The very next day, Elena received a message.
From Aidan: Dinner tonight? Just to catch up. No pressure.
Elena stared at it, unsure. Her past with Aidan was… complicated. Not toxic, but not sweet either. Just a long list of "what-ifs" and missed timings.
Still, curiosity poked her.
Zoya, ever the nosy office fairy, peeked at her screen and gasped.
"Oh. My. Plot twist! Are you really thinking of going?"
"It's just dinner," Elena muttered.
"With your ex. Who looks like a runway model.
Meanwhile, Alex was at home with Ethan, practicing his "cool detective face" in the mirror.
"Daddy Ethan, do you think Mummy Elena will like this face?" He squinted and pouted.
Ethan, distracted, glanced at his phone—Zoya had just sent him a text.
Zoya: ELENA SAID YES TO DINNER WITH AIDAN. DO SOMETHING.
Ethan nearly dropped his phone.
That evening, Elena walked into the fancy rooftop restaurant where Aidan had invited her. He stood up, smiled, pulled out her chair. Classic charm.
"You look stunning, Elena."
Before she could respond, a waiter came running.
"There's a gentleman who insists on joining—he says he's your husband?"
Elena choked on her water.
"What?!"
And in walked Ethan, in his black turtleneck and long coat, looking like a dramatic K-drama male lead.
"I figured it's rude to let my wife dine alone with her ex."
Aidan's face? Priceless.
Elena was ready to burst.
"Ethan! This wasn't necessary!"
"Alex was worried," Ethan said, calmly sipping water. "He said, and I quote, 'If that man tries to steal Mummy, bite his ankles.' So I came instead."
The dinner was… awkward. Aidan tried to ask about Elena's life. Ethan answered half of them. Elena silently begged the ceiling to strike them both with lightning.
Later, as they left the restaurant, Ethan looked at Elena.
"You're mad?"
"I'm embarrassed."
"Alex would be proud," he replied. "I defended his mummy's honor."
Elena glared at him.
And then—out of nowhere—a soft laugh escaped her lips.
"You're unbelievable."
He smiled.
"I'm your husband, Elena. Contractually, it's in my job description to annoy you."