Chapter 1

My husband’s childhood sweetheart was about to go on stage for her big concert, but her lead guitarist got into a car wreck on the way to the venue.

In the middle of the backstage chaos, my husband, Ethan, calmly picked up an electric guitar from the rack.

As the heavy bass and dynamic chords filled the arena, the crowd went absolutely wild. No one in the audience realized he was just a last-minute substitute.

From the VIP wings, I watched Cleo, his childhood friend, excitedly grab his hand on stage.

And when Ethan looked down at her, his eyes were filled with a tenderness I had never seen before.

The scene made my stomach twist. Trying to shake off the unease, I forced a smile and spoke to the people around me.

"I had no idea Ethan could play the electric guitar, let alone play this well."

Standing next to me, Ethan’s personal assistant, Marcus, looked at me in shock. "You didn't know, Chloe? Mr. Vance and Cleo started a rock band back in high school."

"He actually learned multiple instruments just to keep up with her."

"I even heard that Mr. Vance had a massive fallout with his parents back then because the Vance family thought Cleo's rock lifestyle was trashy and unstable."

"Even now, every time Cleo writes a new song, Mr. Vance is the one who helps her arrange the music and record the demos."

I froze.

Seeing my expression, the staff members nearby quickly shut their mouths, not daring to carry on the conversation.

They left me standing there in the dim light, so embarrassed that I wished the floor would swallow me whole.

Starting a band, rebelling against his old-money family, and writing music for her.

In just a few sentences, they had painted a picture of an Ethan Vance I didn't know at all.

Ethan and I had been together for five years, married for two. But he had never mentioned a single word of this to me.

To me, and to the rest of the world, he had always been the epitome of cold, calculated control.

The powerful CEO who dominated the boardroom.

He bought me expensive, curated gifts. He remembered my allergies. He would text me if he was running late due to a business dinner. He fulfilled every duty of a textbook husband.

Except, whenever I brought up his past or his family, his face would instantly darken.

I had always thought everyone had parts of their past they didn’t want to drag up, so I politely let it go.

Around me, the applause and compliments for the performance were deafening.

On stage, Cleo and Ethan shared a knowing smile. Under the dazzling spotlights, they looked like the perfect couple from a movie.

And there I was, standing on the outer edge of the crowd, looking like a total stranger.

On the drive home, the silence in the car was suffocating.

"I didn't expect such an accident to happen tonight. I hope her guitarist is okay. Thank God you were there to save the show," I said softly, trying to break the ice.

Ethan kept his eyes on the road, his brow furrowed. "It was an emergency. Nobody wanted this to happen."

"Fortunately, the show went on. Tonight was the kick-off for Cleo's eighth-anniversary tour. It's crucial for her."

Cleo. Such an intimate name.

And he called me Chloe.

Ethan, every time you whisper my name in the dark, who are you actually thinking of?

He was never a man who wore his emotions on his sleeve, yet tonight, his face was clouded with worry for another woman.

I recalled how, before we left for the venue, he had spent nearly an hour in the walk-in closet, changing through several designer suits.

At the time, I thought it was because he had an important business meeting afterward.

Now I realized he just wanted to look perfect for someone important.

"Ethan, I really didn't know you played the electric guitar."

After a few seconds of silence, he gave a careless shrug, his tone flat. "It was just a phase from high school. Nothing worth mentioning."

Was it really not worth mentioning?

Or was it just not worth mentioning to me?