Chapter 14 - Butterflies

Jennifer instantly looked away from Ethan's handsome face, trying to hide her blush which was not ready to leave anytime sooner. She quickly went towards Kate and Adrian and created distance between them.

"Social distancing." Jennifer sternly said to Adrian who frowned.

"And you?" Jennifer took Kate to a corner to talk to her.

"Didn't I ask you if Ethan is at home or not? Why did you lie?" Jennifer asked, glaring at her.

"Actually bro knew that mom had invited you guys. So, he told me to tell you that he isn't at home." Kate gave me an innocent smile and Jennifer cursed Ethan in her mind.

"Look, I can see that you and my brother maybe like each other. I don't have any problem with that. But Ethan definitely will have a big problem. He will instantly send me and my brother to the graveyard." Jennifer said to her and she looked down feeling low, sadness flickering in her eyes.

"Kate, look at me." Jennifer said, holding her hand gently.

"As I said, I don't have any problem. I just want to see everyone happy." Jennifer said, smiling at her and she smiled back.

"I know what you are trying to say! I will make sure that bro doesn't know anything." Kate said assuring her but that assurance wasn't enough.

Kate, maybe Ethan will not get to know about this today or even tomorrow but one day he will definitely know and that day will bring doom into our life. Hiding this doesn't seem like a good idea but if we tell him then what will be his reaction? Jennifer thought while falling into a dilemma.

"Jenniferrr! Kateee! What are you both talking about? Come here!" Ethan's mom called them and they went toward her.

"Hello, Aunt. I am Jennifer's brother." Adrian said, touching her feet to take blessings.

"And she is my best friend, Sophie." Jennifer said, keeping her hand on Niyayi's shoulder.

"Oh my my! You have such a beautiful friend, Jenny!" They heard a voice and everyone's eyes went toward the source of the voice.

There was the award-winning flirt, Stefan King, and Jennifer rolled her eyes at him, acknowledging his flirting.

"Why is he calling you Jenny?" Sophie whispered to her as she gave her that nickname.

"I didn't tell him, he made it himself." She whispered back.

He went towards them and stood in front of Sophie and she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Hi! I am Stefan." He said and kissed the back of her hand, making her cringe hard.

Sophie took her hand instantly and looked at Jennifer, glaring at her.

"Stefan, no flirting with my friend." Jennifer told him in a serious tone.

"I didn't even start flirting." He chuckled looking at Sophie and she glared at him, killing him with her rageful eyes.

"No one loves me." He whined like a kid, sitting beside Ethan on the couch.

"So good to see all of you together. You guys take a seat, I will bring snacks." Mrs. King said, giving them a humble smile.

They all took seats on different couches. In front of Jennifer was Ethan and she could feel his intense gaze on her since she entered the mansion.

"Why is that idiot smiling at me? If he doesn't stop it, I will break all of his teeth." Sophie whispered to Jennifer, looking at Stefan and Jennifer facepalmed herself.

God, give me the power to handle all of them. First, Adrian and Kate. Now, Sophie and Stefan. In the end, the Devil, Jennifer thought, groaning in her mind.

"Hey guys, tomorrow is a holiday. Why don't we go somewhere and enjoy it?" Stefan suggested with excitement.

"It will be awesome." Adrian agreed immediately.

Why won't he? Because Kate will be there too!

"That's like a good man." Stefan said, keeping his hand on Adrian's shoulder, sharing a brotherly gesture.

"What about you?" Stefan asked Sophie who looked at Jennifer to know what to do!

"I will come if Jenny comes too." She said and Jennifer gave her a 'Not interested' look.

"Sorry, but I can't go. I have important work to do tomorrow." Jennifer declined the offer and Sophie sighed in relief.

"I can't go too. I have to meet someone special." Ethan said, without moving his eyes from Jennifer.

"If you guys don't come, then there will be no fun! Plan canceled!" Kate declared.

Stefan pouted sadly looking at Sophie and she showed her tongue to him. Suddenly Ethan got up and went upstairs, making Jennifer sigh in relief.

The housekeepers served them snacks and Jennifer quickly jumped in the food like there was no tomorrow. Adrian and Kate talked to each other while blushing sometimes and Stefan was annoying the hell out of Sophie.

Jennifer can see the fury in Sophie's eyes that screams that "I will kill him any moment"!

"Jenny, stop him or I will stop him with my punch." Sophie roared in frustration and Stefan gave her puppy eyes.

Jennifer again face palmed herself and in no time, they started fighting.

"Stefan, why are you annoying her?" Mrs. King asked, pulling his ear.

"I was just trying to make a conversation." Stefan said, giving a smile to Sophie and she glared at him in return.

"Look how Adrian and Kate are talking! Like no one is around them." Mrs. King said with a mischievous grin.

"Jennifer, will you take this carrot cake to Ethan? He loves it very much. He was telling me to make it in the morning. He hasn't eaten anything yet." She said turning towards Jennifer and keeping the dish in her hands and moving the wheelchair quickly while smiling mischievously.

What was that? Do I have to go to Ethan's room? Jennifer thought crying in her mind.

Ethan baby, I am coming, her heart said with a seductive smile.

Bitch, I will kill you, she said to her heart.

She climbed the stairs and took baby steps toward his room according to the direction told by Kate.

I will go inside and will keep the dish then will run away quickly, she chanted it in her mind like a mantra.

She held the doorknob and twisted it, opening the door. She looked at his room which was too big for one person and the room was manly just like him.

She saw a couch and in front of it, there was a small glass table. She quickly kept the cake in there and ran towards the door but the door was slammed shut before she could reach it.

"Trying to run away." She heard his husky voice from exactly behind her.

His breath caressed her neck and she shivered in response.

OMG! I am blushing, I have to stop this annoying blush before looking back, Jennifer thought, feeling goosebumps appearing on her body.

She took a deep breath and kept a genuine smile on her face and looked back.

Can I say he is looking hot in that white shirt? She thought ogling at his hotness.

The hottest creature in the world, her heart screamed, lusting over him.

"Were you running away just now?" He asked, coming closer, kicking out the one-inch space.

She didn't say anything and just kept looking into his beautiful eyes.

"Am I looking very handsome that you

aren't able to remove your eyes from me?" He smirked playfully and this act of his made her more vulnerable in front of him.

"Yeah." She said, not realizing what said and his smirk grew wider.

His left hand slowly came down from her back towards her waist and when his hand made contact with her bare stomach. She wriggled in his embrace and giggled lightly as she was feeling ticklish.

"Don't do that! My stomach is very ticklish." She muttered somehow and tried to hide the blush which was again occurring on her face.

She looked down not able to look at his face as his gaze was making her feel things that were new to her.

When did I become so shy? I was always bold and now, I am not even able to say anything, she thought, her heart was thumping loudly and with a lot of courage, she looked up at him while his eyes were on her lips for a long time.

How much he wanted to bite those lips and do sinful things with her on his bed

but he controlled himself as he didn't want to scare her with his desires. Even he isn't aware of how he started feeling these things for her and it was his first time feeling these emotions.

He will vent out all of his desires to her because she is responsible for making him feel these things. How dare she seduce him?

He will make her pay with his sweet punishment which will make her want more!

Is he thinking of kissing me again? No way, I won't let him kiss me! She thought, feeling his stare on her lips and he wasn't even blinking.

In the next moment, he picked her up in bridal style, making her terrified for a second. Now her heart was racing like it was in a marathon.

What the hell! What is he planning to do? She thought as she was scared by his actions.

"Ethan put me down. What are you doing?" She asked, wriggling in his arms, trying to get out of his hold.

He didn't give a fuck about her shouting and sat down on the couch with her in his lap and the position was too intimate.

Right now, I am having a feeling like we are lovers but we are not lovers. Then why the hell he is so close to me? She thought and he was staring at her intimately again which made her gulp.

She was about to get up from his lap but he held her by her waist and again made her sit on his lap. Her back was touching his front and she could feel something poking her down there but she kept quiet, not wanting to get too intimate with him.

She pouted and looked at his face by moving her head a little towards him and he looked down at her as she was very shorter than him.

"Ethan." She whispered his name but why did it sound like a moan to him?

He hummed while looking at her lips and she was about to ask him why he is behaving like this but the next moment, he smashed his lips on her. His hold tightened around her waist and another one was wrapped around her neck.

He was kissing her roughly, showing her the control he has over her but it didn't last long as she pushed him away. She could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"You kissed me?" She whispered and tears escaped from my eyes as she felt it was humiliating to be kissed without any relation.

She covered her face with her hands, crying pathetically.

"I am sorry." She heard his guilty voice and he hugged her shivering body from behind.

He kept his head on her shoulder and she didn't know what got into her suddenly and she got up from his lap.

"Don't come near me ever again." She screamed at him and stormed out of the room, ignoring the pain in his eyes.

Even though she doesn't know why she reacted like that, these feelings are new to her and she shouldn't rush into things.

I have to take these things slowly and moreover, he behaved so badly with me on Kate's Birthday. Suddenly what happened to him? Why is he behaving so lovingly? She thought while wiping her tears and went downstairs.

Inside his room, Ethan was regretting his actions very badly. He shouldn't have kissed her without her permission.

Shit! I did so wrong! I shouldn't have kissed her like that. What must she be thinking of me? I have to control myself. She was even crying. Does she love someone else? I have to see her, he thought and quickly went downstairs.

Everyone was sitting at the dining table and Jennifer was eating the carrot cake.

"Ethan, come here." His mom said and he went towards them.

She looked at him with her red puffy eyes and then again she focused on her eating. He went and sat in the chair beside her.

"Did you eat the cake?" His mom asked him and he was just looking at Jennifer.

"No." He answered, still looking at her.

"Here eat." She served him a piece of cake.

Everyone was busy eating. Nope, not eating!

Adrian and Kate were talking while eating and Stefan and Sophie were fighting while eating. Jennifer was about to take another bite of the cake but Ethan held her hand and moved the fork into his mouth.

Her jaw clenched and she glared at him.

Why is she so angry? He thought and she got up from her seat.

What the hell is wrong with him? She thought and moved towards the main door to get out of there.

She was out of the mansion when suddenly someone stopped her by pulling her wrist and she knew who it was! She gave a deadly glare towards Ethan.

"Don't touch me." She spat at him in anger and yanked her wrist from his hold.

She walked away from there quickly at a fast pace. After walking for half an hour, her legs got tired and she was walking slowly.

Suddenly she bumped into a woman.

"I am sorry." Jennifer apologized immediately and looked at the woman.

Though she was seeing her for the first time, her face looked very familiar. After a second, she realized the woman looks a lot like Ethan's mother but how?

"It's okay." She said and went past Jennifer.

She shrugged her thoughts and was about to cross the road when suddenly an expensive black car was coming towards her at full speed. She closed her eyes instantly out of fear.

Ten seconds passed away but nothing happened so she opened her eyes to see what happened! She saw that the black car was in front of her but she couldn't see the driver.

She felt that whoever was inside the car was looking at her. After a few seconds, the car went away and she sighed in relief.

~~~~~

She jumped on her bed and started thinking about Ethan again.

Why did Ethan kiss me? We aren't together, she thought and tears again came back.

Suddenly she heard the doorbell, so she wiped her tears and went to open the door. She saw a delivery boy with a bouquet of roses.

"Ma'am this is for you." He said and gave her the bouquet and went away.

She stood there dumbfounded with the bouquet for a minute then closed the door and looked at the bouquet.

Now, who sent this? She thought and noticed there was a card in the bouquet.

Beautiful roses for a beautiful person, the card said!

There wasn’t any name on the card. Jennifer flipped the card and there was written, "We will meet soon".

Is it Ethan? I don’t think so! He might be as he is so bipolar, changes in a blink of an eye, Jennifer thought, staring at the card with great interest.

Forget him, her mind screamed.

I won't let you forget him so easily, her heart screamed too.

If it’s not Ethan then who is it? Why do I care? Maybe someone is pranking me, Jennifer thought and kept the bouquet on the desk.

She went to the kitchen to give some food to her poor tummy. After eating some snacks, she went to bed to get some sleep.

~~~~~

Someone banged something on Jennifer's head and she moved a little in her sleep. Then again she got a bang on her head.

"What the hell! Let me sleep." She said, in an annoyed tone.

"Get up, sleepyhead." Someone shouted in her ears and again banged on her head.

"Shoo away." She said cutely and again fell asleep.

"You won't get up like this." She heard a faint voice and smiled in her sleep, thinking whoever it was went away.

After a minute, she felt cold water splash on her face.

"OMG! I am drowning." She screamed at the top of her lungs and jumped off the bed with a jerk.

She looked around herself and saw everyone in her room. Everyone means everyone, even Ethan.

He was looking at her with an amused smile and everyone was laughing at her. She whined like a kid as she was feeling very embarrassed.

She looked to her left side and saw Sophie with a bucket of water.

"Do you realize that you ruined the bed?" Jennifer asked, looking at the wet bed.

"Oh shit! Sorry." Sophie said sheepishly.

"I am gonna change my clothes." Jennifer said and everyone started getting out of the room.

She opened her closet and took out her clothes. She was about to take off her top when her eyes fell on Ethan who was still standing in the same position, looking at her intensely.

"Do you need the invitation to get out of the room?" Jennifer asked, with a sarcastic smile.

After hearing it, he started taking slow predatory steps toward her, making her gulp in fear. She ran towards the bathroom before he could come towards her but he was faster than her.

He pulled her towards him by holding her wrist and she collided with his chest. The next moment, he pinned her to the closet door.

"Leave me, Ethan. I already told you not to touch me." She screamed at him while struggling in his arms.

"Who sent the bouquet?" He asked in a calm voice but his eyes were raging with anger.

Why does he have to know that? She thought, getting frustrated with his bipolarity.

"My secret lover." Jennifer blurted, with the same rage in her eyes.

She doesn't know why she said that but he is no one to her so he shouldn’t interfere in her matters!

Who sent the bouquet? It's my matter. He doesn’t have to behave like this, she thought glaring at him.

After hearing what she said, there was more rage in his eyes. In the next moment, he punched hard into the closet door just above her shoulder and she heard bone cracking.

She stood there shocked like someone took away her soul, she even forgot to breathe. Something started falling on her shoulder and she looked at her shoulder.

It was blood! His blood!

Blood was oozing out of his hand very much. Tears spilled out from her eyes looking at the blood.

Her shoulder got drenched with his blood.

"Ethan." She whispered and was about to touch his hand but he stopped her by showing his other hand.

"You are hurt." She said, her voice barely audible because of crying.

The hand which was hurt very badly, he removed it from the closet door and winced a little but he didn’t show the immense pain on his face. He wasn’t even crying, his eyes were still red in anger.

He stormed out of the room without saying anything and she ran behind him.

"Ethan, listen to me." She said to him but before that, he left the apartment in long strides.

Everyone went silent looking at Jennifer and Kate went towards her running.

"What happened?" She asked, looking at her bloody shoulder.

"He...he...got...hu..hurt...in..hi..his... hand." She sobbed hard, more tears escaped from her eyes.

Kate ran towards the door and went out. Adrian also followed her, forgetting that he has a sister to look after but looks like he is more concerned for Kate than Jennifer.

Stefan and Sophie went towards Jennifer and they looked at her with confusion, not understanding the situation. Sophie took her inside the bedroom in her devastated state.

"Go take a shower." Sophie said and went out.

She cried more in the shower and after like one hour, she came out of the bathroom.

"You are looking so weak, you need food. I will make something for you." Sophie said, going to the kitchen and Jennifer went to the living room.

She sat down on the couch and kept her head on Stefan's shoulder who was already sitting there, dumbfounded.

"What happened?" He asked softly while moving his hand on her hair in a soothing manner.

"It's impossible to understand him, especially his emotions. His emotions change in a blink of an eye." Jennifer whispered.

"You are right but I can say one thing that he is behaving differently for a few days. Suddenly he gets lost while talking. He always forgets something. Most of the time, he is in his own world." He said, smiling.

"Why aren’t you going to see if he is okay or not?" Jennifer asked him.

"Don’t worry. He will be okay, he is my strong brother. Moreover, I have got a more important responsibility than him." He said while looking at Sophie who was engrossed in cooking.

"Are you serious about her?" Jennifer asked, looking the way he was looking at Sophie.

"What do you think?" He asked her back and she shrugged her shoulder.

Sophie came back with a bowl of soup and Jennifer pouted looking at the soup.

"What? You have to drink the soup if you want to have this." She said pointing at the pizza and Jennifer was about to take the pizza from her but she moved her hand away from her.

"First, soup." She ordered like a mother.

"Okay, mom." Jennifer said giggling and took the bowl of soup.

"And you? What are you still doing here?" Sophie asked Stefan in an annoyed tone.

"Me? I am accompanying my sister." He said, making Jennifer choke.

Sophie rolled her eyes at him and went back to the kitchen.

"Really? Sister? You were flirting with me a few days ago, now I became your sister?" Jennifer asked with a teasing smile and Stefan rubbed his nape nervously.

"That was just healthy flirting and yes, you are my cute little sister!" Stefan said, pulling her cheeks.

"Don't you dare hurt her?" Jennifer gave a warning to him.

"Never." He said assuring her with a sincere smile and went to the kitchen to annoy Sophie again.

Jennifer smiled looking at the cute fight between them.

~~~~~

"Wake up. It's already 7 a.m." Sophie screamed in an annoying voice near Jennifer's ear.

"Let me sleep, please." Jennifer said groaning and slept again.

"No sleep! You said today is your interview and you are still sleeping. Wake up." She screamed again and this time Jennifer woke up with a jerk.

"Interview? OMG! Today is my interview." Jennifer said, realizing, and rushed towards the bathroom like Flash.

She did her morning business and took a refreshing shower. Then she went towards her closet and took out a white tank top and a pink floral skirt.

She quickly wore them and left the room to have breakfast in the dining hall. Her heart bloomed with happiness looking at the food.

"Where is Adrian?" Jennifer asked Sophie while drinking the lemonade.

"God knows!" She replied, sighing, knowing that the days ahead are going to be full of dramas like TV serials.

They heard the doorbell ring and Jennifer was about to get up to open the door but Sophie moved quickly, motioning Jennifer to eat silently. Sophie opened the door and there stood her eleven hours lost brother and Stefan.

Sophie's mood became sour, looking at Stefan.

"Where were you?" Jennifer asked Adrian with concern.

"You don’t have to know." He replied rudely and tears formed in her eyes.

"Why can't I know? You are my brother." She shouted at him.

"But it looks like there are more important people in your life than your sister." She shouted again and more tears escaped from her eyes.

"Are you jealous of Kate?" He asked with a blank face.

"What the fuck! Where the hell is jealousy coming from in this matter?" She asked, fuming in anger.

"I am your sister. As a big brother, you are supposed to look after me and take care of me. I am not telling you to stop loving Kate but I am watching that since you came in here, you are just thinking about you and Kate." She shouted and her headache was coming back.

"You should learn from Ethan how much he loves and cares for Kate." She said while her mind was trying to understand why she gave the example of him.

She stormed out of the apartment, not able to control her anger anymore. She was walking aimlessly, forgetting that she had an interview to attend but suddenly a man came towards her.

"Are you Ms. Jennifer Andrews?" He asked and Jennifer nodded in confusion.

"Sir has sent a car for you." He said smiling and Jennifer got more confused.

"Who is your boss?" She asked.

"Mr. Knight!" He said.

Why does a person, who doesn’t even know me, send a car for me? I am going to his company for an internship. Nothing else! Does he send cars to everyone who works for him? Jennifer thought feeling strange as she couldn't believe that a famous rich person like him can be a gentleman too!

"Please..." The driver said, motioning her to sit inside the car.

She wasn't sure about it but still, she sat down. After 20 minutes of the ride, the car reached Knight World.

It's a tall glass building that looks beautiful. Jennifer came out of the car admiring it.

"Ma'am come in this way." That man said, guiding her inside the building.

He took her towards the private elevator.

"Sir said you can use this elevator. His cabin is on the 15th floor." He said before leaving and Jennifer went inside the elevator feeling nervous about the whole situation.

The elevator is not just an elevator, it's full of luxury. There is even a couch inside the elevator.

Jennifer tapped the button on the 15th floor. She became mesmerized as all the buttons are made of diamonds and she wondered if they were real or not.

She sighed thinking that rich people can do anything and she sat down on the couch. After a minute, She heard the ping sound of the Elevator as the door opened, giving her a magnificent view of the architecture on that floor.

She got lost in the beauty of her surroundings and then suddenly someone snapped their fingers in front of her. She came out of her dreamland and looked at the person.

It was a middle-aged woman who was smiling warmly looking at her.

"Hello, young lady. I am Mr. Knight's secretary. He is waiting for you in his cabin, you can go inside." She said, gesturing towards the cabin and Jennifer smiled at her nervously.

She took slow steps towards the big door of the cabin as she was growing anxious every second. She pushed the door and it opened revealing a beautiful cabin that made her mesmerized again.

Can I say that the cabin looks exactly like the cabin of Christian Grey? She laughed at her thought, not noticing the man standing near the glass wall admiring the beautiful view of the city.

Then she finally noticed the man and stopped her laughter instantly, getting nervous again. A few seconds passed while she stood there waiting for him to turn around but then his voice boomed.

"You are the light of my darkness, you are the meaning of my existence. Your smile heals my broken self! Since the time I have seen you, I have found a part of myself that I didn’t know I had! Thinking of you keeps me asleep

but being with you is making me alive. If I had to define beauty and love then I would say it’s you. The perfect combination of beauty and love." He said in a soft tone and turned around with a small smile graced around his lips at the end of the last line.

Her eyes went wide looking at the handsome man and she coughed in her mind thinking why she is encountering so many Greek Gods suddenly!

BTW, what was he talking about? I didn’t even understand anything, Jennifer thought, hearing his weird poetry.

She was standing there dumbfounded so he motioned her to take a seat on the sofa. She quickly sat down while trying to hide her nervousness with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Knight!" She said, smiling.

"Please call me Asher!" He said, in a deep chilling voice and she muttered a small okay.

"Can I call you Jennifer?" He asked, smiling.

"Sure." Jennifer smiled back, relaxing a little bit and seeing his gentleness.

"I must say, beautiful name for a beautiful girl." He stated, gazing at her without blinking and Jennifer blushed lightly and thanked him.

After that, he asked her many questions related to business and the world and she gave answers as much as she knew but she was feeling intimidated by him as she didn't think he heard any of her answers because he was looking at her face intensely and was asking questions one after another. His gaze was intense but she knew that he wasn't looking at her the wrong way.

"So, Jennifer? You are selected for the internship which will last for six months and you will work under my supervision." He stated, taking out a file and then giving her a document to sign on it.

She read the document carefully and then signed it.

"You can join from tomorrow." He said, giving a charming smile.

"Thank you so much." She squealed in happiness and he smiled wide looking at her.

Suddenly his phone started ringing, he picked it up with an annoyed look.

"Why is he here?" He asked the other person after they exchanged a few words.

"I am in an important meeting." He said gritting his teeth, not interested to meet whoever came.

"Okay, let him come inside." He smirked suddenly and hung up the call.

"Jennifer, I will see you tomorrow." He said, gesturing to her that she can leave though he really doesn't want her to go.

"But I can come here only after college." She said, gulping as she forgot to mention it.

"I don't have any problem with that." He said smiling and Jennifer felt relief as she thought he would shout at her.

"Then I will take my leave." Jennifer chirped happily and got up from the sofa.

She moved towards the door and was about to open it but someone beat her to it. The door was pushed open from the outside and she came face to face with the great Ethan King!