A soft breeze brushed through the white curtains, and on the bed in the middle of the room, two people were still fast asleep.

Ethan Carter slowly opened his eyes. Lying in his arms was a sleeping woman, her smooth bare shoulder peeking out from under the covers. Unable to resist, he leaned down and trailed gentle kisses across it.

It had finally happened last night. He had taken that step, the very first move in his plan for revenge—and honestly, it had gone way easier than he expected.

Everything was going just as he had planned. Everything... except—Ethan’s gaze lingered on Luna Bennett’s peaceful face, innocent and serene. A flicker of emotion stirred in him, so fast and fleeting that he barely registered it before it vanished.

He hadn’t expected to be her first. In a place as open as this, with her living abroad on her own, he was genuinely surprised she’d kept herself so guarded.

But knowing he was her first filled him with a strange sense of pride. He leaned down and lightly kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"Morning." Luna’s drowsy voice broke the silence as she slowly opened her eyes, giving him a sleepy, sweet smile before pressing her head back onto his chest and closing her eyes again.

"Not getting up yet?" Ethan’s tone was unconsciously soft, full of affection. He pulled her closer and ran his hand down the smooth curve of her back.

Under the blanket, both of them were completely relaxed, their bodies entangled after an intimate night.

"Nope. So tired," Luna mumbled, snuggling against him like a lazy kitten, making Ethan’s breath hitch ever so slightly.

"You little tease. Are you trying to tempt me again?" he chuckled, giving her cheek a gentle pinch.

"You woke me up first," she murmured, as if pretending to complain, but her voice was soft and sweet like melted honey.

"I gave it my all last night, didn’t I?" Ethan grinned, his voice playfully suggestive.

A brief pause filled the air. Then Luna suddenly opened her eyes and gave Ethan a mock glare before turning around as if she were actually upset.

"Mad at me?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind, his tone bordering on possessive. "I’m seriously happy I was your first. You’re mine now, all mine. Got it?"

Instead of anger, Luna felt a wave of joy wash over her; his domineering words strangely made her heart flutter. She’d never loved anyone this much before. She’d always thought of herself as logical and clear-headed, someone who wouldn’t fall easily—but all of that had gone out the window the moment she met Ethan.

"And you?" she suddenly turned back to face him, eyes serious. "Will you be mine too? Just mine?"

Seeing her so earnest threw Ethan off for a second. He couldn’t meet her gaze. Instead, he pulled her close again and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Wasn’t what I did last night clear enough?" he whispered. "Or was my performance lacking?"Ethan’s response clearly hurt Luna. The hopeful look on her face slowly faded into disappointment.

"Ethan, I love you. Just... please don’t betray me. I could never forgive that," she said, voice trembling.

His heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t joking—she meant every word. What if she found out the truth one day? Would they become enemies after all?

But he had no choice, did he? It wasn’t her fault she had that man as a father. Someone had to pay for what had happened. If she wanted to hate someone, let it be her father.

"You really are that type—love hard, hate harder," Ethan muttered, tone unreadable whether mocking or just stating a fact.

He leaned in to kiss her forehead, then threw off the covers, pulled on his pants, and walked out of the bedroom.

Luna sat quietly on the bed, blanket wrapped around her. Just yesterday felt like a dream—like she was living some fairytale. And now, in a blink, he made that dream crumble a little. Still, she didn’t regret giving herself to him.

They had only known each other for a few days, yet somehow, those were the happiest days of her life. Peaceful, simple... warm.

She didn’t want Ethan to hurt her. She’d already decided he would be the one. In fact, she was even thinking of introducing him to her family soon.

Meanwhile, Ethan stood under the running water, ice-cold, letting it soak him to the bone. His thoughts were all over the place. He came into her life to settle a score, not fall for her.

But he couldn’t lie—these days with Luna had made him genuinely happy. He’d almost forgotten why he was with her in the first place.

When Ethan came out of the shower, what he saw made him pause. Luna stood by the kitchen in his shirt, cooking breakfast. Sunlight poured in through the window, falling softly on her figure. The whole scene looked... peaceful.

"Come eat, okay? I can't cook anything fancy, but frying an egg and heating up milk is totally within my skill level," she teased, turning to smile at him with a spatula in hand, waving it playfully.

That smile… something about it hit him right in the chest. Like a beam of sunshine cutting through the freezing walls he’d built inside. He was frozen in place, just staring at her.

"Why aren't you moving? Worried my cooking sucks?" Luna asked with a grin, walking over and holding his hand gently.

"Don’t worry, I won’t poison you. I’ve never cooked for anyone before—not even Dad."

That last word—"Dad"—shook Ethan right out of it. Whatever softness he felt instantly vanished. His expression turned sharp again. He sat down at the table, staring at the food but not touching it.

"You’ve never mentioned your family. They not around here?" he asked after a long silence, picking up his glass and sipping milk to hide the edge in his voice.

"They’re not."

She didn’t want to go into it. One short answer, and that was it. She didn’t mention that she planned to bring Ethan home with her once this break was over. That part, she kept to herself.