15. Terrace

Mia Miller

What would you do if your life was falling apart? If everything you loved, everything you fought for, was being ripped away from you?

That was exactly how I felt. No solutions. No faith. Nothing. And to make things worse, I was in the hands of a man who seemed more like a predator than a protector.

Since the incident in the "hidden" room, Ethan had disappeared from my sight. I barely saw him around the house, and the lack of news about Lorenzo only made my anguish grow. The silence, the waiting—everything felt like a slow and calculated torture.

Now, I was sitting at the dining table, alone. The untouched food in front of me. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the sound of my own thoughts. Suddenly, I heard footsteps. My body tensed. That unmistakable, unsettling scent hit me before he even entered the room. Ethan.

"You're here," his voice was low but firm.

I quickly stood up, my eyes inevitably locking onto his, and immediately, I felt that tension that had become so familiar—that electricity in the air that always seemed to exist when we were in the same space.

"What do you want?" my voice came out stronger than I expected.

He stepped forward, his presence dominating the space as he leaned against one of the chairs. The way he looked at me, as if he could see right through me, made me extremely nervous.

"I came to give you two pieces of news," he said, his voice cold and controlled as always.

My breath caught in my throat as I waited. What did he have to say now? More threats? More games?

From him, I could only expect bad things.

"I investigated your life," he began, and a chill ran down my spine. "I know you studied Business Administration."

His statement felt like a blow. He knew everything about me.

"You're going to be in charge of managing the bar. I'm busy with other things," he continued, leaving no room for discussion. "And just to be clear, I can do whatever I want with you. Refusing an order from me is not an option."

The direct and crude way he spoke, the certainty in his tone, made my heart race. He was controlling me, manipulating me, and the worst part... some part of me knew I had no choice. I just didn't know why.

"You can't do this," I tried to argue, but my voice faltered. "I'm worried about my son, I can't—"

"I can, and I will," he interrupted, his gaze fixed on me, full of an intensity that made me shiver. "And the other news is about the pup."

Why did he call my son a pup? That made my blood boil!

"We're planning a rescue," he said, as if it was something trivial, but I noticed the flicker of something in his eyes. "And you’re going to do exactly what I say, or you’ll never see your son again."

The tension between us was thick, almost suffocating. No matter how cold and ruthless he was, there was something there—a current of desire, something I hated to admit I felt too. His proximity, the heat of his body, his authoritative tone… it all felt like a dangerous dance, a game neither of us was willing to lose.

He remained silent for a few minutes before finally turning to me.

"We're going out. You need new clothes. I don’t want to walk around with a ragged woman by my side."

I widened my eyes, surprised by his rudeness. Excuse me?

I simply nodded, deciding not to argue. In the end, we were going to find Lorenzo, and everything would be resolved. I didn’t care what came next.

I got into the car and sat beside him while Ethan talked endlessly on the phone. He seemed like an extremely busy man, involved in more than just business. I couldn’t imagine him being a good father to my son, but it was too late to regret past choices.

The truth was, I hadn’t chosen a good father for Lorenzo. In fact, I never even had a choice.

As he spoke, I watched his features. Piercing blue eyes, dark hair, a jacket that accentuated his figure in a way that was almost provocative. Any woman would fall for Ethan; that was obvious.

After what felt like an eternity, the car finally stopped.

"You have thirty minutes to pick out your clothes," he said, his jaw clenched.

He got out quickly, shutting the door with force. Great, he’s really coming in with me to choose clothes? Wonderful.

"That’s not necessary," I said seriously, trying to keep my composure.

"What?"

"You don’t need to come with me," I replied, trying to hide my irritation.

"I don’t trust your taste in clothes. Just like I don’t trust your taste in many other things," he said with a sarcastic smile.

"Mmm… especially my taste in men. That one is terrible," I muttered, keeping my voice calm.

As I walked through the clothing aisles, he followed closely behind, his irritated gaze fixed on me. Every piece I touched, I was more shocked by the prices. My God, this was ridiculous.

"Don’t look at the price tags, Mia," he ordered, not even glancing at me.

My eyes widened at every absurdly expensive item I touched. But it wasn’t surprising; we were in one of the most prestigious boutiques in Colorado.

"I’m not used to this," I murmured, still in shock.

"Get used to it," he replied coldly. "You are the mother of my son, whether you like it or not. I don’t want you looking like a beggar."

His look of disdain hit me like a slap. Was I here to buy clothes or to get insulted for free?

I picked out the clothes I needed, still stunned by how much Ethan was willing to spend on me. As much as he was my son’s father, the truth was, we barely knew each other. It was just one night, and now I found myself trapped in a situation spiraling out of control.

After we were done, Ethan called me over.

"Come with me, I need to show you something."

Not knowing what to expect, I followed Ethan to a more secluded part of the boutique. We went up a few stairs, and suddenly, we were on a terrace. I was greeted by a breathtaking view of the Colorado sky, the mountains in the distance, and the stars beginning to shine.

"My mother always shopped here," he said, looking at the horizon. "I hated these visits; they were endlessly boring. But one day, while she was busy, I found this place. I always thought there was something special about it."

I watched Ethan for a moment, and for the first time, I saw something beyond the cold and distant man I knew. Standing there on that terrace, talking about his mother, he seemed... human. I felt a connection, something I wasn’t expecting.

Our eyes met, and we were standing too close, both of us staring at the sky.

But that brief moment of softness was quickly shattered when he returned to his usual cold demeanor, snapping me back to reality.

"I’m sorry about your mother," I said quietly.

"It was a long time ago. I don’t want to talk about it. It doesn’t change anything," he said firmly, turning to me with that hard expression. "Tomorrow, we’re putting the plan in motion to rescue Lorenzo. It’s a shot in the dark, but it’s our only chance."

The way he spoke, devoid of any emotion, reminded me of who Ethan really was. That fleeting moment of vulnerability disappeared as quickly as it had come. And even though I had glimpsed a more real side of him, I knew better than to lower my guard around him. Ever.