Standing right before the door, Ethan's fist clenched as he glared at Nathan, who was inside the room, standing before the old lady that Ethan had helped earlier that day. If there was anything he was expecting, it definitely wasn't to find the old lady on her knees before someone as ruthless and foolish as Nathan.“How dare you spill that in this room!” Nathan growled. Without a second hesitation, he slapped the lady on her face, making her fall to the ground, her hand clutching her cheek as she cried softly.She went back on her knees, her head bowed as tears filled her eyes.“I'm sorry, Sir Nathan, but I didn't mean to. It was just a mere mistake!” she apologised, her body visibly trembling before Nathan, who stood before her.His presence carried a sense of intense dominance and authority, one that the lady couldn't ignore. She had to obey his every word, his every order or command.“Sorry isn't enough… saying you are sorry and apologising this way isn't enough! You must do what y
“You are taking my prey away with you, which isn't fun. Give her back to me, Ethan. I don't like losing my temper, and you of all people should be aware of this!” he declared. Ethan immediately snorted at his statement.“Your prey? Is that how you see every employee here? Don't you have any shame, Nathan?” Ethan's eyes squinted as he glared at Nathan.He just couldn't believe how disgusting Nathan could be. He thought he had the right to harass employees, and the owner of the hospital wasn't going to do anything. They weren't going to move an inch, and that made Ethan more furious as he stood before Nathan.“Are you jealous that none of your workers can obey you the way they do me?” Nathan let out, irritating Ethan even more.“Trust me, Nathan, you are nothing but a fool at this moment. How dare you think I'm here with the aim to make each employee suffer?” Ethan snapped at him.“If you don't mind, I'd like to take her with me. Don't stop me again, Nathan. I'm trying my best to be pol
With Ethan’s fists clenched, he kept throwing punches at Nathan, who was beneath him at this moment. He wasn't going to leave him, he wasn't going to let go of him no matter what.“Die, Nathan! You don't deserve to live!” Ethan grieved as he grabbed his neck and kept hitting him in the face countless times.Ethan was furious, and no matter how many times Nathan begged or pleaded with him, Ethan just couldn't find it in him to let go. The scene of Nathan punishing the lady came reeling into his mind, and it increased the force with which Ethan punched him in the face.“When next you see someone as old as her, you'll run!” He kept hitting him, and at this point, Nathan began to lose breath, growing weaker than usual.The old lady, seeing this, couldn't help but intervene. She wouldn't want them to blame her for killing Nathan. She'd rather avoid a problem than have to explain it later.She walked over to where Ethan was and held his hand in the air before he could punch Nathan again.“I
“Mother?” she said, shock written all over her face, her eyes searching for some semblance of explanation. She didn't expect anyone to call her "mother" at this stage, and Ethan, on the other hand, didn't know when he had said it or how it had slipped from his lips.He just felt guilty and angry at the sight of blood dripping from her elbow. He wanted to do something immediately before it got worse.And that was why he had rushed towards her without thinking twice.“You… you have an injury right there. Don't you think you should take care of that before going back to the hospital?” Ethan suggested, explaining why he had run to her.“Oh, that…” She looked at her elbow briefly. “Don't mind it, I'm fine. I'll ask one of the nurses to take care of it. They'll do just that,” she stated, but Ethan felt reluctant to let her go.Within him, he wished to spend more time with her. He wished to sit with her and talk if possible, all day.“Why don't I take care of it? I'm not perfect, but I am su
Ethan Wills was in complete disbelief about what had just happened in front of him. How could it be possible that he had spent the entire day with one of the most prominent members of the Ford family and not recognized her? This realisation left him stunned and speechless.As these thoughts swirled around in Ethan's head, he found himself at a loss for words. All he could do was look at the elderly lady he had been with all day and then at Elijah, who was standing right behind her. Elijah was her son, and she was Elizabeth Ford.Elizabeth noticed Ethan's shocked expression and tried to lighten the mood. "Don't be that way, Ethan," she said with a chuckle. "You look so shocked; that wasn't what I was expecting from you. Say something! It's not like I stole something from you, right?" She kept her eyes on Ethan, waiting for him to say anything.Ethan, however, remained silent. He was overwhelmed and could only glance back and forth between Elizabeth and her son. Elizabeth's smile faded
"I'm sorry, Ethan, but it's now or never... you'll have to wait a long while before you can get to see me, and we both know that isn't what you want, is it?" Miles's voice carried a sense of urgency and tension.Ethan shook his head slightly, processing the sudden change in plans. "You know that isn't what I want, but..." he began, but Miles interrupted him."You either accept this offer while it lasts or just forfeit it!" Miles asserted firmly, leaving no room for further negotiation.Ethan was momentarily speechless. He hadn't been prepared for this meeting, nor had he anticipated Miles altering their agreement with such insistence. Yet, it seemed he had little choice in the matter if he wanted to maintain his standing with James and progress with their project."Fine, I'll meet you there," Ethan finally conceded with a deep sigh, ending the call and turning to Ryker, whose focused expression indicated his readiness to return Ethan to his mansion in the first place."Turn the car ar
"You called him? How is that even possible?" James asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion as he turned to look at Ethan, who was still sitting on the couch.Ethan gave a knowing smile and replied, "I have my ways, James. I told you before, remember?" At this, Miles let out a dismissive scoff."Where is she, James? I need to act quickly to make this work. Take me to her right now!" Miles demanded urgently. James took his hand and led him towards the room where his mother was resting.While James, Miles, and the others headed to the room, Ethan stayed behind. He couldn't bear to see James's mother looking so frail and weak. The sight of her in such a vulnerable state was too much for him. He needed to keep his distance to avoid breaking down and becoming overwhelmed with emotion.After a few minutes, the door opened with a creak. Ethan looked up, expecting to see Miles coming out of the room, but to his surprise, it was James who stepped out.James walked slowly over to wher
Just as James was about to walk out of the house and head straight for the car that had his mother inside, Ethan grabbed his hand firmly, halting him in his tracks and turning him around."Is there a problem?" James questioned, his left brow lifted as he stared at Ethan in confusion and curiosity."No, there's no problem, just that you must leave the states the second your mother becomes strong and healthy!" Ethan commanded with a deep voice and a stern look at James.James couldn't believe what he had just heard. He stood still, his brows furrowing as he tried to understand the true meaning of Ethan's words. He was certain that he hadn't discussed anything about leaving the country with Ethan, so seeing him have such thoughts made him wonder if Ethan was actually okay."And..." he scoffed briefly, his forced smile carrying a tinge of uncertainty and tension. "And what makes you think I'd want to leave after she is okay? It's not like I am running away from anyone or anything!" James
The sudden knock at Ethan's door pulled him out of his trance, making him turn around to find out who it was. As he turned, he saw Daniel, the new chief of staff whom he was uncomfortable with, standing at his door.“Why is he here?” he panicked for a split second before calming his nerves.“Come in,” he demanded, and Daniel didn't hesitate to push the door open and walk into the office.“Hello, Mr. Ethan, I heard you are the…” Daniel began, but Ethan cut him off sharply, not wanting to allow any familiarity or genuine greetings.“Why are you at Newhope Company?” Ethan asked, his eyes searching Daniel’s for any trace of evil intentions.Daniel paused for a second. He definitely wasn't expecting Ethan to ask him such questions—not now, not ever. He thought Ethan would at least welcome him into the company, but the opposite was the case.“I… I am here to work,” he tilted his head slightly to the right, giving Ethan a confused look.“Work? Are you joking? I know you have some evil plans
“You are our number one suspect, Mr. Ethan, so why don't you let it out? Tell us why you killed Nick? Was it for his money? To get revenge?” the detective questioned with a grin on his lips.Ethan was more confused than ever. How was he enjoying his morning, and all of a sudden, he was now a suspect in Nick’s murder?“We are waiting, Mr. Ethan!” they urged, wanting to get the truth out of him before anyone else did.Ethan, on the other hand, wouldn’t say a single word without his lawyer, but he knew he had to find a way to clear his name.“You are right; Nick bullied me back in school, and if there’s anything I wanted back then—and still do now—it’s revenge! To get revenge on every one of them that bullied me in school, and…” Ethan was about to continue, but the man cut him off before he could say another word.“And killing him now was your only option, right? Just like you said, you wanted justice, and the only way to get it was to kill them all. Who is your next target?”Ethan’s bro
Three weeks later:Ethan felt a smile slowly spread across his lips as he got up from his bed and walked into the bathroom. His steps were light, and he couldn’t help but hum softly, his mind swirling with feelings of pure joy and relief. It had been three long weeks since he had managed to rescue his mother from the clutches of Gideon, Samuel, and Nick. The memory of that night still lingered, but the sense of triumph overpowered the fear. So far, there had been no signs that any of them would come after him. It seemed, at least for now, that he and his mother were safe, and that thought filled him with a comfort he hadn't felt in a long time.To Ethan, they were too scared to make another silly and daunting move towards him, but Ethan didn't care. As long as he had his mother, everything was fine; everything was okay to him.“Ethan? Breakfast is ready!” His mother's voice echoed through the expanse of the house as she prepared the table for their meal.“Coming, Mom!” Ethan respon
“Kneel and beg for everything you’ve done, and maybe; just maybe; I’ll consider saving her life.” His tone was taunting, the smirk on his face daring Ethan to comply.Ethan’s eyes flared with defiance. He clenched his fists, every muscle in his body tense with fury. “We both know that if anyone should kneel and beg, it’ll be you! Not me, Gideon!” Ethan shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. “Come on, tell me where the fuck she is!” His voice was raw, filled with the pain of a son desperate to save his mother.Gideon merely snorted, dismissing Ethan’s stubbornness with a wave of his hand. “Let’s go, guys… he isn’t ready!” he said, turning his back on Ethan, his arrogance on full display. He began to walk away, Samuel and Nick following behind him as if this was just another game they were playing.But Ethan wasn’t about to let them leave. Not like this. Not without answers. Fueled by sheer rage, Ethan lunged forward and grabbed Gideon by the collar, yanking him back into the room
“What do you want from me?” Ethan demanded, his voice tight with frustration as his fists clenched at his sides. He knew Nick all too well—there was no way Nick would release his mother without getting exactly what he wanted in return. “Now you’re talking…” Nick said with a smirk, clearly pleased that Ethan was finally ready to listen. He spun on his heels, not wasting a second. “Come with me.” He motioned for Ethan to follow and started walking down the dimly lit hallway.Ethan hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around the room as he checked his surroundings. He couldn’t afford to trust Nick, but he also couldn’t leave his mother in danger. Taking a deep breath, Ethan fell in step behind Nick, his senses on high alert, ready for anything.They walked in silence, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the narrow corridor. After a few tense moments, they stopped in front of a heavy, wooden door that looked old and worn. Nick paused, resting his hand on the doorknob. Witho
After returning from Nick's mansion, Ethan didn't take a break, not even for a moment. His heart was racing, filled with worry. He desperately needed to know if his mother was still alive, but there was no way to find out until he met with Nick as they had arranged.The moment he got back, he started pacing around his room, unable to sit still. He kept glancing at the clock, watching the minutes crawl by. When the clock finally struck 10:00 p.m., a small smile appeared on his face. The time was almost here.Ethan pulled out a pair of black pants and a matching hoodie from his closet, his mind focused on the task ahead. He dressed quickly, mentally preparing himself for what lay ahead in Sin City. The mansion was quiet, and he moved with purpose, ready to slip out unnoticed.Just as he was finishing getting dressed, the door to his room swung open with a loud thud. James stormed in, his face a mix of anger and shock. His eyes widened when he saw Ethan dressed entirely in black, a c
Ethan shuffled closer to the nightstand, his footsteps growing heavier with each step. The dim light from the lamp cast long shadows, making the room feel eerie and suffocating. As he neared the nightstand, his heart pounded, and an icy dread began to coil around his chest.His hand trembled, and he clenched his fist tightly, fighting against the rising anxiety that twisted in his gut. His fingers finally reached the paper, which felt unnervingly cold and damp. He pulled it towards him, the edges crumpling under his grip. With a deep breath, he flipped it open, every movement feeling like it took an eternity.The message was blunt and ruthless. It simply stated that his mother was gone. The words hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him gasping for breath as the world seemed to tilt around him.Ethan's eyes filled with tears as he stared at the letter, the sight bringing back painful memories. "They left a letter after all, just like when Ryan was taken," he mumbled, his voice
“I’m the bartender at Monique’s Bar… Your boss is completely out of it and needs help. Please come get him out of here,” the bartender explained, his concern growing as he glanced at Ethan’s dishevelled state.With a curt acknowledgment, James ended the call. His frustration was palpable as he stormed out of the mansion, urgency driving his every step. The drive to the bar was swift, fueled by worry and impatience.When James arrived at the bar, the sight before him was grim. Ethan was slumped in a chair, the remnants of his drinking binge evident in the empty bottles and glasses scattered around him. The dim lighting and the messy scene struck James with a mix of shock and disappointment. “Shit!” he muttered under his breath, rushing to Ethan’s side.He gently but firmly helped Ethan sit up, noting the disorientation and tears streaking down his friend’s face. Ethan’s eyes were glassy, his expression a mix of pain and self-loathing. As James prepared to carry him out, Ethan’s voic
As Ethan stormed out of Samuel’s mansion, a wave of shame and regret washed over him. The gravity of his situation struck him hard: his mother was missing, and he had no idea where to find her. The meeting with Samuel had yielded no answers, only deepened his anguish.His eyes stung with the threat of tears, but he fought them back with a grim determination. The workers at Samuel’s mansion watched him with a mix of curiosity and pity, their whispers barely audible over the distant hum of the night. Ethan felt their gazes like piercing needles, their silent judgement branding him as nothing more than a madman driven to the edge of sanity.Without a second glance at the mansion or its workers, Ethan climbed into his car. The engine roared to life, its growl a stark contrast to his inner troubles. He slammed the gear into drive and sped away, the tires screeching as they struggled to grip the road.His mind was a storm of rage and confusion as he raced back home. Every heartbeat see