General POV
"Thanks," Ethan continues. "There are plenty of girls at my beck and call who wouldn't hesitate to be my wife... but I want you."Elizabeth blinks rapidly for a moment, suddenly at a loss for words."It seems like you've started speaking a different language entirely. Please, speak to me in English. I don't understand Portuguese," she looks keenly into his eyes.Ethan chuckles. ‘She's witty.’"Here's the thing: I need you to pretend to be my wife," he replies calmly.Elizabeth almost snaps her neck as she swiftly turns to look behind her, making sure he's indeed referring to her and not someone else.‘…’ There's no one behind her."I still don't quite understand you. Do you mean figuratively—""The exact literal meaning," Ethan cuts in.Elizabeth falls silent for a couple of seconds, processing his words. Then she bursts out, "Are you insane? Have you lost your mind? Wait, are you a con artist? Is this some kind of joke?!""Those are a lot of questions, Spitfire. Easy," Ethan tries to calm her."Never in your life tell me 'easy' again! What the hell?! You kidnapped me to marry you?!""I'll pay you," Ethan interjects.This statement is the straw that breaks the camel's back. Elizabeth flares up. "To hell with you and your money!""Do I look like I need your money?! Huh?! Do I look like I'm starving and need someone to help me? Take me back to where you picked me up from."Ethan heaves a sigh in his seat. "Please, let's not do this the hard way. Just accept my proposition, and everything will be fine. I assure you."Elizabeth laughs hysterically at his calmness. "You want to force me to do something I don't want to do—I'm not accepting any damn proposition. To hell with you and your proposition.""Then I'm sorry, you can't leave," Ethan replies calmly."Sorry?" Elizabeth feels like there is something wrong with her ears.She didn't quite hear him right."You'll stay here with me until you decide to become my wife," Ethan states matter-of-factly.Elizabeth almost goes insane with disbelief. Who the hell does this man think he is?!"Is this a joke or something?" she asks incredulously."You'll find out soon enough what it is," Ethan smiles a mischievous smile.He stands up gracefully. "The maids will help you with everything you need to feel comfortable. And if you feel you need something they can't help you with, I'm at your beck and call," he winks at her."Good night," he nods gentlemanly.Ethan turns around and begins to take long strides out of the living room.Elizabeth can't believe the man is just going to bed after kidnapping her. She can't let him sleep peacefully, not after what he's done.She lunges forward, swinging her fist toward his neck, intending to teach him a lesson he'll never forget.But Ethan swiftly turns around and catches her small fist in the palm of his hand before it can land. He grabs her other hand and puts them both above her head, pinning her down on the couch.Without warning, he crashes his mouth against hers.Ethan nibbles on Elizabeth's bottom lip roughly, teasing her with his tongue, as if seeking permission.Elizabeth parts her mouth open slightly, and his tongue swiftly slips in the next second.This goes on for about a minute before Ethan breaks away."If you keep up with this attitude, I'll have you right here and now on this couch," his voice is husky and ragged.He presses his lower region against her thighs to emphasize how serious he is.Eyes widened, Elizabeth gazes into his glowing grey eyes sheepishly. She opens her mouth to speak, but words are stuck in her lungs.Gathering up the ounce of sanity he has left in him, Ethan pushes himself off her.He snickers at her flushed face. "The maids will show you to your room. Like I said before, they can help you with absolutely anything you need. Be nice, Spitfire." With that, he strides out of the living room.Elizabeth gradually blinks sense back to her brain, trying to regain her consciousness.This is the first time in her life... a kiss... and it's sweet and exhilarating.Ethan's mouth had felt soft and silky, his tongue moist and enticing as it slipped into her mouth and danced with her own tongue.Elizabeth falls into a daze, but soon snaps back to her senses as her face darkens in annoyance.It's her first kiss, and the man is a total stranger. Ethan just stole her first kiss from her—that beast.Derek. Derek. Anxiety courses through Elizabeth as guilt replaces the anger on her face.She's never allowed her boyfriend to touch her, not even once. She planned on letting him tonight. However, dammit!This stupid pervert has ruined her plans. Shattered it! He’s stolen her first kiss.He not only abducted her but also stole her first kiss—all against her will.Elizabeth’s POVThe maids indeed help me settle down. Three led me up the classy spiral stairs I had seen Ethan more or whatever he called himself disappear around.Oh, so we’ll be sharing the same floor… Me and that… pervert. I want nothing but to stay faaaar away from that—“Here’s your room, ma’am.” The lady that introduced herself as the head of the maids in the mansion jerks me out of my thoughts.“Thank you,—” Oops, I don’t seem to remember her name.“It’s Moana.” She replies respectfully.I smile sheepishly at her, “thank you, Moana.”She tips her head slightly in curtsy and turns the doorknob. The door squeaks open, revealing a gigantic room behind it.My mouth drops open as I stare at the marvelous view before me. It’s sooo beautiful—everywhere in this huge house is beautiful—just like the other parts I’ve seen so far.‘I can’t wait to explore.’Shit. Did I just think that?Explore, really, Elizabeth?!Elizabeth’s POVSlapping my head mentally, I regain my senses and start to follow Moana into the room. It’s so huge and gorgeous.I have to admit, this man is indeed damn rich, because why not?“If you need anything else, please let us know.” Moana smiles politely at me. I tear my gaze away from the queen size bed that’s right in the middle of the room and look at her. “Nothi—” I’m about to reply when I hear my stomach growl loudly. My face flush with embarrassment and I bite on the corner of my bottom lip.I don’t blame my poor stomach, I haven’t had any proper meal since morning. “What would you like to eat?” Moana asks, smiling politely. She heard my stomach growl. Even the deaf would have heard it.I return her smile with an awkward one, slightly gritting my teeth in embarrassment. “Anything will do.” She nods her head knowingly. “We’ll be right back.”I smile thankfully as I watch her and the two other maids walk out. After the last one closes the door behind them, I heave
Elizabeth’s POVStifling a yawn, I head downstairs, running my eyes quickly, over the numerous doors in the hallway. I wonder which room belongs to Ethan. The one next to mine? Wait, why am I even concerned? Shaking sense back into my head, I hop down the stairs. The maids are up already. Wow. I presume most of them don’t know who I am since I got here very late last night. However, the kinds of looks I’m receiving right now are making me think otherwise. I think they’ve all been informed about me. Ignoring the gazes, I help myself into the kitchen—it’s easy to locate, it doesn't even have a door. “Good morning, Lizzy.” Moana smiles politely as soon as I walk in. I hear her giving instructions to the cook and I return her smile with a sweet one. “Morning, Moana.”I’m glad she isn’t referring to me as ‘ma’am’. Nice. “Let me help you with that.” She collects the tray from my hand and moves to drop it in the sink. “Did you sleep well, Lizzy?” She pulls back to read my face. “You
Elizabeth’s POVNarrowing my eyes, I study his face keenly. “It’s hard to tell.” It’s indeed hard to tell. He looks cute, like a modest man—but he also has this regal side to him… this look of an extremely dangerous man. I don’t know what to think or believe. His mouth widens in a smile and he takes a peek at the gold Versace wrist watch strapped on his wrist. “We’ll continue this conversation when I get back, I’m running late for work.” He spins around on his heels. “No.” I respond adamantly. He pauses in his steps and twists the upper part of his body to look at me. “No, what?” “No, you’re not going anywhere.” A corner of his mouth lifts in a smirk. “Okay then.”As if he changed his mind, he turns and then walks around the car front and gets in the driver’s seat. What’s he doing?He starts the car and revs it. What in heaven’s name is he trying to do? My brows furrow as I stare at him through the windscreen, and he returns my look with a smirk on his face. Does that smirk
Elizabeth’s POV My stomach growls. I chuckle, rubbing my hand on my tummy. “I know, baby.”I step back into my—the—room and close the door behind me. I head into the bathroom, brush my teeth, and soak myself in the bath for about fifteen minutes. I then walk into the room, dry my body, sit before the dresser and rub cream all over. After I’m done, I walk into the closet and choose a set of comfy Burberry sweatshirts and joggers. I smile to myself in the mirror and head downstairs. The aroma coming from the dining table fills my lungs as soon as I reach the foot of the staircase. My stomach growls in response to the enticing invite and I shuffle my feet into the dining area. The dining table is long—the longest I’ve seen in my over twenty years on earth. Is this a common room or something? Or a palace? Damn.Right above the long dining table is a stunning crystal chandelier. I ogle at it—it’s so mesmerizing. The moment I tear my gaze away from it, my eyes land on the breakfast o
Elizabeth’s POV I’m not concerned about my safety here, I want to get out. Dammit!“You shouldn’t worry about your safety here.” Alexa adds, with a note of pride. “The men are also top tiers. You should come see them sometime when they train.” She blushes and resumes walking.Damn. There’s no way for me to escape from this hell.“But how come… are we in a jungle?” I drag my feet after her.She giggles. “It’s an estate. A veryyyyy big one. And Mr. Ethan owns the estate.” She lays emphasis on ‘very’.It must indeed be verryyyy big. After showing me around a little while longer, Alexa leads me back into the house.“Oh! Meet AI.” She grins, gesturing at a lovely looking robot.What in hell?! It’s so lovely. How come I haven’t come in contact with it since I got here?“Hello!” I wave my hand in the robot’s face.Immediately, I feel a red horizontal line project from my head to my feet, as if scanning me.Then, I hear a beep. “Stranger. Alert.” Wait, what? Did the robot just say that? Wow
Elizabeth’s POVI bite on my bottom lip, immediately hating myself for snapping at her. Alexa’s friendly, but I have to do what I have to do. That man can’t just kidnap me and expect things to be alright. Never.Since I only want to do some retouching, there’s no harm in it. Right?“I’ll get the paints.” Alexa speaks, breaking my chain of thoughts. “Good! I love that.” I grin at her.Alexa turns to head downstairs to go do as she’s instructed, but my next words make her stop in her tracks, abruptly.“You’ll be getting fifteen buckets, each of wine and black paints.“ I watched her turn around and stare blankly at me, question marks written all over her face.“You heard me right. Those two colors will make everywhere spicy.” I giggle. “Hum, I don’t think that’s a good idea ma’am. Mr. Ethan wouldn’t like that at all.”I’m irritated again. “And who the hell are you to tell me what he’ll like or not?” Alexa looks down at her feet, biting on the corner of her lips. My heart throbs. I kn
Ethan’s POV“Sir, isn’t it a bit too early today?” Arthur asks with widened eyes. He’s obviously shocked that I’m leaving the office at this time. I take a peek at the Rolex wristwatch strapped around my wrist, it’s a quarter to eight.My mouth presses into a thin line. “What’s too early about this time?” Come to think of it, I’m always overworking. The first to get to work, and the last to leave—me.I own this office, as well as many others in the state. I’m the boss but I work my butt off tirelessly—even more than my employees—everyday. Why? Something must be done about this. As I step out of the elevator with Arthur right behind me, an image of that girl’s face flashes through my eyes for the umpteenth time today. I shake my head, chuckling. While in the conference room, her face kept popping out of nowhere. Even while I was working in my office. To be candid, I think she’s the reason I’m going home early right now. I want, badly, to see her face. The way she looks with that
Ethan’s POVHell, who had the audacity to ruin my hallway in this manner?“I did.” I turn around in fury and see Spitfire standing behind me.I almost can’t believe my ears. Hell! “With whose permission?” My breath rages.***Elizabeth’s POVAfter taking a thorough bath, scrubbing all the paint off my hair and body, I dress up and head downstairs for dinner. When I pass through the hallway, I can’t help but grin at the mess I’ve made. But somewhere in my heart, I feel anxious, and nervous. When I sit down at the dining table and start to eat, I hear the sound of a car driving in—his car. My heart skips a bit and I immediately lose appetite, forgetting how hungry I was a second ago. A wave of panic rushes within me, causing my hands to tremble. Thinking about it, I haven’t thought things through. I don’t know what his reaction will be once he sets eyes on the walls…‘What if he feeds me to the dogs?’‘What if he murders me?’'What if he plucks out my eyes and feeds them to the dog
Ethan’s POV"Ethan, don't speak to your father like that," Mum chides gently.I turn to face her. "I'm disappointed, Mum. I want what you both have—genuine love, a real marriage. Why won’t you let me have that?""It's not as simple as you think. Our circumstance was different," Dad interjects firmly."How so? Just because Mum was from a wealthy background and so were you too? But ‘cause Spitfire’s an orphan and not wealthy, our love isn't genuine? Do you think she's after my money? That's absurd!"Dad clears his throat uncomfortably while Mum avoids eye contact.As I expect.Shaking my head, I exit my office, ignoring Mum's plea for me to return.So, it turns out my parents are the ones behind Spitfire leaving me. They've been the ones causing me this unbearable heartache all along, while I've been wrongly blaming Spitfire and resenting her.Strangely though, the more I resent her, the deeper I find myself falling in love with her."Arthur, find out everything about the day Spitfire l
General POV"Sir," Moana approaches Ethan's bed with purposeful strides, being cautious not to spill the juice in her hand.On the bed, Ethan lies still, almost lifeless.Moana gently sets the glass cup on the bedside table and settles on the edge of the bed, sighing.Ever since Elizabeth left the house, Ethan hasn't been himself. It started when he returned from that night, having gone to Elizabeth's apartment. Upon his return, he headed straight to his bedroom, gathered a few important items, and had his chopper land on the rooftop.Without saying a word to anyone, he departed in the helicopter.It was only later, when Moana placed a call to Arthur, his personal assistant, that she learned he had flown out of the country.Since then, Ethan only returned home a couple of days ago.Initially, Moana thought that with Ethan being out of the country, by the time he returned, he'd have forgotten all about Elizabeth and returned to his normal self. However, that hasn't been the case since
General POV"Um, I want to thank you for putting in so much effort into this, so far..." Elizabeth begins, her voice tentative.The day she left Ethan's mansion, Derek somehow got wind that she was back in town. He showed up at her doorstep that night, his face bearing visible bruises from the other day Ethan battered his face. He apologized profusely for everything and begged for a second chance.Elizabeth didn't agree immediately. However, after days of Derek persistently pleading with her, she finally relented."You have to work to earn my trust," she told him firmly.With a mix of relief and excitement, Derek agreed to her terms, eager to prove himself worthy in Elizabeth's eyes.“I know that for the past few weeks, you've been making an effort to show me that you've changed. And I appreciate that. It's not often you find someone willing to grow and improve," Elizabeth acknowledges.Derek's grin widens. "Exactly! So, are you ready to give us another chance? To go back to how thing
Ethan's POVI scrutinize the envelope Moana is holding before reluctantly accepting it. With cautious fingers, I tear it open and extract a crisply folded letter.My pulse quickens as I unfold the paper, torn between disbelief and apprehension. What if this isn't a ruse? What if Spitfire truly has left me?As I delve into the letter's contents, a weight settles in my chest. Exactly what Moana just told me Spitfire had said is the summary of what's in the letter.Damn it."Sir," I brush past Moana, unwilling to entertain further devastation.None of this is true. The letter is a fabrication. Spitfire would never abandon me. She's content here—with me.Stepping outside, I snatch the Maybach's key and slide into the driver's seat, determination surging through me. I refuse to accept these falsehoods.With the engine roaring to life, I peel out of my driveway onto the deserted road.Spitfire would never.I race to her apartment building, every heartbeat a thunderous echo of my anxiety.Pu
General POVFor a moment, the room is consumed by a heavy, oppressive silence.Finally, Elizabeth nods politely. "I understand, sir."Slowly, she turns and heads upstairs. She hadn't come to Ethan's mansion with anything but herself and her phone, so she picks up her phone from the bed. However, as she makes to leave the bedroom, she collapses on the bed and bursts into hot tears.Elizabeth can't believe this is happening to her. Again. All her life, she's been cast aside by everyone. She doesn't fit anywhere. She's never fit anywhere, anyway.After a couple of minutes pass, she cleans her face with her clothes and stands up on her feet. With one last look around the room, she opens the door and steps outside.Returning to the living room, Elizabeth finds Ethan's parents still seated in the same positions she left them in.Anna is also now seated, a triumphant smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as she watches Elizabeth.Elizabeth goes to stand before the couple and then bows low
Ethan’s POVMy heart skips a beat upon hearing her words."Spitfire..."Before I can continue my sentence, I feel Spitfire's lips crash into mine, and we engage in a hot, intense romance.This one's totally different from the ones we've had before. This one's filled with feelings, raw and passionate. It's like we're confessing our love for each other with our actions.We tear off each other's clothes in a flash. And as I'm about to inch down to pleasure her, Spitfire stops me with a light squeeze on my shoulder.Her gaze doesn't leave mine as she lies back and slowly spreads her legs wide for me, nodding gently.Fuck."Are you sure?" I whisper.Spitfire nods again.Fuck.I lean in and kiss her deeply, focusing all my attention on her mouth. With one hand, I guide my cock to her pussy, rubbing the tip against her entrance."Are you sure?" My voice is barely audible as I ask this question again, my eyes searching her face for any sign of hesitation. But there's none.She nods.Without w
Ethan’s POVOh, fucking hell. I have no idea when I close the space between me and Spitfire. I signal for the gates to be opened, and as soon as I step outside, I send He-goat sprawling onto the ground with a punch to the face.Who the hell does he think he's talking to?I crouch low, grab the collar of his hideous shirt, and start hitting him hard in the face.No one talks like that about my woman. No one.Spitfire rushes to my side and wraps her arms around me. "Please, stop. Just leave him," she pleads, sobbing softly.Aw.I bite my bottom lip hard, releasing He-goat's collar. His lifeless body slumps onto the ground immediately, his face battered and bloody."Don't you ever in your life speak of her in that manner again, you worthless piece of shit!" I send him a death-threatening glare and curse him in Italian, “capro!”Spitfire's body is quivering terribly as she leads the way inside. However, I'm still too angry to even try to comfort her. Plus, there's blood all over my hands
Elizabeth’s POV"E-Ethan, you're back?" Anna stutters."Are you insane? Have you forgotten you're in our home," Ethan glances at me as he speaks, "and not yours? You dare to raise your hand at her—my fiancée?! Where did you get the audacity from?! What are you doing in her workspace?!"Anna winces in pain as Ethan's grip grows tighter. Tears form in her eyes, and I can't help but feel sorry for her."You're hurting me, Ethan," she whispers in pain, struggling to break free."Know your place, Anna. This is the last time I'll be nice," Ethan says firmly, releasing her."Ethan..." Anna sobs."You hurt me because of this..." She throws me a hateful glare that sends a chill down my spine before stomping out of the workshop.After she's gone, Ethan's facial expression softens as he glances at me. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt anywhere, are you?"I shake my head, studying his face as if searching for something amidst his protective demeanor. This man, his constant guard over me... he's stirr
Ethan’s POVGrudgingly, I climb out of bed and make my way to the bathroom for my regular morning routine—pee, brush, and shower.After dressing for work, I head downstairs. Spitfire won’t stop bugging me about not going to work these days. She knows I started working from home because of her and she feels guilty.So, I’m back to going to work daily. Before leaving the house, I check up on Spitfire. I knock on her door, but she doesn't respond. As much as I want to just open the door and... well, I stop myself.She needs her space. She's probably regretting what happened last night... She must be consumed with embarrassment right now.With an inaudible sigh, I turn away from her door and head downstairs.Moana hands me a cup of coffee as usual, and I stride outside, sipping it thoughtfully. However, as I reach the door, realization hits me, and I turn back around immediately."Has she left?" I demand as I stride back towards Moana.Moana shakes her head in response.Damn it!"Where