“You were seen with a minor named…”Ethan finally grabbed the mic. “Hold on.”The reporter refused to listen and was about to continue when Ethan gave the nod again, and Rachel signaled the media team to unplug the microphone from the reporter. The reporter continued shouting until he was surrounded by five bodyguards who were unforgiving.His mouth clamped shut then, and murmurs filled the hall as to what the hell was going on. Ethan's heart already went into an overdrive, beating furiously and wondering why this reporter would be paid to say this.How had they gotten this information? He thought the old man was on it. Ethan got up, walking towards the reporter, who had nowhere to escape. He yanked his ID card off his neck to check if he was really a reporter. “DN…” Ethan read immediately. “You are determined to be my enemy, isn't that so?” With that, he raised the ID card. “This man is an imposter! He is not affiliated with any TV station and is here to defame me!”The murmurings
Unfortunately for Ethan, the news of the misconduct in the press hall spread far and wide. It spiraled out of Ethan's control, and no matter how much he called and yelled, an article came out in the newspaper the next morning.---The sun had just risen, streaming through the large window, when Ethan, still in his pajamas, walked into his study, yawning. He had barely slept through the night. How could he?How could he sleep when the press was bent on making his life miserable? The previous day had been filled with chaos, and even his dreams were haunted. The dark bags under his eyes were clear as he sat down.All he wanted was a cup of coffee to keep him awake. Staring at the big black clock, he planned to get to the office by 10:00 a.m. The fire had given him a good excuse to stay home.Whoever started that fire did him a huge favor.Or he could just stay home. If only he could...The old man wasn't here to take his place, like other times. Ethan sighed heavily. He missed the old ma
Everyone's eyes were on the old man. He felt a chill run down his spine. Suddenly, someone shouted, "It's him!"The crowd parted, and a tall, muscular man stepped forward. He had a menacing look in his eyes. "You're not going anywhere," the man growled.The old man tried to stay calm. "I think there's been a mistake," he said, his voice steady."No mistake," the man replied, pulling out a knife. "We know why you're here."The old man took a step back, realizing it was a trap. The people who had been dancing moments ago were now closing in on him, their faces cold and hard."Get him!" the man with the knife yelled. The crowd surged forward.The old man turned and ran, pushing his way through the mob. He could hear their footsteps behind him, feel the heat of their breath on his neck. He darted through the hot club, searching for an exit."You won't escape!" someone shouted. A chair flew past his head, smashing into the wall. The old man ducked and kept moving, his heart pounding in his
Ethan sat in his study, the room dimly lit by the soft allure of the table lamp. The heavy curtains were drawn, blocking the city lights outside. The scent of rich leather from his armchair mingled with the scent of the fine gin he was sipping. When he swirled the glass, the ice cubes clinked, offering a small comfort in the silence. The room was silent except for the occasional creak of the old wooden floorboards.He had them changed recently for his peace of mind. The walls were lined with dark wood paneling, and the only light came from a flickering fire in the fireplace. Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the article spread out on the table in front of him. It detailed his confrontation with the reporter, a piece that Sandra had dismissed too lightly.However, the quiet was broken by the sudden ring of his phone. The sharp sound jolted Ethan from his thoughts. The screen showed the old man's name, and Ethan answered quickly.He grabbed the phone with both hands.The first thing he heard fr
Jason smirked at a young woman across the bar. He had been trying to get her attention for weeks, and now, finally, she had smiled at him. He stood up, ready to approach her, but then he saw something unexpected.Rhys.Jason froze, watching as Rhys talked with a woman by his side. Despite the woman’s efforts—smiling, giggling, and trying to feed him grapes—Rhys refused or spat them out.Jason saw the woman’s frustration grow. He could see her lips move as she gently scolded Rhys.“What’s wrong? Tell me, darling, and I’ll make it better.” The woman rubbed Rhys’s shoulders, trying to get his attention.Jason, focused on the scene, forgot about the woman he had been eyeing. All he could think about was how to capture this moment and use it to hurt his sister.---Rhys looked up and saw Jason approaching. He was familiar with Jason’s antics—his brother-in-law always had a smug attitude. Jason was the narcissistic, blond, and egoistic type. Rhys knew him well from their past encounters a
“Ethan ruined Laurel, and now she’s disappeared with my child! I don’t know what you want me to say or do!” Alex shouted at the manager, who was throwing his belongings outside.“Look, I don’t want you in my house anymore. I don’t want your dirty feet near my place again. Your rent is up. Either a miracle happens, you pay me what you owe, or you get out,” the bald man said angrily, tossing more of Alex’s things out. He came across something strange among Alex’s stuff and, with a frown, avoided touching it.He avoided it because it looked like urine. “What a weird thing,” he muttered. “Hey, get this stuff out.”Alex watched helplessly as the landlord threw his hard-earned possessions outside. Yesterday, he had seen the eviction notice on his door, but Alex had ignored it, thinking the man wouldn’t have an extra key. How was he to know the landlord kept a spare key for such a day?The landlord had never liked him from the start, but he had let Alex stay when he promised money. Now that
Alex stepped into the underground fighting ring, feeling the oppressive heat and the weight of hundreds of hostile eyes upon him. It was his first time fighting, and the air was already thick with stench, sweat, blood, and cheap beer. It was the type of life Alex had left a long time ago. He had elevated himself to the point of a manager, karaoke, and drinking at the elite table. That was until he met Ethan, who decided it was over for him. The old man collided with Ethan to fire him.The crowd, a mix of grim faces and eager eyes, roared with anticipation to wake Alex from his thoughts. He scanned the ring, and his heart dropped when he saw his opponent. But what Ethan could see was Ethan. Ethan, the man who had ruined his life and stolen his family, was now standing in front of him, a menacing grin on his face.Ethan humiliated his girlfriend—she was forced to either kill herself or cut contact from the face of the earth. Memories of being fired from his job, forced to work for the m
Jason bit his lower lip seductively as the woman he had been pursuing for weeks serviced him. He didn’t realize her boundaries were so easy to cross. If he had known, he wouldn’t have wasted his time stalking her, trying to see if she was different from the others.But, of course, she wasn’t.She was just like the rest.Thinking about his sister made him lose interest, and he pushed the woman away. The room echoed with a loud popping sound. Looking down, he saw the woman's lips glistening and her appearance looking worse.Even worse, he couldn’t finish because of his anger. How could that brat, lucky enough to marry into their family, bring such disgrace? He pulled out a check from his wallet. Even if love didn’t exist, at least he could pay her for her services.“Here, take this as a token of appreciation for your beauty.”The woman looked confused. “I like you, too. That’s why I’ve been following you. I see the way you look at me…”Jason scratched his head, pretending to be shy. Thi