Chapter 2: RAGING.

Ethan stood tall, his immaculate blue suit hugging his broad shoulders. His dark hair was finely shaped, and his heavy brows complemented his hawk-like gaze, making his presence rather unsettling. One could swear he was a model for some top agency—a sexy but intimidating model. Ethan was built like a Roman or Greek god. He might have been mixed-race or purely white, but his tanned skin suggested either too much sun or perhaps frequent spa visits. Either way, it achieved impressive results, making him appear anything but pale.

The dimple on his chin was the only thing softening his appearance, but it served only to accentuate the hard, square line of his jaw and his straight nose.

From the way he held himself, it was obvious he was someone important. He practically exuded power and money, but Brandon didn’t care and ignored all those attributes.

To be honest, Ethan wasn’t well known as the owner of Wings. Wings was one of the biggest private companies in the country, and its internal structure wasn’t known to the public. They maintained a low profile, granting as few interviews as possible, making it difficult to recognize the CEO’s face. Many assumed it was still Noah, and as he had announced his step back, it was widely believed that his daughter was now in charge. What many didn’t know was that Wings was an entirely different franchise, operating independently under the vigilant watch of Ethan.

“We want to speak to the person responsible for this interview. Or any other important personnel connected to Wings,” Brandon said when everyone else had failed to respond.

Ethan’s black eyes seemed to bore a hole in him. “And who are ‘we’?” he said, his expression vaguely condescending. “Why should anyone attend to irresponsible, attention-seeking individuals?”

Brandon flushed. He looked at the other candidates for support, but to his disbelief and annoyance, they were disappearing into the crowd one by one. Cowards.

“We were supposed to be interviewed today,” Brandon said, now pretty much the only one representing them. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Ethan. “We won’t let this company treat us like trash. If they knew they couldn’t hold the interview, someone reasonable should have addressed us instead of wasting our time waiting for a ghost!”

Ethan’s expression remained unmoved. “What is he talking about?” he said, still looking at Brandon.

Someone behind Ethan cleared his throat. “It seems he’s talking about the interview, Sir. You were scheduled to interview candidates for the vacant secretary position,” the person said in a low voice.

“Ah,” Ethan said, his lips twisting angrily. “I thought he meant something else when he talked about an ‘interview.’ Is that why you’ve turned yourselves into a nuisance? If you couldn’t wait patiently or reschedule, you could have quietly exited the building instead of putting on this unanticipated show.”

Brandon’s hands clenched in pure rage. He stepped closer to Ethan, glaring up at him, hating that he was two inches shorter, even though he was pretty tall himself. “Just because we don’t wear designer suits and shoes doesn’t mean we should be treated like animals,” he spat out. “You are disrespectful, arrogant, and inconsiderate. I wonder what your bosses will do when they learn of your negative qualities. Who would hire such a dumb asshole for any position? I bet you don’t even know where the CEO is. Or are you just jealous that we might secure a position you didn’t get yourself? Maybe if you dropped the attitude, they would have considered you instead of making you a security guard. Oops, you dress like one.”

Everyone around murmured and gasped in shock and fear. This boy didn’t know any better. If he did, he would have cowered and hidden in the crowd, allowing others to do the talking.

Ethan stared at him with a strange expression, as if he were a plague, but a mildly interesting one. “Thanks for the ranting,” he said flatly. “I’ll pass it on to the CEO to punish me for my bad attitude,” he said sarcastically. “Is that all?”

Brandon’s fury grew more at Ethan’s nonchalance. “No, that isn’t all,” he bit out, stepping closer. His pulse was beating so fast he could actually feel it. His anger made it hard to put his thoughts into words, and he breathed in deeply—and ended up inhaling Ethan’s aftershave or cologne. It smelled good, classy, and masculine. Probably cost more than his entire life’s savings.

“What was done to us today is barbaric,” he ground out at last. “Firstly, you need to apologize for your actions and secondly, the person who was supposed to be in charge of the interview should be fired.”

Ethan laughed, his white teeth flashing against his golden skin. “You hear that, Barbara?” he said, clearly talking to the lady behind him, even though his eyes remained on Brandon. “The boy says I should apologize.”

The lady, Barbara, laughed uncertainly, as if she wasn’t sure what kind of reaction was expected from her but wanted to please Ethan. It was absolutely sickening.

“If you’re surrounded by suck-ups,” Brandon sneered at Barbara before glowering at Ethan, “it’s no wonder you don’t know your wrongs. They cheer you for being an ass and applaud you for being brainless.”

Barbara made a hissing sound, probably angered that Brandon dared to speak in such a way to her boss, who clearly Brandon had failed to acknowledge was someone very important in the company.

The security guards stepped closer, frowning. “Sir, we will escort the—”

Ethan lifted his hand, and they halted. “Barbara,” he said, still looking at Brandon. “Have the boy brought to my office.”

Brandon blinked, confused.

Barbara seemed equally confused. “Sir?” she said hesitantly. “What for?”

“Do I have to explain myself to you?”

Barbara paled. “Of course not, Sir. It will be done, sir.” She signaled to the guards, and they moved toward Brandon just as Ethan turned and strode toward the elevator.

Brandon frowned at his back, feeling bewildered and pleased in equal measure. Was it possible that Ethan was actually going to apologize and speak to the CEO or anyone in a better position to have the situation fixed?