.
“You’re still like this,” she said. “Always so serious.”
“I said move,” Ethan replied, his voice calm but firm.
Her smile slipped for a brief second. She caught it quickly, straightening her posture, folding her arms as if she was in control again.
“So it’s true,” she said, talking fast now. “There really is someone else.”
Ethan didn’t answer. He reached for the car door again.
“You never deny anything,” she went on, stepping closer. “That’s how I know. You always deny when I’m wrong.”
“This isn’t the time,” he said shortly.
She scoffed. “You keep saying that. You’ve been saying that since you started acting strange.”
“It’s not your concern anymore,” he replied.
Her eyes sharpened. “After everything we shared?”
“Yes.”
She let out a small laugh that didn’t reach her eyes. “Wow. Just like that.”
She circled slightly, keeping herself between him and the car. “So tell me—who is she? Is she from work? Is she the reason you barely look at me anymore?”
Ethan stayed quiet.
“That woman,” Amelia continued, her words tumbling over each other now. “The one everyone keeps whispering about. The one you were seen with. The one people keep saying you ran into fire for.”
“Enough,” he said.
“You never did that for me,” she snapped. “Never. So what makes her so special? What does she have that I don’t?”
He didn’t react. Not to the words. Not to the accusation.
“Say something,” she pressed. “At least deny it. At least tell me I’m imagining things.”
“You’re done,” Ethan said, his tone final.
That was when her composure broke.
Her eyes filled quickly, lashes fluttering as tears gathered. She reached for his arm again, fingers trembling.
“Ethan, please,” she whispered. “You know me. You know I love you.”
He stepped back, out of her reach.
“You don’t love me,” he said quietly. “You love control.”
Her breath caught. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s honest.”
Tears slid down her cheeks now. “I changed for you,” she cried. “Everything I did was for you. Look at me—doesn’t this prove it?”
He looked past her, not at her.
“I can be better,” she rushed. “I’ll be whatever you want. I won’t complain. I won’t ask questions. I’ll stay quiet. I’ll stay loyal. Just don’t shut me out like this.”
Ethan opened the car door.
Amelia grabbed it again, panic rising in her voice. “Please. Don’t leave me like this. Don’t choose someone else over me.”
He leaned closer, his voice low, steady. “Stop.”
She froze.
“You don’t get to rewrite the past,” he continued. “And you don’t get to force yourself into my present.”
Her lips trembled. “You’re throwing me away.”
“You walked away a long time ago,” he replied.
“I can be everything you need,” she insisted. “I promise. I’ll be the only woman in your life. I won’t question you. I won’t disappoint you. Just give me another chance.”
"I changed for you,” she cried. “I did everything. Look at me. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
He gently removed her hand from the door and got into the car.
The door shut.
Amelia stood there, tears still on her face, disbelief etched into every line.
The engine came to life.
Ethan didn’t look back.
At the gate, Ethan lowered the window just slightly, his eyes fixed straight ahead, unblinking.
“From today,” he said in that calm, controlled voice, “no one enters the penthouse without my permission. No exceptions.”
“Yes, sir,” the security replied immediately, the firmness in their voice matching the finality of his command.
The gate opened smoothly, the black car gliding forward as though it had already made its decision.
Ethan didn’t glance at the road behind him, didn’t look at the street, didn’t even acknowledge the fading city lights. He was already miles away in his mind.
Behind him, Amelia stood frozen,her heels digging slightly into the pavement. The evening air brushed against her face, carrying the faint sound of the car’s engine as it slipped further from sight.
Her eyes were fixed on the taillights, slowly fading, but her mind wasn’t following them. It spun in loops of confusion, frustration, and disbelief.
Her tears had dried, but they left a heat that didn’t cool. A burning awareness that she had lost her chance or perhaps that she had never really had one.
Her hands slowly curled into fists at her sides, nails pressing lightly into her palms. The instinct to lash out, to scream, to run after him, wrestled with the cold, stubborn voice inside telling her it was useless.
She wiped her cheeks, the last traces of tears smudged slightly on her skin. Her hands shook, but she forced them steady. She pressed her lips together, taking a sharp breath that tasted faintly of salt.
“I promise you, Ethan,” she whispered to herself, her voice low but firm, carrying more conviction than she had expected herself to feel. “No woman will ever have you… but me.”