Emma POV
When Ethan called and told me to be ready, my stomach dropped. He did not say why. He did not say where. He only said,
"Be ready. I will pick you up."
His voice was flat. Cold. I had learned to obey cold voices. They made the world shrink.
The car waited at the gate. Black and silent. His driver opened the door.
Ethan stood there in a dark suit. Perfect, sharp, calm. His eyes checked me like I was a thing that could break. Then he held out his hand.
I took it. My hand felt small in his. His grip was steady, as if he could hold a world. We drove in silence.
The city blurred past. I thought of Sophia. I told myself again and again, this is for her.
He brought me to a boutique that looked like a palace. Dresses like art hung inside. The women in the shop looked at me with surprise.
Ethan's voice cut through.
"Pick anything she will wear."
They took me to a fitting room. They brushed my hair, touched my face with creams, dressed me in silk.
The mirror showed a girl who looked taller, sharper, dangerous.
She looked nothing like the girl with dirt-stained hands who had walked in.
Ethan watched from a distance. His eyes were sharp, not soft.
The dress they chose for me was deep blue, bare at the shoulders. When I stepped out, he blinked once.
He looked away, but not fast enough. His breath caught.
"That will do," he said. His voice carried approval. It felt like poison.
At his estate, the family waited. A room filled with wealth. Rugs, paintings, and people with old names.
My dress felt like armor and a target.
His father smiled and patted my back. Warm for a moment. His mother's eyes were cold. Lucas, his brother, leaned back, amused. His sisters whispered sharp smiles. And Bella, in red, watched like fire.
Introductions began. Small rehearsed words. Then Ethan's mother cut through. "Is this your intention?
To bring someone of no background before this family?" Shame hit me like weight.
Adrian spoke then. Calm and steady.
"She is with Ethan. She should be treated with respect." His words steadied me.
Bella laughed. She walked close, perfume heavy.
"You must be the girl," she said. "Raw. Unpolished. A child in clothes that do not belong."
She turned to Ethan. "Why her? She will never be one of us."
Ethan sat still, silent, smiling faintly. He did not defend me. He let Bella take his hand and lead him out. The door closed. My chest burned.
Adrian came to my side. "You okay?" His voice was soft. His hand warm over mine.
"He will be judged by what he does next. You do not need to fight this alone."
I nodded. My throat was tight.
Ethan returned alone, cool as ever. The meal moved on. The family tested me with questions. I gave small answers, careful and steady.
Later, I stepped out to the patio. The night air cooled my face. I thought of Sophia, alone in the hospital. My choice had brought me here.
Then I heard a laugh. Low. Cruel. My blood turned cold and then I knew that am nothing but doomed...
Ethan POV
I stood in front of the glass, fixing my tie. The reflection was the same one I had always known. Sharp jaw. Cold eyes. A suit made to fit my skin. A man with power. But today, my thoughts were on Emma.
She was different. Poor and desperate, yet she still carried pride in her eyes.
Most women wanted what I offered. She did not. She wanted only to save her sister. That angered me. It also pulled me closer.
I called the boutique. She would not stand beside me in rags. She would look like someone who belonged. When she walked in, she looked small under the lights.
Her shoes were worn, her hair plain, her dress too simple. But still, there was something about her.
"Pick something for her," I told the stylist.
She protested. I shut her down. They worked on her. Hair. Makeup. Dress. I waited.
When she stepped out, I lost my breath for half a second. The plain girl was gone. In her place stood a woman who could stop time.
My eyes dragged over her, slow, hungry. She noticed.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.
"Because you don't look like a beggar anymore," I said.
"You look like someone who could stand beside me."
Her anger rose. I liked it. Hate was better than silence.
That night I took her to the family dinner. They were sharks. My father greeted her kindly. My mother cut her down. My sisters laughed. Lucas smirked. Then came Bella.
Bella had been close to me for years. Friend. Lover. She saw Emma as a threat. She mocked her in front of everyone.
Emma's pride shook. Her eyes filled with tears. She looked at me for help. I gave her nothing. She needed to know her place.
Adrian stepped in. He defended her. His voice was sharp, almost protective. I hated that.
Dinner ended with Emma broken, Bella smug, and Adrian watching me. My father studied Emma in silence.
Later Bella pulled me aside.
She pressed herself against me. She kissed me. I kissed her back. But my thoughts betrayed me. I was not seeing Bella. I was seeing Emma.
I pulled away, cold. But when I left the room, I felt heavy. For the first time in years, I did not trust my own thoughts.
And then I froze. Emma's voice drifted down the hall. She was not alone. She was speaking to Adrian. Quiet. Too quiet. Like they were sharing something I was never meant to hear.