The Return of The Zillionaire Heir

Chapter 8: The Information Broker

 

The guy raised his hands in surrender, and Nadia saw her chance to scramble away from him. She ran into Ethan's arms, holding him tight.

Ethan said against her hair in a hushed voice, "I'm certain your uncle assigned you security. Walk to the car and trigger the alarm."

 

"I will kill you for this," the guy screamed with his hands locked behind his head.

 

He shot the other wall beside the guy and said in the voice of a psycho, "You are testing my patience, and it won't end well. I promise."

 

Five minutes later, more cars pulled into the driveway. Uncle Aaron had sent help.

 

Ethan walked out of the building just as Nadia's security entered.

 

He told them. "Make him suffer."

 

They nodded in understanding.

 

Nadia met him at the bottom of the stairs. Tears had ruined her makeup, and she looked horrible. He took out his napkin, wiping her face clean.

 

"No one will ever harm you again, Nadia," his voice lowered, "I promise."

 

She sobbed. "He was my boyfriend."

 

"Well, now he's a dead man."

 

Ethan grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the passenger seat of the car. They had wasted enough time already. He needed to get her safely back to Uncle Aaron.

 

Nadia sniffled throughout the way home, staring blankly at the floor. She needed someone to talk to, and Ethan worried about his bottom lip.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

She bobbed her head. “Yes, I am.”

 

He reached for her hand and squeezed, offering her a warm smile. His foot pressed on the gas as Ethan worked to shorten the ride home.

 

They arrived a few minutes later. Aaron was tapping away on his phone in the living room. For a moment, the manner in which she greeted him caught Ethan off guard.

 

It seemed that Nadia was fond of their uncle. He was a good man, kind-hearted as well. They giggled together, sharing inside jokes, and he couldn’t help but feel left out.

 

“How was the doctor’s appointment today?”

 

Aaron went silent.

 

Nadia gave him a look. “Did you behave?”

 

Then he chuckled. “Of course, my darling. I was on my best behavior. Ethan, come over here.”

 

The old man patted his back when he moved to his side and chose to stop standing afar like a stranger.

 

“Good job. You protected her, and that’s all I’ve always wanted to see. My girl is in good hands.”

 

Ethan lowered his head slightly in respect. His hands had been clasped behind his back.

 

“I’m exhausted, but I’ll be right down for dinner.”

 

Aaron nodded, wearing a smile. “Ethan, go with her and get ready for dinner, too.”

 

Nadia and he climbed the stairs together after that. Silence stretched between them awkwardly. He didn’t expect her to say anything, but Nadia was busy wondering why it was difficult for her to utter a word now.

 

“Thank you for today,” she said, holding the edge of her bedroom door and stopping it halfway closed. “I wish I could repay you.”

 

“Be careful what you wish for, Nadia. An opportunity will present itself, and I bet you may not like it.”

 

“Go easy on me, then.” She smiled, shutting the door at once.

 

Ethan took that as his cue to change out of the t-shirt and jeans. He had a change of clothes and a quick shower before meeting his uncle in his study. Nadia hadn’t come down yet.

 

“I need someone who can help me dig up information.”

 

Aaron smiled dangerously at him. “I like it when you talk like that, Ethan.”

 

“I figured there’s no time to waste. The Suarez’s and the Harrison’s are going down.”

 

Aaron rolled his wheelchair behind his desk. He retrieved a pen and paper and scribbled down a number on it for Ethan to make use of.

 

“Give Ramsey a call. He’s the best of his kind.”

 

Ethan took the piece of paper and exited his uncle’s large office. When he dialed the number, a gruff, cold voice responded. At the instant, they set up their rendezvous point at the Island nightclub after exchanging formalities.

 

He drove the Lamborghini to his destination. It didn’t take him up to twenty minutes to arrive.

 

The clock hand neared midnight. Ethan was aware of the time in the back of his mind.

 

Suddenly, someone knocked on the passenger seat window, beckoning him to lower the glass. The sound had caused Ethan to bolt out of his deep thoughts while he waited in the car.

 

He wound down and said, “How may I help you?”

 

“You called for me.”

 

That was all Ethan needed to hear from the man. He unlocked the door, not entertaining the thought that this man could be anybody else than what he said he is.

 

“Ramsey?” Ethan confirmed once the man settled down behind him.

 

“We’ve established my name already. Let’s cut to the chase. Who do you need information on?”

 

“Bella Harrison.” The words had fallen from his lips easily.

 

Ethan knew what he had to do. Aaron needed him to take down their enemies, but to do that, he needed to break apart the alliance their enemies had going on amongst themselves.

 

It was the best strategy he could think of.

 

“What stakes are we looking at?” Ramsey tossed him a cynical glance from his seat.

 

The man might have been an information broker, but he seemed dangerous enough to be a lot more than that.

 

“I need something that can split a marriage.”

 

A dark smirk slipped across the man’s features. “Jealous ex?”

 

“No, Ramsey.” Ethan kept his voice trained and his eyes fixed straight ahead. “More like an angry ex who will get his revenge.”

 

Ramsey nodded at his complex response. He didn’t bother to pry on that subject anymore. This wasn’t what he was here for.

 

Now they just had to know if Ramsey had the kind of information Ethan needed. The wait was too long. Ethan’s feet kept tapping the car’s carpeted floor as Ramsey worked on his laptop.

 

His fingers on the keyboard stopped moving, and his eyes shifted to the side.

 

“I think I’ve found what you are looking for.”

 

A pant settled deep inside Ethan’s chest. If this was bold enough to end her engagement with Marco, it would come as a surprise to him as well. Possibly make him see the woman he had been married to for three years in another different and unpleasant light.

 

With a flair of nonchalance in his tone, Ramsey said, “She’s barren.”