The moment we stepped inside, the sheer extravagance of the room nearly swallowed me whole.Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their glow casting reflections across the polished marble floors.Soft classical music played in the background, masking the hushed murmurs of men in expensive suits and women dripping in jewelry that probably cost more than my entire net worth.Every detail was perfection—from the extravagant roses adorning each table to the poised waitstaff moving like clockwork. It screamed a level of wealth I had only ever seen in movies.I swallowed hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how out of place I should have felt.But then I remembered whose hand I was holding.Ethan freaking Blackwood and the man was literally richer than God.His grip was firm, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. The warmth of his touch anchored me, a silent reassurance that I wasn’t some outsider crashing into a world I didn’t belong to.I glanced up, only to find him already watching me
As Ethan pulled me even closer, I could feel the tension radiating off him, it was sharp, controlled, and coiled like a predator ready to strike. Across from us, Victor only grinned wider, clearly savoring the effect he had on Ethan."Always a pleasure, Blackwood. We must catch up later," he said smoothly before strolling away, completely unbothered.I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and glanced up at Ethan. His grip on me was still firm, possessive, as if he had forgotten to let go."Do you always look like you’re about to commit murder at social events?" I asked, giving him a playful look. "Or is it just him?"He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he plucked a champagne flute from a passing waiter and pressed it into my hand."Drink."I rolled my eyes. "Avoiding the question, noted."Before he could respond, another voice cut through the air—smooth, commanding, and laced with amusement."You must be Ethan Blackwood’s date for the evening."I turned to find an older
"Ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer’s voice rang out through the grand hall, "tonight’s mystery guest isn’t just a lucky surprise—she’s an enchanting vision, a siren, a rare gem in our midst! The stunning Miss Sophia Carter!"Oh My God! This isn't happening, I tried to make myself believe that this was all in my head but it obviously wasn't, from the loud applause and the murmers I knew it definitely wasn't a dream The spotlight remained on me pinning me in place like some rare artifact on display, it all made my entire body tense up.What the hell is happening?“Let the bidding begin.” Before he could properly end his sentence, a very old man raised his paddle grinning like he had struck gold."Five hundred dollars!" I wanted to scoff, I knew I was worth way more than that, but I nothing could prepare me for how I felt when I saw the bidder. Oh, hell no! I felt disgust clawing my insides as I almost puked, if this man won I would kill myself go to hell and drag Ethan with me."On
I gripped the counter as my knuckles white as snow I stared at my own reflection in the mirror shocked at how completely out of balance I looked.My pupils were blown wide open, my pulse hammering so loudly I could hear it loudly, my breath was uneven and adrenaline still coursed through my veins as I tried to calm myself."What the hell just happened?" I muttered, struggling to process the million thoughts racing through my mind.The bidding war and of course Ethan’s final bid. Part of me liked it, knowing that he wanted to have a date with me so bad that he was willing to throw away a million dollars for it, and it wasn't just that but was he was he possessively said it.And when everyone looked in shock, I felt like I was a diamond or another precious stone. Then the door swung open."That was quite the spectacle, don’t you think?"I stiffened not expecting anyone to help here, the voice was smooth and sensual as I could hear amusement in the voice, it definitely belonged to a very
The silence was incredibly loud and for the first time since the whole confrontation started her confidence faltered.Her expression looked vulnerable for a second and then she slipped back into her untouchable, ice-queen like demeanor."One of." she choked out and when I didn't reply she kept on talking."Classic Ethan," she was trying to play it cool even though her tone was dripping with fake amusement. "With new girl on his arm the old one gets discarded like last season’s handbag. And I guess you were lucky enough to make the call. Makes me wonder… who’ll be the one to do it when it’s your turn?"I should have felt doubt creeping in. I should have been the bigger perosn and backed down but Instead I took a step forward, closing the space between us until we were nearly nose to nose."You sound bitter." My voice was light and teasing. I tilted my head, watching her closely. "Still not over it?"Her jaw tightened ever so slightly."You think you’re warning me?" I let out a soft sco
Adrian’s smirk deepened as his eyes moved between Ethan and me, I hated the fact that he looked as if he was getting the best entertainment of his life."Relax, Blackwood it was just an observation. No need to get all territorial."Ethan’s grip around his glass tightened. I exhaled slowly, placing a hand on Ethan’s wrist under the table as if it was a silent warning. The touch is enough to keep him grounded and not do anything drastic, I turned to look at Ethan whose jaw remained clenched."You're awfully interested in my personal affairs, Lancaster," Ethan said coolly. "Almost like you're obsessed."Adrian chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn’t say obsessed—just curious. I mean, a million dollars is a steep price, even for you. Makes a man wonder if it’s about winning, or if it’s about keeping someone away from me."He took a dramatic pause. "Which is it, Blackwood?"I can practically hear the challenge in his voice, and my stomach twists.Ethan doesn’t answer immediately , he takes his sweet ti
My alarm was ringing loudly, but I wasn't ready to wake up especially after the event of last night, so I tried to pretend as if the alarm wasn't there, but I just couldn't.I groaned rolling over and putting a freaking pillow on my face but it doesn't stop, so I reached to shut it off only to see almost a million missed calls in my phone.And I wasn't exaggerating at all.I squinted my eyes at the screen in an attempt to see better since my vision still very much blurry with sleep.Mom (5 Missed Calls)Rachel (10 Missed Calls, 3 Texts)My heart skipped, did someone die? Wait! Did Ethan die?But why the hell was my mom calling me? Shouldn’t she be on her honeymoon, sipping cocktails on some exotic beach with her new husband?I didn't want to overthink it as I was too exhausted to deal with whatever new hell awaited me.I dropped my phone on the bed and pulled the covers over my head. Maybe if I ignore it, the world will go away.But I should have known better as not up to a second lat
Before I could ask the bastard what he heck he was doing here, he shoved a crumpled newspaper on my face.What the hell? I snatch it away from him as my eyes went to the bold headline."Ethan Blackwood’s latest conquest—how long until this one is replaced?"And beneath it was another photo, it was different from the one Rachel had sent. It was still a perfectly timed shot of Ethan and me from last night but this time, my hand was interlocking his. His fingers firmly wrapped around mineHe was whispering something in my ear as I smiled his gaze directed at me, sharp yet amused, like he’s whispering something only I can hear.It didn't look as if he forced me to this dinner, on the contrary we seemed madly in love."So a senior staff wasn’t enough for you?" The venom in his voice made me snap my head up, He didn't even bother hiding disgust written all over his face as his nostrils flared like a bull seeing red."You just had to fuck the boss too right Sophie?" He intentionally made hi
The second she said his name, it was like an electric shock shot straight through Ethan. His body tensed, his usual composed exterior cracking as his eyes locked onto the nurse with an intensity that almost startled me. His reaction wasn’t subtle in any way it was as if someone had just tossed a bucket of ice-cold water over him, and he was struggling to process it.He looked both relieved and scared at the same time, and it was understandable. I could practically feel his anxiety pressing on my chest.“You worked with Dr. Callahan?” Ethan asked, his voice desperate. The nurse blinked at him, a little startled by his intensity. “Yeah. Unfortunately,” she muttered as she didn't try to hide her bitterness. “For a long time.”“Can I—” Ethan paused, swallowing the words as though they were fighting their way out of him. “Can I ask you some questions about him?”He asked it like she was offering something precious, like every word she could give him was the missing piece to a puzzle tha
Ethan turned from the receptionist table and ran his finger through his hair, I thought this was the end and we would go back to his villa and think of another plan. Because obviously a normal person would have given up, thanked the not so kind receptionist and walked away from this whole mess. But like I have said before, Ethan Blackwood was not a normal person, he has never been and will never be. Because he didn't just walk away, if anything he looked more determined in getting the answer from the lady. He whirled back around toward the front desk so fast the receptionist actually jolted in her seat. “This is bullshit,” he snapped out of the blue in a very low voice. “He’s real, I fucking know it.” His hand slammed against the counter hard enough to make the pens in their tiny little holder rattle. I flinched instinctively and stepped closer as my fingers grazed his arm as I was trying to reason with him. “Ethan,” I said under my breath, “please. Not here. Let’s just—” “No,
Ethan’s jaw clenched so hard I heard his teeth grind as he focused on her bruise, the sound of him breathing even made the hair on my arms rise.My mother tried to cover the bruises with her hair as if it would solve anything, but Ethan had already seen it.He stepped closer, towering over her even though he wasn't meaning to."Did he do it?" he asked in a low and deep voice that even made me feel fear.And of course, my darling mother flinched."He didn’t mean it," she whispered as if it made any better.From Ethan's expression I could see the way he was picturing during dirty things to his father, abuse whoever hits a woman doesn't deserve to live.Especially a woman like Veronica Carter he would never fight back.Ethan laughed "Right," he said "Men who don't 'mean it' always seem to find the exact place that will leave a pretty little bruise."My mother’s face crumpled in shame just for a milli second, before she masked it again."You need to report him," he said firmly as his jaw
After the call I sat down next to her, my heart racing as I stared at her, trying to make sense of what had just happened.Her voice was soft but trembled as she spoke. "When you and Ethan left the mansion yesterday… He took it out on me."This was my fault.I felt my throat tighten. A cold lump formed at the base of my chest, and I couldn’t breathe for a moment. I knew something wasn’t right, but hearing her say it out loud made it worse. I wanted to ask more, but I couldn’t. I needed to know.“Is this the first time?” I asked, and as soon as I did, I regretted it. I immediately remembered when she frantically came here in a crying mess but I didn't do anything because I was overwhelmed with my own shit.I remembered how broken she was and how she covered it up immediately when her darling husband came to ‘pick' her up.I had a lot of questions and I wanted to stop myself from pushing, but I couldn’t, I had to know."Why wouldn’t you leave him, Mom?" The words slipped out before I c
The next morning arrived without mercy, I guess toke moved really fast when you hadn't slept at all After finding the business card, sleep became secondary because we knew who Drm Callahan was, was going to be a huge lead. So we spent the entire night at Ethan’s kitchen island, with a shut load of ccold coffee, our open laptops and half-torn sticky notes.At this point the name Dr..Callahan wasn't a lead, it was an obsession. We searched medical directories, university alumni pages, old oncology conferences, and even dark places in the internet that I wouldn't never think of goung to But a new click opened a new rabbit hole with each search result ending in a wall.No hospital.No city.And no fucking clue.Ethan sat on the counter at one point, head in his hands, while I stared blankly at the glowing screen. Neither of us said it aloud, but the truth was there, and that this was a lost cause. Whoever this doctor was, they didn’t want to be found.“This is hopeless,” he said.But I
Rachel ran forward screaming in a high pitched voice I didn't know she had. “Daddy? Daddy, are you okay? I heard glass break, what did Ethan do?” I blinked. What! The! Actual! Fuck! The way she rushed to him, like a little girl desperate to protect her hero, had my breath catching in my throat. She didn’t even glance at Ethan, she just went straight to Richard like he was the one who had been hurt when he might have been the one to shatter the glass. When did all this happen? When did Rachel start calling him Daddy with such tenderness? When did the girl who once side-eyed his every move become this… concerned? I barely had time to process it before Ethan spoke. “What I did?” he said, his tone flat. “You mean existed?” Rachel’s body stiffened. Her hand, which had just touched Richard’s shoulder, dropped like it had been scorched. She turned to look at Ethan, but the words she had died on her lips. Maybe it was the look in his eyes. I stood there, in the middle of this st
I took.l one last look at Sophie as I followed my father, he didn't say a word but it was obvious that knew what was coming; he had to. I strode down the hallway, my footsteps heavy on the floor but my father's pace was steady, but I could sense the tension building between us as I trailed behind him. My eyes fixed on the back of his head as so many thoughts ran through my head, He didn't look back, didn't acknowledge my presence. I continued to follow him as we went past the portraits of a family that barely existed, past the polished antiques that felt more like props than memories. He stepped into his office like a king returning to his throne. I had to admit that his office does look with a throne with the hgh ceilings, heavy mahogany desk, lather and gold and of course it reeked of his ego that soaked into the fucking walls. But now I know that none of this belongs to him, except his ego He didn’t look back when I entered, he just walked straight to the far end of the ro
Rachel's condescending voice cut me short. “Sophia, will you let my father talk to my brother or not?” I couldn't help but roll my eyes while Ethan had his usual unreadable expression, he looked regal and detached, like he had practiced that mask in front of a mirror. But I knew him too well, I know how much work it took him to keep everything in control, I couldn't see that there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth, I noticed the way he was tightening his jaw and I could sense that he was anything but calm.Mr Blackwood just cleared his throat as his eyes went straight to me. “Come with me Ethan,” his tone was flat and commanding, as he was leaving no room for argument. Everyone was silent looking between Ethan and I waiting to see what would happen.Ethan walked towards me with a silent plea in his eyes.“Please, Sophie. Just this once… stay out of it.”His words hurt, but I gave him a look that told him that I wasn't comfortable with him being alone with his father, for all
Sophie's POVThe silence in the car was thick and extremely suffocating. Ethan hadn’t said a word since the call, and I could see it in the way his jaw clenched, the way his eyes showed that he was close to being wild with rage or just that he was very angry.And what Lorna said today only fueled his temper ten thousand times over.“He is looking,” Ethan said in a very low voice as his eyes were distant now, he looked like he was already five steps ahead of his father. “The fucker suspects, I can feel it, you know when I went to my mother's room he was watching and that was the first time in yeats that he went to her wing in the mansion, then now he went in the room it feels sketchy."I nodded in agreement."When I left the mansion today he gave me a chilling look that didn't quite sit right with me.”I listened without saying a word, just nodding my head so Ethan would know that I was picking up every single word he was saying, but he wasn't don't talking.“I don’t know how much he