Velvet Nights and Broken Vows 2 Summary
In this chapter, the narrator, Sophia, experiences an unusual calmness in the morning, contrasting with her usual anxious behavior around Ethan. Ethan casually informs her he won’t be home for dinner due to a business engagement and offers her a birthday present—a coat with a gift box inside containing a diamond ring. However, when Sophia picks it up, Ethan reveals she took the wrong gift and instead shows her an emerald brooch, which she politely declines, mentioning her birthday was months ago and suggesting Ethan give it to Chloe instead.
Ethan then invites Sophia to a jewelry auction, marking the first time he’s asked her to be his date in months, as Chloe has been his constant companion at events and trips. Sophia rejects the invitation, urging Ethan to take Chloe, which provokes his frustration and a sharp rebuke about her jealousy. Despite the tension, Sophia refrains from arguing, feeling too drained to engage.
Later, Ethan receives a distressed call from Chloe, who has locked herself out, and he prepares to help her, even taking a scarf Sophia knitted for Chloe. This moment highlights the emotional distance and shifting loyalties between the three. Sophia quietly retreats to the study, where she struggles with a safe until finally opening it with Chloe’s birthday code. Inside, she finds old movie tickets from her first date with Ethan, which she tears up in a wave of bitter nostalgia.
The chapter ends with Sophia stepping out into a snowy evening to deliver a file for Ethan, only to find him and Chloe intimately linked and laughing in a restaurant. The scene starkly contrasts Sophia’s cold isolation with their warmth, underscoring her sense of loss and heartbreak.
Chapter 2
This time, I didn’t wake Ethan up as I usually did, bombarding him with frantic questions about that one thing that had haunted me. Instead, I moved through the morning with a quiet calm I hadn’t felt in months.
After slowly preparing an omelet, I settled at the dining table just as I heard his voice cut through the stillness of the kitchen.
“Don’t wait for me for dinner tonight. I’ve got a business dinner,” Ethan said casually.
He opened the fridge and grabbed a glass of ice water, gulping it down in one long sip. I noticed the faint surprise flicker across his face when I didn’t launch into my usual lecture about how cold water upset his stomach or demand to know who would be at the dinner.
Through the kitchen’s glass window, Ethan’s brow furrowed as he looked at me. “Sophia, are you even listening?”
I swallowed the bite of omelet in my mouth, gave a small grunt to acknowledge him, and kept eating without looking up.
Seeing my indifference, Ethan shrugged and tossed his black coat toward me. “Your birthday present.”
The coat landed softly on my lap, its fabric scented with a sickly sweet perfume that made me wrinkle my nose. Under his steady gaze, I slipped my hand inside the pocket and pulled out a small gift box. Inside, nestled in velvet, was a diamond ring.
Before I could even open my mouth to respond, Ethan snatched the ring back, his expression darkening. “You took the wrong one. Yours is in the other pocket.”
Curious, I reached into the other pocket and found an emerald brooch. I glanced at the sparkling jewel but quickly pushed it back toward him.
“The brooch is beautiful,” I said politely, “but I don’t have anything to wear it with.”
He was silent for a moment, his eyes searching mine. I added carefully, “Besides, my birthday was three months ago. You should just give it to Chloe.”
Ethan was momentarily speechless, then sighed reluctantly. “There’s a jewelry auction in a couple of days. You can come with me.”
It was the first time he had ever invited me to be his date. For the last six months, Chloe had been the one by his side at every event. Even on a yacht trip with his childhood friends, the two of them were inseparable, arms linked in the group photos.
Thinking about all of it, I felt a strange numbness wash over me. “No, thanks. I don’t need anything,” I replied flatly.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
I nodded firmly. “It would be better if you took Chloe.”
My words, spoken from the bottom of my heart, were met with an immediate scowl.
“Sophia, get your ass to the bathroom and look in the mirror right now,” Ethan snapped.
“Take a good look at how ridiculous your jealous face is.”
If this had happened before, I would have jumped into a fierce argument. But now, I didn’t have the energy to fight back even a single word.
Just as I was about to leave for my room, Ethan’s phone rang. Chloe’s special ringtone filled the air.
She was crying, her voice trembling. She had gone out to take the trash out and forgotten her keys. “What am I going to do, Ethan?”
“You silly girl, just stay put and don’t wander off. I’m coming over to give you the keys right now,” he said soothingly.
After hanging up, Ethan started heading for the door, but I called after him.
“The scarf you asked me to knit last week is finished. It’s hanging on the coat rack. Don’t forget to take it to her.”
His expression softened for a moment. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but before he could, another message from Chloe came through.
This time, she was meowing playfully like a kitten, asking her master for a cup of milk tea.
For her, Ethan emptied the shopping bag on the coat rack, carefully placed the scarf inside, and left with a small smile on his face.
I glanced down at the baby clothes carelessly tossed on the floor and then stood up, heading toward the study.
Ignoring the framed photo of Ethan and Chloe on the desk, I focused on the safe. I tried his birthday as the code. No luck. Then mine. Still nothing. I entered our anniversary date. The lock remained stubbornly closed.
Finally, I tried Chloe’s birthday. The safe clicked open.
Inside, among the documents, I found two movie tickets — the stubs from my first date with Ethan.
A wave of bitter nostalgia swept over me. Without hesitation, I tore the tickets into pieces and threw them into the trash.
I returned to the bedroom and began packing my things.
That evening, Ethan called, asking me to arrange a courier to deliver a file for him.
Outside, snow was falling heavily. I wrapped myself tightly in my mink coat and stepped out into the cold.
Pushing open the door of the restaurant, I walked in and found Ethan and Chloe sitting together, their arms linked as they laughed and drank.
The sight hit me like a punch to the gut. I stood frozen, the cold air from outside still clinging to my coat, as the warmth of their closeness felt like a cruel reminder of everything I was losing.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
