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She looks from one person to another, her gaze snapping back to Sierra.

“Sierra Hardy,” she begins, “you wrote only ‘Shared room’,” she accuses, realization crashing over her. “That’s why you made me draw first,” she continues, retracing every step, connecting every piece. “And then you wrote only ‘Ethan’.”

A quiet laugh leaves me as I pull her back against me, my voice low as I murmur near her ear, “You didn’t actually think you randomly pulled the ‘Shared room’ slip, and then just happened to randomly pull my name too, did you?”

The room erupts.

Laughter breaks out—loud, unrestrained, completely unapologetic.

“Why didn’t you say anything if you knew?” Thalia asks, clearly offended now, turning to me like I’ve betrayed her.

I chuckle, leaning in closer, my voice dropping to a whisper against her ear. “Because even then, I preferred you in my bed instead of someone else’s.”

My breath skims her skin, sending a visible shiver through her—whether from the proximity or the words themselves, I don’t care.

It’s the truth.

I figured out their plan that same night. That’s why I kept questioning them, pushing, testing.

And I’m sure Thalia would have figured it out too—if she hadn’t been so caught up in the idea of sharing a room with me.

Back then, I didn’t understand why I stayed quiet. Why I didn’t call them out, didn’t force them to redo the draw properly.

Now I do.

Even through the irritation, the frustration I felt toward her, somewhere underneath all of it, I must have known she hadn’t crossed a line she couldn’t come back from.

I just needed to get past my own pride.

And last night—her tears, her confession, the way she completely unraveled in my arms… Yeah, that made resisting her no longer an option.

SIXTY

Thalia

Do you ever have moments when you can’t quite believe the life you’re living, when a part of you waits—unconsciously, stubbornly—for someone, or something, to appear and prove that you were right all along, that none of it is real?

I’ve lived with those moments my entire life. Every time something good came my way, it felt as if I had forgotten how to savor it. Or maybe I never truly knew how in the first place.

I wish I could say that, after countless hours of therapy, I finally learned to let go of that skepticism… but the truth is, I’ve never set foot in a therapist’s office. Not once.

I don’t really know why. Time and money, mostly—that’s the blunt truth. Those two limitations have always been enough to keep me away.

But there’s more to it. I’ve never been able to open up to a stranger. Talking to Sierra, though… talking to her always felt like opening a window to fresh air, like letting my chest expand in ways nothing else could.

When it came to the scars left by my parents, I found a way to face them—bit by bit—through her and through the guys. Their presence made the unbearable slightly more bearable.

Now, I’m sitting on the back terrace of the Thomas house, gazing at their immaculate yard. And for the first time in my life, a deep, unshakable peace washes over me—a warmth that sinks into my chest like the late sun on a winter afternoon.

I know why. Ethan. Or, better yet, because of him.

He’s the grumpiest man I know, unyielding, ruthless when circumstances demand it, painfully realistic and relentlessly pragmatic. Yet beneath that harsh exterior lies a possessiveness that’s fierce, a protection that’s instinctive, attentiveness that he tries to cloak, and a tenderness that defies his own self-control. And yes… overwhelmingly, undeniably loving.

I’ve always known he cherishes his family—his brothers, his friends. I’ve watched him push boundaries, test limits, and bear impossible burdens to keep them safe. But these past days, I’ve realized that many of the sacrifices he makes at work exist solely to allow the people around him the freedom to live their own lives.

He embraces the role of CEO fully, with unwavering dedication, which explains why he never complains about working long hours. Not that he would—he genuinely loves the work, and he excels at it.

It’s no coincidence that he’s the most recognized and influential CEO spanning two continents.