Emily instinctively turned around, her gaze locking with Ethan’s dark, penetrating eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and the rhythm of her pulse suddenly faltered.

His gaze was unwavering, focused on her face, his voice cold and steady. "This afternoon, I picked them up from kindergarten. I had planned to take them out for dinner, but Opal asked if I could cook and wanted to try my cooking, so I took them to the supermarket first to buy some ingredients.

“I made dinner. They ...