Sophia Sullivan frowned slightly.
"You've had too much to drink."
The memory of that night on the Royal Princess Cruise resurfaced.
Ethan Sullivan's current state mirrored that evening perfectly.
Untamed.
Unpredictable.
He stepped closer.
The scent of tequila enveloped her.
Hot.
Intoxicating.
Compared to Ryan Lawrence's youthful charm, Ethan exuded a more dangerous, mature arrogance.
An unspoken dominance radiated from him.
"...I'm not drunk."
Ethan's voice was rough.
He swayed slightly before bracing himself against the bed's edge.
"Tonight... I've wasted your time, Ms. Sullivan."
Sophia shook her head.
She poured a glass of warm water and offered it to him.
"It was just a casual meeting."
"Drink this first."
Ethan ignored the water.
Instead, he uncapped the liquor bottle.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he tilted his head back, swallowing half the contents in one go.
"I'll have Ian Watson take you home—"
His words slurred slightly.
The usual cold detachment had vanished.
Tonight, he was simply Ethan.
Sophia chuckled.
"The gala is about to start."
"Are you planning to bail, Mr. Sullivan?"
"...Not in the mood."
The dim lighting cast shadows across his face.
He thought he'd made himself clear.
Yet Sophia remained.
She opened a bottle of whiskey and sat beside him.
"Talk to me."
"I'm good at calming people down."
"Especially with good alcohol."
She sensed the tension coiled within him.
Having promised Ian, she wouldn't back down now.
Drunken confessions often revealed truths.
Perhaps this was her chance.
"What did Julian Roscente say?"
She clinked her glass against his.
Alcohol dulled the senses.
Slowed the mind.
Ethan's voice dropped to a whisper.
Laced with self-mockery.
"Had him investigate something."
"About Sicily."
"My foolish brother's death."
He called him an idiot.
Yet his eyes burned crimson.
Sophia caught the shift immediately.
"You said it was revenge."
"...Because of me."
Ethan avoided the question.
He leaned back against the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
His thoughts were scattered.
"If it weren't for my birthday..."
"He wouldn't have been tricked."
"Emma wouldn't have witnessed..."
A sudden laugh escaped him.
As if recalling something absurd.
His throat worked.
Voice barely audible.
"Tell me, wasn't he stupid?"
"To trust me so completely."
The laughter didn't stop.
Moisture gathered at the corners of his eyes.
Sophia froze.
She'd never seen him like this.
Mentioning his brother's death.
Murderous rage intertwined with grief.
Yet he laughed while calling him foolish.
His eyes reddened.
Like a blade with a broken edge.
Sharp yet shattered.
Sophia clenched her fingers.
Her expression hardened.
Empathy surged within her.
The pain of losing family.
She knew it too well.
"It wasn't your fault."
That was all she could say.
Death was like endless rain.
Never ceasing in the heart.
"Ethan."
"I'm here."
She took a deep breath.
Offered the hangover remedy.
Forced herself to stay composed.
This was just using their connection.
Nothing more.
"Drink some—"
Ethan suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Under the warm glow of the lamp, their eyes met.
Reflections of each other.
The tequila's aroma intensified.
Rich.
Potent.
Sophia's pulse quickened.