Part 9

After a night of sex, Ethan drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.

But Amanda, wide awake, stared at the ceiling, unable to find rest.

It all began that day when Lucas had casually mentioned divorce. She had rushed home and found the divorce agreement sitting on the table.

The terms were simple: divorce, and he would leave with nothing.

Yet, this simplicity cut deeper than Amanda had expected. How could Lucas give up on her so easily, without so much as a second thought?

She had convinced herself that if she ignored him for a few days, he would eventually come back, just like always, begging her to reconcile.

But days passed, and there was nothing. Not a word from him. Was he really this angry?

Amanda picked up her phone, her gaze fixed on their past conversations. It was strange—she couldn't recall exactly when the nature of their communication had shifted.

In the past, Lucas was always the one to send long, endless messages, while her replies were short and indifferent—just a "yeah," an "okay," or sometimes, no response at all.

But over time, their dynamic had changed. Now, whenever Amanda sent a long message, Lucas's replies were brief—just "Okay" or "Got it." There were no complaints, no frustrations.

She clicked on his profile picture, only to find that his Moments were completely empty, save for a single horizontal line.

Something was off.

Amanda sat up suddenly, her fingers flying across the screen as she typed out a message.

The red exclamation mark flashed, harsh and glaring. Amanda stared in disbelief, her heart pounding. She quickly opened her contacts and dialed Lucas's number in a panic.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service..."

She dropped the phone in shock.

No way. How could he block her?

Her mind was a whirl of disbelief. Even if she had never taken their relationship seriously before, she was forced to accept it now.

Lucas was really going through with the divorce.

The cold air stirred Ethan from his sleep, his eyes fluttering open. When he saw Amanda, still staring at her phone, he instinctively pulled her into his arms, his hands roving over her chest as he nuzzled her neck with teasing words.

"Amanda, why aren't you sleeping?"

"Is your little brother not satisfying you?"

But Amanda didn't react the way she once would have. Instead of the familiar warmth, she felt an unshakeable irritation building within her.

"Heh, seems like you're just insatiable. Well, let me satisfy you once more."

Without waiting for a response, Ethan rolled her onto her back, pressing his body against hers as he nuzzled into her chest.

A few days ago, he had overheard Amanda's phone conversation with Lucas. He had also found the crumpled divorce papers in her bag.

He knew this was his moment. This beautiful, powerful woman—she was bound to be his.

A smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he mumbled to himself, filled with a quiet sense of triumph.

"Now that the old man is gone, we can finally be together."

His hands gently parted Amanda's legs, but she recoiled in shock, darting away as though she had been burned.

Before he could ask what was wrong, the bedside lamp clicked on. Amanda sat up, her expression frozen, her eyes filled with cold fury.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do you know where Lucas went?"

Ethan stammered, "Y-yeah, I overheard your call the other day, so..."

He couldn't understand it. Amanda had always insisted that she had no feelings for Lucas. Why, then, did she look so upset now that he was gone?

Gazing into Amanda's ice-cold eyes, Ethan hesitated, his voice faltering.

"Sis... you... you still love him, don't you?"

The moment the words left his lips, Ethan realized how absurd they sounded.

It couldn't be true.

Amanda was stunning—powerful, confident, and far above someone like Lucas. Lucas, on the other hand, was just an ordinary man, his once handsome face now etched with the marks of age.

And Amanda? She had always indulged his every whim.

In Ethan's mind, it was clear—he was the one Amanda truly loved.

But Amanda didn't bother responding. Her gaze was sharp and cold as she finally spoke, her voice like ice.

"Don't meddle in my affairs."

Without another word, she quickly dressed and slammed the door behind her.

Ethan sat there on the bed, his expression dark and brooding.

"Damn you, Lucas!"

He could almost taste the bitterness in his words, his desire to tear Lucas apart building with every passing second.

It was clear to him now—Lucas had to be doing this on purpose.

Was he trying to push Amanda away? Was he trying to make her leave him by running off?