"Devin, I want you to be honest with me," she said. "Where did Ethan go today? I checked your flight and you arrived in LA, in the afternoon. I checked the office, but both of you weren't there, I came to the house, but Auntie Garcia told me, he hadn't returned," she narrated.
"What's going on? You're his right-hand man, you know everything about him, where he goes, who he's with. So, don't you dare lie to me. Where did he go!" she ordered.
Before he could tell her anything, his phone rung. He stepped aside to pick up the phone.
"Hello Sir, I will do just that," he kept the call before he walked back to where Chloe stood.
"Ma'am, Mr Urkel asked me to send you home. This way, please," he requested as he gestured to her with his hand that was stretched out, directing her to walk towards the car. Chloe sighed.
She knew, he wouldn't tell her anything. But, it didn't kill to try her luck, maybe he would be considerate and tell her what she wanted to know. But anyway, it didn't matter. She would find out the truth in her own way.
Walking alongside him, she got into the car. Ethan stood at the window as he watched the car drive out of the mansion and into the dark. She was gone. He sighed. The day had been long for him and the drama with Chloe drained all his strength.
He waltzed to the master bedroom and shut the door close. He took off his bloody clothes and put them in the laundry basket. He wrapped the lower part of his body with a white towel and went into the bathroom for a cold shower.
The woman's beautiful face popped up in his head. He could think of nothing else but the woman he met, today. He felt like something, a force was drawing him to her. No matter how hard he tried to get rid of the wild thoughts that ran through his mind, it just didn't work out.
He took a deep breath, as he frustratedly ran his fingers through his hair. He stayed in the bathroom, unmoving like a statue , as the cold water continued to flow from his head to toe, washing away the blood stains from his body. Few minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom, while wiping off the water that dripped from his hair down to his face.
Soon, he was done. He went straight to the dining table to have his dinner. Auntie Garcia had prepared fried rice and roasted spicy chicken, his favorite meal. She had taken it upon herself, to take good care of Ethan, since his mother's death. She knew absolutely everything about him. She could feel that from the moment he walked into the mansion, something was deeply bothering him. The blood stains earlier, that was on his pullneck didn't escape her eyes.
'What really happened! Who's blood was it!' As these thoughts ran through her mind, she watched him from the kitchen window and she saw him take a few bites of his meal before he placed the spoon back on the plate. When she could no longer hold her curiosity, she walked to him.
"Sir, are you okay," she asked, her voice conveying that of a worried mother.
"I'm fine, Garcia," was all he said. However, auntie Garcia wasn't giving in to his response.
"Sir, if there is something bothering you, I'm always here for you," she told him. Ethan sighed. Was it too obvious?
"I know, Garcia. And, I appreciate your concern," he simply said. "But, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine," he added.
"Okay," she sighed before walking back to her duty post. She were still not convinced by his response. There was something disturbing him. She would have loved to help him in any way she could. She would have loved to know what was bothering him, maybe she could provide a solution. But, she couldn't force him to share his problems with her?
She had taken a few steps, heading to the kitchen before she halted in her footsteps, when she heard him speak.
"Wait, Garcia." She turned around and walked back to him.
"Do you need anything, sir?" she asked him as soon as she was standing next to him. Ethan glanced at her before he replied,
"No, Garcia," He really wanted to speak about it with someone. Someone who would tell him what to do. Probably, she was the right person he needed. Maybe, she could give him the solution he needed.
"Sit down, Garcia," he told her, as he gestured to her with his hand, to take a sit, opposite him. Auntie Garcia, without wasting much time, drew the chair, before she sat down.
"There is something I want to ask you," he said
"What is it, sir," she asked, a worried frown evidenced on her face. She was concerned for him. He took a deep breath before he leaned forward and placed his arms on the table while he intertwined his hands.
"How do you tell if a person is in love," he asked her and waited patiently for her response. Auntie Garcia was a little taken back by his sudden question.
"Um, you feel a genuine rush or high when you think about them. You can't get them out of your head, you experience sleeplessness and loss of appetite," she informed him.
Ethan listened carefully to her words. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He had lost his appetite. Did this mean.....he had actually fallen in love with her? He sighed.
"Thank you, Garcia. You can go back to what you were doing," he said before he stood up and aped up the stairs heading to his study room. Auntie Garcia was still trying to process what his question was all about. 'Had he fallen in love?' she thought.
Meanwhile, inside the study room, Ethan sat on his desk. There was something about the little woman, something unique. He just couldn't stop thinking about her. And this feeling disturbed him. Holding the phone, he dialed a number.
"Hello, Devin," he spoke, as soon as the call went through.
"Investigate the woman we met today. Find out who she is, where she's from. I want every detail about her, on my desk, tomorrow morning," he ordered and kept the call afterwards.
Late in the evening, at around 11pm almost midnight, Chloe walked in drunk. After the episode earlier, and the harsh words from the man she loved, Chloe sought refuge in a bar.On their way to the villa, Chloe ordered to be dropped off on the road, that she would find her way home, on her own. At first, Devin was adamant to leave her on her own. Because, he had been ordered by his boss and he couldn't afford to go against him.Chloe got annoyed and began to shout so loud and throwing her tantrums, attracting passersby. Seeing how stubborn she proved to be, Devin gave up and drove away, leaving her alone, in the dark.Chloe walked down the road , while still carrying her high-heeled shoes in her hands. People who passed by gave her a glance, others stopping to watch her as she aimlessly walked on the road. She looked like someone who didn't have a direction of where to go to. But, Chloe didn't care at all.After walking for a while, she came across a
Seeing how his sister cried bitterly because of a man, Jayden felt depressed. He moved closer to her before he held her into an embrace."It's okay, Chloe. I understand how you feel, I really do," he continued to stroke her back while she sobbed. "But you'll only get hurt, if you don't let him go. You're my kid sister, and I wouldn't want you hurting. Ethan doesn't deserve you. Why don't you try someone else? Ivan loves you, give him a chance,"The moment she heard his words, Chloe suddenly withdrew from his embrace, pushing him away. She glared at him, her eyes filled with nothing but anger."Jayden, do you even care about me? "she asked, in exasperation. Here she was crying out to him how much she loved Ethan, how she couldn't live without him and instead of encouraging her to fight for him, giving her a helping hand, he was telling her to let him go? And move on with someone else?"You know I care about you more than anything in this world," he told he
G&K companyThe Urkel family, known for their massive wealth had very many high end dynamic businesses established in different parts of the city. Apart from the very many businesses they had in the city, there were other businesses in other countries.There stood, in the middle of the city, a tall building, 80 storeys tall with G&K embedded on top. The area in which the building was situated was large and spacious. And, from the top floor, high density of businesses and busy traffic could be seen from above. The area was so expensive such that only the Urkel could afford, given the weight of their pocket. This large building was one of the many businesses they owned, the biggest and the headquarters to be precise. Ethan, as the ceo, was in charge of the company.A high end, dynamic, expensive navy-blue Sedan screeched to a halt in front of the building. It was a classy four door car. Jayden exited the car and walked into the building. While inside
Beverly hillsChloe sat on the sofa, like a princess as she swayed her legs from left to right while holding a glass of wine in her hand. Her eyes were bloodshot due to the hangover. Across her, sat a lady in her early 20s basically of the same age with Chloe. She was her best friend, Ann. Although, the previous night, Chloe was drunk, she could vividly recall what had happened that night.She could remember the argument she had with her brother, Jayden. She had spoken to him in a manner that she had never done before. But, one thing she was sure about, she meant every word she said to him. She would never give up on Ethan for anything in this world. But, that wasn't the issue at hand. Her main problem was Ethan.She was gradually losing him. She needed to do something and very fast before it became too late. This morning when she woke up, after she had her breakfast, she invited Ann to come over to their mansion. She needed someone to talk to, someone who
Aviana, Hayden and Joanna were getting ready to leave the hospital. After Hayden woke up, they remained in the hospital for a few days because Hayden needed to be examined to ascertain he had no other underlying health problem. After a few days, Hayden was fully recovered. He could walk, run and even eat on his own. Given that Joanna cared too much for her son, she didn't allow him to take walk outside the hospital and if she did, she had to be there to supervise. After they were done with signing of papers, and had packed their belongings, they exited the hospital. An ear-to-ear smile played on their faces. It displayed how happy they were. As they walked out, Aviana looked back and heaved a sigh of relief. The past few days had not been easy for her. Waking up every morning with the hope of finding Hayden awake only to get disappointed, wasn't easy for her. She had been worried and gloomy all through. But now, he was at their side, and they could be a happy family once aga
Aviana and Hayden sat on the sofa, making fun as they recalled their funniest childhood memories, while Joana busied herself in the kitchen. "Sis, do you recall the day when you farted in public? And when you realized people were looking at you, you covered your face with your hands to hide your embarrassment. It was hilarious," said Hayden, trying so hard not to laugh. In the end, he couldn't hold his laughter any longer. He laughed uncontrollably. Recalling that day, Aviana laughed too. It was one of her most embarrassing moments. "That day I really didn't mean to. I had stomach upset and you know it," she said trying to defend herself. As Hayden continued to laugh, Aviana got annoyed. Seeing her roll up her sleeves threateningly, Hayden was just about to stop laughing when she suddenly launched forward and started tickling him under his little armpits. "You mess with your sister, you get the tickster! The infamous killer who kills cute little kids like you
Chloe's phone's ringing, picking up, she answers, "Hello Ann." On the other side of the phone, Ann's voice is heard, speaking. "Chloe, you were right. Indeed something happened that day. On that day, Ethan was involved in an accident....." Before she could finish her statement, she was interrupted by chloe's panicked voice, "What! An accident! How! Where! But I didn't notice any injury on any part of his body! Oh Ann, I'm so stupid! How could I have judged him so quickly! How could I jump into conclusion! I f**cked up Ann! And to think that he has another woman! Ann, I really think I should apologize! I don't even know if he'll forgive me! I messed up, big time!" Ann was speechless. She didn't even allow her to finish whatever she was saying, she just jumped into conclusions. After a long pause, Ann finally spoke,"Chloe, calm down! Nothing happened to Ethan. He's fine. Yes, he was involved in an accident, but he isn't the one who got hur
Aviana woken up by the smell of freshly baked cupcakes, without even opening her eyes, her head rose automatically from her bed, while her nose sniffed along the direction in which the smell was coming from. A moment later, she stopped at the entrance of the kitchen. Her nose was buried in a soft and warm substance. Still groggy, Aviana moved up and immediately started munching on the substance after realizing that it was actually the vanilla chocolate-flavored cupcakes she loved since childhood. "Hey, drool face! Why don't you wake up first and then you can continue eating? I pinky swear I won't disturb your nose's impression in the cupcake!" Hearing those words and the chuckle that came along with the words, Aviana suddenly opened her eyes to see Hayden standing in front of her who was holding the cupcakes she were messily eating to her face. He was wearing a chef's apron, small in size, and which had stains of flour on it, and his black hair was an organized mess. His fai
Ethan walked into "The Intoxicated" Entertainment clubhouse, the familiar buzz of energy and laughter wash over him. He spotted Alex and James who were already seated at their usual position. “Hey, look who finally decided to show up!” Alex called out, a playful grin spreading across his face. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. James, ever the composed one, merely raised an eyebrow but offered a smirk.Ethan shrugged nonchalantly, but inside, he could still feel the residual warmth of the passionate encounter he’d just had with Aviana. The slightly disheveled state of his hair and the faint trace of lipstick lingering on his collar were the only signs that might give him away, but he hoped they would go unnoticed. “Traffic,” Ethan replied coolly, sliding into his seat with an air of indifference. He could see the knowing glimmer in Alex’s eyes, the way he leaned in just a bit closer, eager for any hint of a story.“Right,” Alex said, chuckl
Aviana walked into the house, her blouse still partially buttoned, a telltale sign of the passionate encounter she’d just had with Ethan in the car. As she fumbled with the remaining buttons, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy, a small, curious voice called out from the living room.“Big sis!” Hayden appeared around the corner, his bright eyes wide with curiosity. He was clutching a toy car tightly in one hand and staring up at his sister with a mix of innocence and suspicion.Aviana, momentarily flustered, straightened up and tried to smooth her disheveled appearance. “Hey, Hayden,” she said, forcing a casual tone. “What’s up?”Hayden’s gaze remained fixed on her, his little brows knitting together as he took in the scene. “You’re home pretty late, Big sis. And why are you buttoning your blouse like that? Did you and Uncle Ethan have a... uh, fun time in the car?”Aviana’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. She froze mid-button, her mouth slightly open as she tried to proc
Aviana lay in Ethan's arms, their bodies intertwined in a comfortable silence that spoke volumes of their deep connection. The room was quiet, save for the soft rhythm of their breathing and the occasional contented sigh that escaped their lips.Ethan gently brushed a strand of hair away from Aviana's face, his touch tender and filled with affection. He couldn't help but marvel at how natural and right it felt to have her in his arms, to feel her warmth against him.Aviana shifted slightly, her head resting against his chest as she looked up at him with a soft smile. "You know," she murmured, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness, "you have a way of making everything feel so... perfect."Ethan chuckled softly, his heart swelling with love for this woman who brought so much joy into his life. "I'm just glad you feel that way," he replied, his voice gentle. "You mean the world to me, Aviana."Aviana's smile widened, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest as she gazed up at
Ethan looked up, his face flushed and his posture stiff as he tried to hold Aviana close. His usual aloof demeanor was completely absent, replaced by a flustered and panicked expression. “Faith! I—I didn’t expect—” he stammered, his words tumbling out in a jumbled mess.Faith couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Ethan, the ever-composed boss, was now visibly flustered, with his shirt slightly askew and a look of sheer bewilderment on his face. Aviana’s cries were still unabated, adding to the hilarity of the situation.“Uh, Sir,” Faith said, trying to suppress her laughter as she walked over to them. “It looks like you’re having a bit of a rough time here.”Ethan, still holding Aviana, glanced at Faith with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. “Faith, I... I don’t know what to do. She’s... she’s crying because I figured out something too quickly, and then I made it worse by saying I got help from Scarlet. I don’t know how to fix this!"Faith’s eyes twinkled with a mix of amuseme
Ethan stood outside Aviana's office door, his mind racing with thoughts of how to approach her. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then knocked gently."Come in," Aviana's voice called from inside. Ethan entered cautiously, finding Aviana seated at her desk, engrossed in reviewing some documents. She looked up as he entered, her expression neutral but her eyes betraying a hint of wariness."Avi, can we talk?" Ethan asked softly, stepping further into the room.Aviana leaned back in her chair, her expression cool and composed despite the underlying irritation. Ethan stood before her, unsure of how to break through her icy demeanor."What's there to talk about, Ethan?" Aviana began, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she tapped her pen on the desk. "I don't expect you to have figured out the reason I'm mad at you already. It might take you a day, a week, or a lifetime to figure it out. Who knows?"Ethan blinked, taken aback by her blunt honesty. "Avi, I—""Nope," Aviana cut in,
Scarlet grinned at Aviana's comment about Milo, nodding in agreement. "He definitely does. But speaking of being kept on your toes, how's my brother treating you these days, Avi?" Scarlet asked playfully, raising an eyebrow teasingly.Aviana's smile faltered immediately at the mention of Ethan, her mood shifting drastically. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before responding. "Ethan?" she replied tersely, her voice edged with irritation. "He's... he's fine."Scarlet sensed the change in Aviana's tone, her playful expression fading as she picked up on the underlying tension. "Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?" she asked cautiously, eyebrows raised in mock concern. Aviana scoffed, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Paradise? More like a roller coaster," she muttered, her hands gesturing animatedly. Scarlet sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair as she looked at Aviana with exaggerated concern. "Okay, spill the tea, Avi. What happened between you and Ethan this
Twenty minutes later, Scarlet arrived at the office, her steps purposeful as she made her way to Ethan's office. She knocked lightly on the door before entering, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern."Brother," Scarlet greeted warmly, her voice tinged with a hint of apprehension. "You sounded pretty serious on the phone. What's going on?"Ethan rose from his chair to greet her, grateful for her presence. "Hey, Scarlet," he began, gesturing for her to take a seat opposite him. "Thanks for coming."Taking a deep breath, Ethan recounted the events of the morning's meeting with Aviana. He described Aviana's distant demeanor, his attempts to understand her mood, and the abrupt end to the meeting after confronting her.Scarlet listened attentively, her brow furrowing with concern as Ethan finished his explanation. "So, you think Avi's mad at you, but she won't tell you why?" she summarized, her voice soft with empathy."Yeah," Ethan replied, running a hand through his hair in frust
The boardroom was set for the meeting with the marketing team, and Aviana, with her usual efficiency, had everything organized meticulously. As they settled in, Aviana took her seat beside Ethan, her posture erect and her expression composed. However, her eyes betrayed a hint of icy reserve that Ethan couldn't ignore."Good morning, everyone," Ethan greeted cheerfully, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. Aviana responded with a polite nod but remained focused on the agenda in front of her.The marketing team leader began presenting the new campaign strategy, and Aviana listened intently, jotting down notes and occasionally exchanging professional remarks with the team. Each time Ethan tried to engage her with a comment or question, Aviana responded curtly and kept her interaction strictly business.Ethan, increasingly uncomfortable with Aviana's cold demeanor, shifted in his seat, trying to catch her eye. "What do you think about the demographics for the new ad placements?" Aviana
Aviana stood in Ethan's office, a stack of documents in hand, ready to brief him on the day's schedule. Despite their personal relationship, she maintained her professional demeanor, a testament to her dedication as his personal assistant."Good morning, Ethan," Aviana greeted, her voice carrying a blend of warmth and professionalism. "Here's the rundown for today. We have a meeting with the marketing team at 10 AM to discuss the new campaign strategy. Then, you have a lunch meeting with Mr. Johnson from Capital Investments at 12 PM."Ethan, leaning back in his chair, flashed a playful grin. "Sounds riveting, as always, Avi. Did you make sure they're serving my favorite dessert at lunch?"Aviana rolled her eyes playfully, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "I believe they're more interested in discussing investments than your sweet tooth, Ethan."He chuckled lightly, enjoying the banter. "You never know, Avi. Dessert is a serious business."Aviana continued with her briefing, detai