Chapter 2

The world went silent for a second, then erupted.

A tidal wave of noise and light crashed over me. Shouts, questions, the frantic clicking of a hundred cameras.

"Husband?"

"What did he say?"

"Senator Vance is married?"

I saw Cody Nash' s face. The arrogance drained away, replaced by pure, slack-jawed shock. He looked from my phone to Kate, then back to me. His face was pale.

Kate' s security detail moved in, a blur of dark suits and earpieces. They formed a wall, pushing the paparazzi back, grabbing Cody and me, and hustling us inside through a side door.

We were shoved into a small, quiet room backstage. The door slammed shut, cutting off the chaos.

Cody was the first to speak. He had regained some of his swagger.

"What the hell was that? You think you can just show up and lie to get attention?"

"Lie?" I said, my voice dangerously low.

"Yeah, lie! Kate and I have been together for four years. Everyone knows it."

Four years.

The number echoed in my head. Four years. While I was stitching up kids in the desert, she was with him. While I was missing her, she was building a life with him.

Rage, cold and pure, washed over me. I didn't think. I just acted.

My fist connected with his jaw. A sickening crack. He stumbled back, crashing into a table of champagne glasses.

The door flew open.

Kate stood there, her face white with fury. Her Chief of Staff, Chloe Bennett, was right behind her, looking terrified.

"Ethan! What are you doing?" Kate shrieked, looking at the mess, at Cody on the floor, at me.

She was furious. At me. For the public scene. For hitting her lover.