Page 36 of Silent Night Temptation

“You’ve spent so long proving you can’t be trusted, Ethan. Every move, every choice…always about you, about getting what you want. And now, you expect me to believe you’re a changed man? After everything you’ve cost me? Things you had no reason to take away?”

“I had my reasons,” he mutters. Quiet and barely audible, but I catch it. My anger stirs, but it doesn’t erupt. It simmers. Curious. He sees the shift in my gaze and continues.

“You don’t remember, do you?”

“What don’t I remember?” I demand, impatience slipping into my voice.

He glances up, as if drawing something long buried from the past. Then, with a sigh, he begins.

“I was a young upstart… new, fresh and eager. A friend pulled some strings, got me into this industry event with all the insiders. All the greats. Including one I’d admired for years. The one I was dying to meet… Marcus Davenport.”

The wheels in my mind spin, piecing together hazy memories, trying to trace back to that day. But I say nothing. I let him continue.

“They say never meet your heroes, and maybe that’s true. Because I met you that day, Marcus. It took all the courage I had to come up to you as you separated from your group to go grab yourself something from the buffet. God, I was excited. I was full of questions, ideas, just… passion. And you…” He laughs, but it’s hollow and bitter. “You couldn’t have cared less. You waved meoff like I was an annoying fly. The only thing you said to me was, ‘Play your cards right, kid, and you’ll be fine.’”

My eyes widen slightly. The words… They stir something. I remember.

“And then,” he presses on, his voice taking on a sharper edge, “as I stood there looking at your retreating figure like a lost puppy, you rejoined your group and one of the men at your table asked who I was. Do you remember what you said?”

I do. But I stay silent, the shame coiling around my throat, choking off my words. Ethan waits, watching me closely, and when I don’t answer, he fills the silence himself.

“You said, ‘Nobody important, just some fan. You know how these young upstarts get, all starry-eyed and looking for handouts. Figure it out on your own kid, amaright?’ And then the whole table burst into laughter at my expense.”

I can’t say a word. He’s right… I was drinking that day andwas pretty jaded with life. I just hadn’t been in the mood to care about anyone else. But I guess that’s no excuse.

“That moment shaped everything. From then on, I became ruthless. I told myself I’d never let anyone treat me like that again. And it worked. I shot straight to the top. And boy! Was I always gunning for you. Always waiting for any chance to get one over on you.”

He pauses, his voice softening as he adds, “But like I said, I don’t want to be that person anymore. I love your daughter, Marcus. I want to be better… for her.”

His words hit me like a blow to the chest. All this time, all these years, and I was the one who scarred him first. A heavy silence hangs between us as regret surges in me. But my protectiveness for Coco holds firm. Can I trust what he says?

“I’m sorry.” The words come out quietly, but they’re genuine. “I’m sorry for what I said. For how I treated you. I truly am, Ethan.” I let the apology settle, watching as his expressionsoftens, even if only slightly. Then I continue, voice low and steady. “And maybe I deserve every deal I’ve lost to you over the years. But in your quest to get even… leave Coco out of it.”

My voice cracks slightly, the words almost a plea. But Ethan’s eyes remain steady, his resolve unshaken.

“I’ll be honest with you, Marcus,” he says, his voice taking on a weight that’s different from before, heavier, more raw. “I’ll put everything out there. You asked if I’m using Coco to get to you. And I’m telling you now, no. That’s not what this is.”

He pauses, taking a deep breath, his eyes lifting as though he's recalling the path that led us here. “When we first started, I had no idea she was your daughter. And we didn’t even plan for it to get this far. Hell, when I found out she was your daughter, I thought it was going to be… amusing. A chance to mess with you, to play into the rivalry we’ve had going for so long.”

I stiffen, the familiar tension rising in me, but before I can interrupt, he keeps going, his voice growing more intense, more real. “But the more time I spent with her, the more I realized this wasn’t a game. Every second I’ve been with Coco, I’ve fallen for her, deeper than I thought possible. I’ve loved her more than I ever imagined I could love anyone.”

He stops and looks me dead in the eye, unflinching. “I want to be there for her. And for our child. You can look at me and know that I mean every word of this.”

And he’s right. As I stand there, watching him, I see it. The look in his face, the raw, unguarded truth, is impossible to miss. He means it. Every. Single. Word.

I’m caught off guard. The shock of looking at the young man I had scorned years ago still heavy in my chest, but the way he speaks about my daughter is something different, something I didn’t see coming. But as much as I hate to admit it, I believe him. And that scares me more than I’m willing to show.

I step closer, closing the gap between us until we’re nearly face to face, our noses almost touching. My breath mingles with his in the cold air, and I make sure he feels the enormity of every word that’s about to leave my mouth. I need him to understand that this isn’t a threat, it’s a promise.

“Coco… is the most precious thing in my life,” I say, my voice low and controlled, every syllable laced with a fierce protectiveness. “If she loves you, and you love her like you say you do, then I won’t stand in your way. I won’t stop you two from being happy. But understand this… this isn’t a business deal. This isn’t some contract you can negotiate your way out of. This is Coco. My daughter. And if you fuck this up… if you hurt her in any way, I swear to God, I will make you regret it.”

I watch his face, waiting for the gravity of my warning to settle in. For a few seconds, the silence stretches, and I let it. I want my words to burn into him.

Ethan nods, his expression unwavering, the look in his features meeting mine without flinching. “You have my word. I will never do anything to hurt her,” he replies, his voice steady, as if he’s already made peace with the weight of that promise.

I take a step back, easing the tension between us just enough to let the air flow again, the space between us becoming more bearable. There’s a shift now, subtle but undeniable, as if something between us has been settled.

I nod and then extend my hand. The gesture feels almost ceremonial, more than just a handshake. He takes my hand, gripping it firmly, and we shake. The pressure between our hands isn’t just about the grip; it’s about understanding, about respect. An unspoken agreement forged in the cold and silence.

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