Ethan POV

Her lips hit mine.

Soft. Warm. Wrong.

For a second, the world stopped. The music, the chatter, the flashes of light—they all vanished. There was only her. Only that brief, shocking heat.

Then the hall returned. The sound of breathing, whispers, high heels on the floor. Bella gasped somewhere behind her. Claudia’s smile was sharp and cruel. Charles’s gaze flicked away.

Emma froze, eyes wide, chest heaving. She looked at me like she wanted something—apology, forgiveness, ...