"Ethan's point of view,"
I want to finish my dream project as quickly as possible, but it is stalled because of a little plot of land. After all, who is the owner of this land that is so mysterious? I am becoming irate right now. Despite the greatest efforts of my entire team, the identity of the owner has not yet been revealed.
Since leaving the conference room, that specific plot of land has been constantly floating in front of my eyes, making it impossible for me to concentrate on anything else. I need to take a break to clear my head so that I can concentrate on anything else. And what better way to unwind than by racing?
On my gaming computer, I started playing the NFS: Most Wanted game. And I believe Jesus is testing my patience today. As a result, a player by the name of Cold Devil keeps passing my car, but I am also Ethan Woods, a person who has never learned to quit. No matter what, I will keep fighting the cold devil. I was playing my game with complete concentration. I was almost done with the Cold Devil when Steve walked into my office and destroyed my entire concentration.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
I was very enraged when I saw Steve. My stupid P.A. also caused me to lose the winning game."Mr. Woods, your grandparents want to meet you."
Again, Steve was the one to annoy me."Steve, as my assistant, you are aware of my schedule and you ought to have informed my grandfather that I will return to New York the next week."
Because of my stupid P.A.'s behavior today, I fear it may fire Steve by this evening.
"However, your grandma's health is not very good." He adjusted his glasses and stated after listening to me.
"Cancel all my meetings. We are leaving for New York right now. Tell me such a critical thing earlier."
"OK, Mr. Woods." He shook his head and made his way out of my office.
I can't give up on someone so easily; I need to figure out who the cold devil dared to challenge me.
"Hey Jack, how are you?"
"Oh my Jesus, am I dreaming?
The Great Ethan Woods calling me?""I've called for some vital work and don't have time for your bullshit, so shut up."
"Okay, Tell me, even an old friend can't make fun of you." Jack spoke in a grumbling manner.
"I require details regarding an NFS Most Wanted player."
"Wao, the great Mr. Woods, is now interested in a sideline player without considering the business involved in his construction."
If Jack wasn't my classmate and was so skilled at his job as a detective, I'd have gone up to him and punched him until his face turned blue.
"You have a salary because I employed you to spy on people, not to bother me with inane inquiries." I gave him a harsh reaction and ended the call.
At noon, I was deeply focused on my job when Steve's annoying voice again interrupted me.
"Mr. Woods. Parker Industries' CEO wants to talk to you. I made it very plain to her PA that you are leaving here today and cannot meet anyone right now." Steve's facial expressions clarified he was expecting my appreciation at this moment, but this idiot was unaware that he has ruined my entire plan.
"Don't you think you should consult with me first before saying anything about me to anyone?" I glared at Steve.
"But, Mr. Woods, we are returning to New York tonight?" The confusion in his eyes was obvious.
"What can I do with you, Steve? When are you going to realize what I'm trying to say?" Every day I consider firing Steve because of his shenanigans, but I always restrain my rage and choose to be forgiving.
"Sorry, Mr. Woods." His formerly radiant face lost its radiance. He got a call on his phone as he was leaving my office. Before answering the call, he cast a doubtful glance my way.
"Why are you gazing at me in this manner?" Raising my eyebrows, I questioned him.
"Miss Parker's P.A. is calling again; please tell me how I should respond this time." He asked in a terrified tone.
"Get the call and switch to the speaker." As soon as Steve answered the phone per my instructions, a fire-like sound pierced my ears at the same time. To my surprise, it was Miss Parker herself who called to set up the appointment to meet with me and not her assistant.
Steve asked me through his eyes, "Now what do I have to say?"
I took the pen and paper that had been left on the table and began writing to him what he had said during the phone call. He was constantly gazing at me with bewildered eyes.Miss Parker's voice conveyed her reluctance to talk to me. I am fully aware of her motivations for wanting to meet me, but I won't make it simple for her to do so. Steve waited expectantly with the phone in his palm for me to respond. I snatched the phone out of Steve's grasp and motioned for him to leave my office.
"What can I do for you, Miss Parker?" I vehemently refused to meet her because I wanted to see how far she would go to see me.
She responded in a furious tone after hearing my response, perhaps because she didn't realize that she wouldn't hear a no from me. I didn't become mad when I heard her answer, but I don't know why I now feel drawn to meet her.I picked up the invitation card from the table and asked her to meet me at the charity ball event this evening, but after hearing me out, she vehemently declined. Even in her time of need, she wants to show her attitude toward me.
"I'm sorry, Miss Parker, but I'm unable to assist you in this situation." After all, she must realize that I will not meet her under any circumstances, under her demands.
"Okay, fine. See you tonight at the charity ball event." She struggled to respond calmly while controlling her rage.
Wao.
It surprised me she would give up so quickly in my presence, but because she is already on her knees, it won't take me long to present her with a look of defeat."Stella's point of view,""Stella, we're not going to a bike race; we're going to a charity ball."Avery struggled to control her laughter as soon as she saw me after I had finished getting ready and emerged from my room."When did I tell you we would attend a bike race?"She put her hand over her mouth as if to suppress her laughter when she saw me, but the sound of her chuckle still made its way into my ear."Simply by observing your leather jacket and tall boots, anyone can deduce this."It was difficult for me to tell from the tone of her voice whether she was teasing me right now like a friend or was expressing her concern as my P.A."P.A., darling. Why don't you just tell me how to dress for the charity ball if you're so worried about how I look?"I aimed my irritated gaze at her and murmured.'You follow me."After seeing me again, she cast a disapproving glance in my direction."What?Why are you giving me such furious glances when you know well that I don't attend such events
"Ethan's point of view,""Come, Miss Parker. Step inside."She could enter the ballroom when her PA and bodyguard ordered the paparazzi to go to the side.Before entering the ballroom, she shot me another threatening glance and walked out with an attitude.These girls and their tantrums..., oh my god.Why this girl had to be so sassy was beyond me.Does she regard herself as the queen of some nation?She doesn't have a good sense of humor, and neither of her appearances is beautiful.Are you serious, or are your eyes injured?Perhaps you didn't pay close attention to her. She has the flawless features of an angel, with chocolate-colored hair that flutters over her shoulders. It proportioned beautifully, her physique all over, and a glance at her lips reveals she does not wear lip color.However, it was her hazel eyes that caught my attention.Please stop talking nonsense.That haughty girl didn't appeal to me at all. I told my subconscious to keep quiet.However, be honest with me-was
"Stella's point of view,"'Whoa, Miss Parker, what just happened?Were you listening to us while you were far away from us?"His nasty grin made it obvious to me he was doing all of this on purpose.Then why?I had to question him why he intends to start his company in California, which is so far away from New York, and that too, by stealing all of my company's contracts."You cannot impose such terms on Mr. Chang because our business will work with his California-based company."I glared at the haughty man who was in front of me."Miss Parker, as of right now, your business has not agreed with Chang Industries, so Mr. Chang will accept offers from anyone.""Mr. Chang, I'm correct, aren't I?"Oh, so he's trying to entangle me in a web of stuff to show me how clever he is now?"However, they have already agreed to work with our organization before accepting your offer."I cast a hopeful gaze on Mr. Chang's way."Don't you think Mr. Chang will gain more by working with my business? Oh,
"Ethan's point of view,""Congratulations, Miss Parker; you'll defeat me with ease."She kept removing my pawns from the chessboard, and I couldn't help but smile as I watched her competitive game.I could tell she was perplexed and wanted to know the reason behind my smile by the look on her face, which was full of curiosity."It would be preferable if you focused on the game rather than engaged in a pointless conversation with me." She was throwing daggers at me with her enraged gaze.She slapped my cheek in front of everyone a while earlier, so I don't understand why I am smiling maniacally at her instead of getting angry. I do not even know what would happen to that person if they performed the same conduct with me in her place, but I do not understand why I did not respond to her action?Because you know that your animosity caused you to underestimate her talent.It's like she has hijacked my subconscious, and I do not know how it happened. He is not prepared to hear any negative
"Stella's point of view,""Are you alright, Stella?" Avery touched my shoulder and asked,"I do not know." I paused for a moment and then answered her by taking a deep breath.My gaze lingered on Mr. Woods' back as he departed the ballroom. I still find it hard to comprehend that this haughty man in a pointless game of chess defeated me so easily. Surely, he is laughing at me in his mind.But why should I care what he thinks of me? I never gave other people's opinions much thought. Then why, suddenly, do I feel that the prideful man's assessment of me is essential? This is because you thought he was quite intriguing.I'm not interested in that guy, so shut up. After listening to my subconscious babble, I urged her to stop talking."What do you mean,you do not know?" Avery asked as she stared at me in bewilderment.How do I tell her I'm unsure of my emotions at the moment? Normally, in such circumstances, I become enraged, so I'm perplexed why I'm not doing so now.Why am I not enraged
"Ethan's point of view,""What happened to you, grandma?" After leaving the airport, I told my driver to go directly to my grandfather's house."All of this occurred when you were at this age.Tell me about your vacation in California."I know fully that she will not readily answer my query. She must suffer from a major illness because she won't share it with me."What are you contemplating, Ethan, rather than responding to your grandmother's question?"Grandpa's voice as he entered the room caught my attention."Grandpa, please first explain what happened to her." I inspected Grandpa's face. His face was more wrinkly this time than the previous. He was considerably weaker now than before. He could no longer stand as straightly as previously. His frame was curved. To support his weight, he needed staff to steady himself."You don't need to worry about your grandmother; she is OK. The usual winter has turned into an extremely chilly season because of the weather shift. There is nothing
"Stella's point of view,""Good morning, Stella. I hope you're feeling better today than you were last night."The following morning, as soon as I entered the hallway after getting dressed for work, Avery's concerned eyes were waiting to greet me."I am fine, by the way; thank you for your concern for me last night." I embraced Avery in response."Really?I did not know what type of support it was to leave your friend to cry in silence in a room." Avery gave me a taunting look as she lifted her eyebrows."It's not like that at all; I had no desire to upset you." I know fully that my actions from yesterday hurt Avery's feelings, but I didn't mean to.Since I don't trust anyone else anymore, I don't want to talk about my problems. I frequently witness people sharing their problems with those closest to them, only for those people to subsequently exploit those problems and flaws. Such an error would be unacceptable to me."I can relate since, if I were in your situation, I would probably
"Ethan's point of view,""Ethan, I want to meet the girl who had the guts to slap you in front of everyone."The next morning, as I finished eating breakfast and was about to leave for the office, Grandpa's words stopped me in my tracks.Why they have discussed everywhere Stella Parker around me since I returned from California.Why Grandpa wants to meet that cocky woman baffles me."I don't know about her, Grandpa; I'm running late for work."Without looking at him, I replied firmly and left the house. I know I shouldn't have reacted so impolitely to Grandpa's remarks, but it left me with no other choice. At all costs, I must prevent my grandfather from meeting Stella. She is simply my business rival, and I only want to see her lose. She is not someone I can introduce to my family.Oh, Jesus, why do I keep thinking about her even though I don't want to?Ever since I met her, it feels as though she has hacked my thoughts.What is it about her that causes me to think about her so frequ
Ethan~"Thank you, Avery." Steve smiled broadly at the sight of Stella's assistance. "My pleasure, Steve." Avery's face also blushed. What's going on between them? I was surprised to find them. "I hope getting there isn't too tough for you, Mr. Woods." Avery questioned me. "Not at all; with your help, we had no trouble getting here." Before I could respond, Steve answered her question. What the hell? How is it possible for my assistant's love story to be resolved more easily than mine? Stella didn't want to talk to me and locked herself in the room, and here my assistant flirted with her assistant. "Steve, please bring me some coffee; I'm starving." I felt a slight wave of jealousy as I watched him happily conversing with Avery. Why won't Stella speak to me with such affection? Because you always irritated her by showing your anger. Without asking, my subconscious gave me the answer. Avery followed Steve into the kitchen to help him get coffee for me. Why did Stella lock her
Stella~"Stella, you didn't do good by insulting Mr. Woods." Once I finished my office work and sat in my car to return home, Avery complained to me. "Avery, please don't begin now; I am already upset with what he did in the conference hall. I mean, how could he do this?" I tighten my grip on the steering wheel in anger. "Stella, you are overreacting; he did nothing wrong; he was clearing his doubts." Avery and I argued for Ethan Woods. "Really? Oh, my God! You said that The Great Ethan Woods did nothing wrong when he offered me to work for his company for my desired salary." I gave her a furious glance. "That's precisely why I'm curious why he gave you money to work for his business when, as his wife, you are obligated to do so for free." Her remarks only heighten my ire. "First of all, Avery, we are not real husband and wife; we are just contracted married. Second, if you think he owned me because of our relationship, then you are also my friend, so you too don't have to take m
"Ethan POV,""Why are you staring at me?" My face heated up when I saw her staring at me. "Nothing. You look cute when you blush." She made fun of me. This woman dares to make me feel nervous. I scratched my neck and stared at the ground. Knowing he wasn't her boyfriend brought me a sense of relief. But why did she return to California without even saying goodbye to me? Her assistant entered the office with two coffee mugs. "Welcome to California, Mr. Woods. You did a great job coming here, as Stella missed you so much last night that she couldn't sleep." Placing the coffee mug down on the table, she turned to face Stella. "Is she telling the truth?" I looked at Stella in surprise. "No, she is telling a lie; I didn't miss you." She refused to accept what Avery said to me, but her expression revealed something else. Her hazel eyes did not meet mine; her cheeks flushed. My subconscious is urging me to interpret the deep, buried emotions in her eyes, but my ego is telling me to be
Stella~"Et... Ethan... w... what are you doing here?" When I saw him standing in my office, my speech trailed off. "Who is he?" He ignored my question and cast an angry look at David. I'm at a loss for words. What should I tell him?In my absence from California, David and his mom created countless problems for my business, constantly pressuring Avery to ask me to return. I never thought my crafty aunt would team up with Mr. Chang to harm me. At first, she used her fake affection to lure me into marrying her son, but when I refused, she switched tactics. She physically attacked me just before my wedding. If Avery hadn't helped me escape through the backyard gate, things could've been much worse. Poor Avery, she even broke her leg, saving me from Aunt Lily.I thought marrying Ethan would end Aunt Lily's interference, but she keeps finding ways to meddle. Today, she sent David to try to negotiate a deal-she wants a 50% share in my company in exchange for keeping my past life secrets
Ethan~"Open the door, Stella." I knocked on my room's door, but she didn't respond. Huh, what's wrong with her? I tried to be civil by asking her permission before entering, but what does she think of herself? She's not Queen Victoria, from whom I should request entry into my bedroom. My male ego forced my hand onto the doorknob.Are you planning to confess your feelings to her in this manner? You've already realized how you feel, so don't let your ego control you now. Otherwise, your love confession will feel more like an invitation to war, my subconscious advised, trying to calm the fury rising inside me.I loosened my grip on the knob and padded softly into the room. "Where are you, Stella?" Anxiety crept in as I found the room empty. I searched the bathroom-nothing. Where could she have gone at this late hour?My heart started pounding. I had put so much effort into preparing to confess my feelings to her, but it all seemed futile now. She's gone. It took me a long time to und
Stella~"Stella, how are you feeling now?" Seeing concern in his eyes, I rubbed my own in disbelief. What happened to this monster overnight? How could someone go from being a monster to a nice guy in a single night?"I'm feeling tired," I finally replied. I could feel the heat of his palm beneath my cheek. Oh, he waited for me to wake up the entire night while sitting here. I felt as though I had entered a different universe.Shut up and stop being dramatic, my subconscious scolded. I already told you he's not as bad as you think."Get up quickly so we can go to the doctor for a checkup," he said, assisting me as I got off the bed. After my parents' deaths, I hadn't experienced this much concern from anyone, so seeing his genuine worry made my eyes moisten. I quickly wiped my tears, not wanting him to make fun of me for crying."Stella, how are you feeling right now?" His grandparents entered with worried expressions."Grandma, she's all right. You don't need to worry about her." E
Ethan POV "Please move away from me; what are you doing?" She attempted to shove me away from her."Stella, don't move, please. They have their eyes on us," I said softly in her ear."Who's watching us closely?" she questioned, staring directly into my eyes."My grandparents." I pointed towards the shadows that had appeared in our chamber."Get away from me, Ethan. Your heavy body is choking me." She tried to shove me away once more."No, I can't." I felt a wild impulse to kiss her pulpy lips. As soon as I met her hazel eyes, I lost all sense of reality. I don't know how my hands were able to grasp hers firmly or how my lips could latch onto hers. I kissed her and felt a peculiar calmness. It had been a while since I saw my grandmother this happy. I hoped to grant her wish. I wanted to clarify grandma's confusion, but my grandparents were so happy about her pregnancy news that I couldn't bring myself to ruin their joy. As I licked her soft lips, my hand inadvertently moved to her s
Stella POV "Stella, how are you doing?" His grandmother was rapping on the bathroom door. I washed my face with cold water and then dried it with a towel. I looked in the mirror and saw myself. My eyes were red, and I looked pale. It was all because of the sight of mutton on the table. I completely neglected to mention that the sight of the mutton on the dinner table made me sick to my stomach. Since it's impolite to get up from the table before dinner has even begun, I did my best to contain my nausea. However, I had to bolt for the bathroom when I saw the red meat in front of me. What will they think of me now? I must apologize to them for my impolite behavior.With hesitation, I opened the bathroom door. I apologized for ruining the dinner, bowing my head in embarrassment."Stella, I'm grateful that you granted my wish." His grandmother gave me a joyful hug before I could say anything further. I became perplexed when I saw her joy. In my quest to understand her enthusiasm, I gla
"Ethan's POV""When did you arrive here?" She turned to face me, her stuttering making it clear she wasn't expecting me to enter her room. She hadn't noticed me standing in front of her door because she was too preoccupied talking to herself in the mirror. Seeing her stunning beauty, I started having hiccups once more. She looked even more breathtaking in this outfit than in the afternoon. Perhaps her messy hairstyle and minimal makeup contributed to her overall beauty. Why did her outfit make her appear so tall? My masculine ego was dismayed to see her standing before me, staring directly into my eyes. However, I'm relieved her boyfriend can't contact her right now. She must be upset with her partner for not getting back to her in the morning. That's why she claimed not to love him."Shall we proceed?" She gently waved her hand to break my train of thought. Stopping her from receiving calls from her boyfriend satisfies my ego. She will now be with me all the time.You violated y