He knew she was from a long line of clever people, but getting married to her sworn enemy?How could someone so small and innocent-looking be capable of such vile acts? He hadunderestimated her, that much was clear.As they cut the cake together, Denera's words echoed in Ethan's mind, sending a chill down hisspine. She must know something he didn't.It could be that for months, Denera had been working tirelessly behind the scenes, watchingand controlling everything from the shadows.She had been manipulated and deceived with ease, her true intentions hidden beneath a facadeof sweetness and charm.Ethan shook his head to stop his thoughts from going far.He could be wrong, too. After all, the name Suzan whispered wasn't clear to him. She said itwas House Lockwood, but who exactly? Rhys was also under Lockwood. How would he trustthe words of a dying person? The Mafia boss said he planned to disgrace him on Denera’sbirthday. Noting that, Ethan glued himself to Denera'
Alex shrugged nonchalantly, trying to downplay the severity of the situation. "I don't know.Maybe he's jealous of our relationship," he suggested.The mere thought of Ethan being jealous of their relationship seemed absurd to Lauren, but shecouldn't shake off the doubt that lingered in the back of her mind. "But why would he hurt youlike this?" she pressed, her eyes searching Alex's for the truth. This seemed too much for evenone man.Alex swallowed. “After firing me from his company, I went back to plead. He asked his men tobeat me to a pulp! He has always hated me. You were here when he fought me for no reason!"Those lies came out smoothly, blinding Lauren's conscience.She didn't want to see the truth."He's never liked me, never wanted me around. He's always seen me as a threat because ofyou."Could Ethan really be capable of such cruelty? Was their relationship built on lies anddeception? Her mind was made up.“Fine. I know what to do.” She got up and resumed
Huh? Ethan's confusion could be seen written on his face.Lauren giggled. “Ah, don't get me wrong.” She tucked the handkerchief into her bag gently. “Imean, if you don't date me, I will tell the world about our relationship and how deep you are withthe Mafia.”Ethan slammed his hands on his table. “You wouldn't dare.” Fear gripped him like a vice,tightening around his chest. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She couldn't possibly beserious, could she? He should have known that her being here was just a façade. She shouldn'thave entered his world without permission.He didn't know she wasn't finished with her threats. The look in Lauren's eyes confirmed it.There was a glint of satisfaction in her gaze, and Ethan knew that she meant every word shesaid. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a way out of this mess.“You hurt Alex, humiliated me, and think you could get away with it?”"What are you talking about?" Ethan demanded, his voice surprisingly calm.
"More of my secrets?" Ethan chuckled. "What secrets?" He gestured toward the door. "I see thatevery day. You know how it is; women often throw themselves at me. What can I do? Rejectthem?"Sandra let herself in. Without waiting for his permission, she plopped onto his sofa. "Why do Ihave a feeling that this particular woman is different?"Ethan nodded, sitting down at his desk. "You are right, it is different."Her eyes brightened as if she had struck gold. "Aha! So..?""What do you want, Sandra Walton?"She pouted. "That's harsh. You didn't even let me finish.""What do you have to say, Sandra?" Ethan didn't seem in the mood for jokes. These past fewweeks had taken a toll on him, and this woman here was just smiling, which irked him evenmore."It has come to my knowledge that you have been... stressed out by a lot of things," she began,tapping her long nails on his desk. "I want to help."Ethan sighed heavily. If she was talking about the mafia boss, yes. Unfortunately, after h
The old man was stunned into silence.“Say something!” Ethan gritted out. He was getting annoyed by the old man's silence. He hasbeen sitting by the kitchen counter with an expressionless face. He always knew the answer toeverything, so why was he silent this time?“I am sorry, Master Ethan. I have nothing to say.”Ethan banged his fists on the table. “Tell me how I can deal with Laurel, or else I'll fire you.”That elicited a reaction from the old man. His eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “MasterEthan!” he called in distress.But Ethan wasn't listening. “I don't want to marry that witch.”“You shouldn't have promised to marry her.”“I am a man of my words, old man.” Ethan snapped, pacing about the room. He paused. “Shethreatened to expose my recent dealings with the Mafia. I wonder how she knew about that.”The old man shrugged. “Of course it was Alex. That boy had been involved with them from dayone! Laure could be Sandra Walton’s spy.”That can't be possible! Ethan's eyes wid
As Ethan stepped out of his sleek, modern office building, he glanced at the address she hadprovided on the card she had left behind. Sly. With a sigh, he hailed a cab and directed thedriver to take him there.Minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of a building that stood in stark contrast to the toweringglass structures of the majestic skies. Sandra's company was housed in a beautifully renovatedVictorian-era mansion.He had no idea what to expect from this meeting, but one thing was for sure: Sandra Waltonwas full of surprises, and he was about to uncover one more.Taking a deep breath, Ethan pushed open the ornate double doors and stepped into the foyer,where he was greeted by the sound of soft music.He met a male receptionist, typing away at his computer.“Hello there.”The man nearly fell off his seat as he met Ethan’s gaze. “Ma-Master Ethan!” he stuttered. “Whata pleasant surprise! Miss Sandra is ready to see you.”Ethan smiled at the young man's enthus
As the ovation rang in his ears like sweet music, Ethan scanned the room with a confidentsmile. But then, the policemen escorting the old man out the door caught his attention. Instantly,a pang of regret filled him. He had been careful about this plot, making sure the old man neverfound out. He didn't want to ruin the surprise for his enemies.His plan was to use one stone to kill two birds. This act of disgrace would serve as a distractionas at the same time, test the old man's loyalty to House Anderson.Well, recent events just proved that he can't trust anyone. The Old man should give himconcrete reasons why he should trust him as well as the rest of the staff he single handedlypicked.Make no mistake, Ethan knew the old man was innocent. How? By checking the events indetail—everything that's happening now would never benefit the old man. Not only did Ethancheck the library for House Anderson’s lineage of housekeepers, but he also asked questions.They all claim
Thankfully, his relationship with the old man was mended. All Ethan wanted to do was have agood night's sleep. To him, today was fulfilling and he hoped the day after would be better. Ashis eyes fluttered close, he drifted to sleep.In the depths of his slumber, Ethan found himself trapped in a haunting dream of his past. Thevery images he had tried to bury resurfaced vividly and relentlessly.This time around, he stood in the shadows of a bright alley, his hands stained with guilt. Helooked down to see the street boy he had just confronted for stealing food at the general foodsupply. He was in charge today but the boy had disregarded his warnings out of hunger.Ethan was hungry, the mafia boss was hungry, everyone in the streets was hungry, but none ofthem resorted to stealing because of the owner.The Mafia boss who doesn't take no for an answer. All he had told him was to prepare to die ifhe didn't bring the boy back to their den."I can't do this," he protested w