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Chapter 12:Price of Defiance
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2025-04-05 01:55:35Ethan shut the door the moment the men disappeared down the hall, his fingers tightening into a fist at his side. His entire body radiated dangerous restraint, his breath slow and measured—too measured.
Lena had seen this side of him before. The cold, calculated billionaire who didn’t let emotions rule him. But right now? He was barely holding back a storm.
“Ethan—”
“You’re done.” His voice was sharp, final.
Lena blinked. “What?”
He turned to face her, eyes dark and unreadable. “I said you’re done investigating. That was your warning, and I’m not waiting around for them to send another one.”
Lena’s pulse spiked. “You don’t get to decide that.”
Ethan took a slow, deliberate step forward, his presence suffocating. “The hell I do!” His voice was low, but it carried authority—the kind that didn’t leave room for argument.
“Lena,you’re just a journalist.You do not get to decide what happens to me or my life”
Lena refused to back down. “So what? I just walk away? Let Victoria keep manipulating you, and pretend none of this is happening?”
His jaw tightened. “Let me handle Victoria.You let this whole interview eat deep into you,now it made you blind to what’s coming before you.”
“Like you’ve been handling her all this time?” The words were out before she could stop them.
Ethan flinched, just slightly, but it was enough. For the first time, he didn’t have an immediate comeback.
Lena exhaled, stepping closer. Her voice softened, but it still held an edge. “Ethan, I get it. You’re used to controlling everything. But you can’t control this. You need me.There’s so much more to Victoria than you know.”
His gaze locked onto hers, unreadable, guarded.
For a long, tense moment, he didn’t say a word. Then, his voice came rough, strained—like admitting the truth was physically painful for him.
“And what if needing you gets you killed?”
Lena’s breath cut.
He had meant for the words to be harsh, but beneath them was something she hadn’t expected,something almost… vulnerable.
Ethan wasn’t just protecting himself. He was scared for her.
“I’m not walking away from this, Ethan.” Her voice was steady, despite the way her heart pounded.
His jaw flexed. “Then you leave me no choice.”
Before she could react, Ethan pulled out his phone, dialing a number. “Graham. I need Lena out of her hotelroom-now. Set up a new place, fully secured.”
Lena’s stomach dropped.
“Ethan, no—”
He didn’t look at her, his expression stone-cold. “This isn’t a debate. If you won’t stop, then I’ll make sure you’re safe while you do it.”
Lena opened her mouth to argue, but the look in his eyes made her stop.
He wasn’t asking.
And for the first time, she realized just how far Ethan would go to protect her—even from herself.
*****************************************************
Victoria swirled the red wine in her glass, watching the deep color catch the dim candlelight. Across from her, the man in the tailored suit sat still, waiting.
“Well?” she asked, voice deceptively smooth.
The man exhaled. “She didn’t scare easily. Ethan intervened before we could push harder.”
Victoria’s lips curved, but there was no warmth in the smile. “Of course he did. He’s always been so painfully predictable when it comes to protecting things that don’t belong to him.”
She set her glass down, leaning forward slightly. “Next time, make it clearer. This isn’t just a warning anymore.”
The man hesitated. “Are you sure you want to escalate? If Ethan gets involved—”
Victoria’s gaze turned ice-cold. “Do you think I care?”
She tilted her head, amusement flickering in her expression.
“Lena Carter wants to play with fire? Let’s see how well she burns.”
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Ethan's POVEthan arrived back to his hotel room in the dead of night. His driver parked discreetly down the street, and without hesitation, he stepped out, his mind set on one thing—making sure Lena was safe.He wasn’t sure what angered him more—the fact that Victoria had sent someone after Lena or that Lena had ignored his warnings and kept digging.With each step he took up to her door, his frustration grew. She was reckless. Stubborn. She didn’t understand the world she was dealing with.And yet…He admired that about her.The light was still on when he knocked. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and Lena stood there, blinking in surprise.“Ethan? How did you find me?!”“You do know who I am,right?” Ethan said immediately,walking into her roomHis jaw tightened at the sight of her—hair messy from what he assumed was hours of work, dark circles under her eyes, yet still as stunning as ever.“We need to talk.” His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was anything but c
