Chapter 16 The Hearts Betrayal

The days following the kiss felt like an unraveling storm, one Emily couldn’t quite control. Every glance exchanged with Ethan held an unspoken tension, a question neither of them dared voice. It wasn’t just the heat of their mission, nor the weight of the danger that surrounded them. Something had shifted, something that threatened to pull them under. Ethan, however, remained as he always was controlled, precise, a man who had spent years mastering the art of detachment. If the kiss had shaken him, he didn’t show it. His walls remained intact, though Emily had seen the cracks forming. He still led with a quiet authority, organizing their every move with the cold efficiency of a man who had long since buried his emotions for the sake of survival.