Turning to Ethan, Juliet leaned down and placed a hand on his shoulder as she began wiping his chest area with the napkin. It was then that Gretchen noticed the red stain on his shirt, as well as the seductive way in which Juliet's hands explored his body.

As if hearing her thoughts, Juliet stopped the circular motion of her hands and raised her head up, her face only inches from Ethan who sat staring back at her. They stared at each other, trapped in each other's eyes while the rest of the world faded around them —even Gretchen. But it was not the closeness of their bodies that bothered Gretchen, it was the truth she saw as she stared at them from her position across the table; they were still in love. They were in love, but fate had managed to come between them.

Ethan's hand finally took captive of Juliet's and shoved it off of his chest. “I'm fine.” he said, and Gretchen heard the emotion in his voice.

Straightening, Juliet turned to Jacob. “You should be more careful.”

Gretchen tore her eyes off of Juliet and faced Ethan who just shook his head at the inquiry in her eyes, before lowering his gaze to the meal before him.

It was a difficult task to achieve, but Gretchen managed to sit through dinner, all the while fighting the urge to allow jealousy take over her mind.

**

ETHAN COULDN'T HAVE been more thankful for the completion of dinner. Eating had managed to become his worst time of the day, for it signified the time he would be forced to dine in the same room as his ex-wife, Juliet. He didn't know how much of Juliet he could take anymore, but he knew he needed to act civilized for Gretchen's sake.

Until tonight.

Somehow, Jacob had managed to spill the glass of wine he had been carrying into the room on Ethan and before Ethan even knew what was happening, Juliet was jumping into action, taking charge, and wiping his shirt. For a second, their eyes locked and in that second, Ethan remembered what it felt like to be in love with Juliet —he felt his heart thump loudly in his chest as he stared into her eyes, almost oblivious to his surroundings. It had only been for a few seconds, but it was enough to reawaken a yearning in him; a yearning he was determined to kill.

Chapter Thirty Four

Juliet saw plain as day as she stared into Ethan's eyes that evening that he was still in love with her. It was a revelation that not only filled her with unspeakable joy, but it gave her the overwhelming feeling of power; a feeling of being in control. She knew the implications of Ethan's love for her—she knew that just like in the past —when Ethan had not only turned away from his inheritance, but had turned away from his entire family— he would do it again by walking away from Gretchen.