Chapter 74: Wrong Trust
As the last murmurs of conversation faded and the grand hall slowly emptied, Mara let out a long breath. The night had been a battle, but she had won.
Ethan stood beside her, his grip on her hand still firm, as though unwilling to let go even now. The warmth of his touch anchored her, steadying the whirlwind of emotions swirling in her chest, she stepped an inch away from him a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Well, that was dramatic."
Ethan chuckled, his dark eyes filled with something deeper than amusement, pride, admiration, and something dangerously close to longing. "You handled it like a queen."
Mara lifted an eyebrow. "Like a Shepherd." His lips twitched. "That too."
For a moment, they just stood there, the weight of the night settling between them. Ethan had seen her fight, had seen her claim her place without hesitation. And he had stood by her, unwavering, despite the whispers, despite the past.
Mara swallowed. "Ethan—" Before she could finish, a sharp movement caught her attention. From across the room, Celeb watched them, his expression thunderous. Celeb had witnessed everything.
The way Mara had shut Lucy down. The way she had taken control of the night, standing tall and unshaken. And worst of all, Ethan stood beside her, holding her hand like he belonged there.
That should have been him. Not Ethan. Not the man who had walked away from her.
Celeb’s fingers curled into a fist, his jaw tightening. He had thought there was still a chance that maybe, just maybe, Mara would come to realize that Ethan didn’t deserve her.
But then she had made it clear. She still loved her husband. The words burned. And seeing them together, victorious, made his blood boil. This wasn’t over. With one last dark look, Celeb turned on his heel and disappeared into the night.
As the last of the guests trickled out, Mara found herself face to face with Ethan’s grandfather, Mr. Anderson Sr.