Chapter Thirty-Eight

The morning sun streamed through the windows of Ethan's penthouse, casting golden streaks across the room. Mia stirred, her muscles still tense from the events of the night before. She could still hear James's accusations echoing in her mind, the judgment from Margaret, and the icy undertone of their words that seemed to cling to her skin like frost.

Sitting up slowly, Mia wrapped her arms around her knees and stared out the window at the city skyline. The silence was heavy, and her thoughts spun endlessly. Am I really worth all of this? Ethan had stood by her, fought for her, but the lingering whispers of doubt still clawed at her mind.

She didn't hear him come in, but when Ethan's voice broke the silence, it startled her.

"You're awake."

Mia turned, her eyes meeting his. Ethan stood in the doorway holding two steaming cups of coffee. He looked tired, shadows lingering under his eyes, but there was a softness to his gaze. He walked toward her and handed her one of the cups.

"I figured you could use this," he said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her.

Mia accepted the coffee, the warmth seeping through her fingers, grounding her. "Thank you."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Ethan watched her carefully, as though waiting for her to open up. Finally, he broke the silence.

"Don't let them get to you, Mia."

She looked at him, her brow furrowing. "Ethan... your family—"

"—is wrong," Ethan interrupted firmly. "And I don't care what they think. You're here with me. That's all that matters."

Mia's chest ached at his words. She wished she could believe it was that simple, but the doubt still lingered. "It's not that easy, Ethan. They're your family. I don't want to be the reason there's distance between you and them."

Ethan leaned closer, his voice gentle but unwavering. "They're the ones creating that distance, not you. You've done nothing but support me, Mia. They're just... stuck in their ways. But I'm not. I know who you are, and I know what you mean to me."

Her breath caught at his words, and for a moment, she couldn't look at him. What you mean to me. Did he realize how much those words made her heart race? She gripped the coffee cup tightly, willing herself to focus.

"I just don't want to cause you more trouble," she whispered.

Ethan's hand reached out, tilting her chin so that she had to look at him. His eyes were intense, searching hers. "You're not trouble, Mia. You're the best damn thing that's happened to me in a long time."

The sincerity in his voice made her pulse quicken. The walls she had carefully built around herself threatened to crack, and she struggled to hold them together.

Before she could reply, Ethan's phone buzzed on the nightstand. He sighed, clearly annoyed, and grabbed it. When he looked at the screen, his face darkened.

"What is it?" Mia asked cautiously.

Ethan set the phone down with a sharp exhale. "James."

Mia tensed, her fingers tightening around her cup. "What does he want?"

Ethan hesitated for a moment before answering. "He wants me to come to the estate. Mom's insisting on a family meeting."

Mia's stomach sank. "A meeting? About what?"

Ethan gave her a pointed look. "About you. About us."

Her heart dropped. "Ethan—"

He cut her off, his voice firm. "I'm not going to let them tear us apart, Mia. I don't care what they say. I'll handle it."

Mia bit her lip, uncertainty clouding her features. "Maybe I should just stay here. If it's going to cause more problems—"

"No." Ethan's tone left no room for argument. He stood up, setting his coffee aside. "You're coming with me."

"Ethan—"

"You're part of my life, Mia. If they can't accept that, then that's their problem. I'm done letting them dictate who I'm allowed to care about."

Mia stared at him, stunned into silence. Part of her wanted to fight him on this, to insist she stay out of the line of fire, but the other part—the part that trusted him—wanted to believe in his words.

"Okay," she finally said softly.

Ethan gave her a small smile, his expression softening. "We'll get through this, Mia. Together."

---

At the Cole Estate

The Cole family's estate was even more intimidating than Mia remembered. The towering mansion loomed ahead as Ethan's car pulled into the driveway. Mia's hands twisted nervously in her lap as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"Breathe," Ethan said gently, reaching over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here with you."

Mia managed a small nod, though her nerves refused to settle. She knew this meeting wasn't going to be easy, and the knot in her stomach only tightened as they approached the grand front doors.

When they entered the house, the tension was palpable. Margaret was already seated in the parlor, her expression cold and unyielding. James stood by the window, his arms crossed and his gaze sharp. Lily, Ethan's sister, sat off to the side, her expression unsure.

"Ethan," Margaret said coolly, her gaze flicking to Mia. "And Mia."

Ethan's grip on Mia's hand tightened as he led her into the room. "Mom."

Margaret gestured to the chairs. "Sit."

Ethan guided Mia to a seat beside him, but neither of them missed the disapproval etched across Margaret's face.

Margaret's voice was clipped as she spoke. "I've called you here because this... situation cannot go on."

"What situation?" Ethan asked sharply.

"Her." Margaret's gaze settled on Mia, her tone dripping with disdain. "She's causing a rift in this family. You need to see reason, Ethan."

Ethan's jaw tightened, his voice cold. "Reason? The only reason I see is that you refuse to let me live my life."

Margaret ignored him, turning her gaze to Mia. "I'll give you credit. You're a survivor, clearly. But this family has standards. And you, Mia Carson, don't belong here."

Mia swallowed hard, the words cutting deep. But before she could respond, Ethan shot to his feet.

"Stop this, Mom!" he snapped. "You don't get to decide who belongs in my life. Mia does belong here. With me."

Margaret's gaze sharpened. "You're letting emotions cloud your judgment, Ethan. She's not who you think she is."

Ethan stepped closer, his voice low and furious. "I know exactly who she is. She's strong, she's loyal, and she's the woman I care about. You will not treat her like this."

Mia's breath hitched at his words, her chest tightening. He cared about her?

Margaret rose to her feet, her composure wavering for the first time. "Ethan—"

"No." Ethan's voice was unrelenting. "This conversation is over. If you can't respect Mia, then you don't respect me."

Silence fell over the room. James's expression was unreadable, but Lily's gaze softened as she looked between Ethan and Mia.

Finally, Margaret sat back down, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Do as you please, Ethan. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Ethan turned to Mia, his expression tender despite the tension. "We're leaving."

Mia stood shakily, her head spinning as Ethan led her out of the house.

Once they were outside, Mia finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "You didn't have to do that for me."

Ethan stopped, turning to face her. "Yes, I did."

The intensity in his gaze stole her breath. "I meant what I said in there, Mia. I care about you. More than I've cared about anyone in a long time."

Mia's heart raced, her walls crumbling under the weight of his words. For once, she didn't want to fight it.

"I care about you, too," she whispered.

Ethan's eyes softened, his thumb brushing against her cheek as he leaned closer.

And when his lips met hers, the world seemed to fade away.