The sound of a knock made Mr. Simone raised his head to see Nina standing outside of his study door, and he gave her a small smile, mumbling, “What is it, Nina?” Calmly, she walked into the room, and then closed the door behind her, saying softly, “Do you have a minute to talk?” “Sure,” Mr. Simone replied, moving his laptop out of his way so he could focus on her. Although she and her father had had great issues since her mother died and he remarried, Nina was hoping that this time, just once he would be a supportive father. “Remember when I was about to leave for my scholarship, what I asked of you?” Nina questioned, sitting in front of her father, crossing one leg over the other and resting her elbow on her knee. The dumbfounded look on her father's face made Nina sigh in frustration, knowing that he might not have even cared to listen back then when she was talking to him. “You promised me that the spot was going to be filled up by a temporary employee and that I can have the
The quietness in the guest room had Ethan uneasy, even though he was finally sleeping on a softer and more comfortable bed. After twisting and turning for a while, he couldn't sleep anymore so he decided to leave the bed and go outside to get some fresh air and also get his stuff from the worker's quarter. “You fat lazy pig!! Can't you do any damn thing properly!” Madam Rider's voice echoed into Ethan's ears as he came downstairs. The moment he stepped into the hallway, he saw her standing behind Bobby as he struggled to hang up a large framed portrait of her and her five children on the wall. These portraits had always been in the family gallery room, and they had been placed there by professionals because of the size and weight of each piece. “Higher, you fat junkie!” Clara screamed, causing Bobby already tired hands to tremble under the weight of such a huge glass frame. Anger rose in Ethan like fire as he watched Bobby struggle to keep the portrait above where Clara wanted
Nibbling on her nails, Nina watched her laptop screen as the website loaded, making her heartbeat, wanting to stay positive, but after the constant rejections, she couldn't. “You need to chill, Nina,” Her best friend, Kim, said, taking another bite of her sandwich. “It’s only been like a few companies who have replied. It's not like all the-” “Nineteen companies, Kim. It's been only a couple of days, and I have been receiving rejection letters one after the other, Every other day.” Nina mumbled, grabbing another napkin and blowing her nose into it. “It’s like I am cursed.” “Come on, Nina. Be positive. Who knows, this one might-” “Dear Miss Simone, we regret to inform you that the position that you applyed...” The trembling in Nina's voice made Kim's sandwich freeze to her lips, and she whispered as she rested the sandwich on the bed, “Oh Nina, come here.” Crawling towards her friend, Nina buried her face in the crook of Kim's neck as she sobbed. “Shhh, Nina. You're okay. This is
Staring at the garment bag hanging on the rack, Ethan studied it for a while, and then he unzipped it, taking out the only suit that he had to his name and dusting it off.Then he took the pants and blazer from the garment bag, deciding to go with his black dress shirt, and wore them. Once he was done, he wore his shoes that were polished and then stepped in front of the mirror to wear his tie.Suddenly, a knock on his room door broke him out of his thoughts, but before he could react, the door opened, and in came his father who was wearing a very expensive blue suit.Halting in his steps, Mr. Rider immediately frowned, his eyes blazing with rage as he stared at Ethan's suit and asked, “What is that rag?!”“What rag?” Ethan frowned back at him, wearing his tie.“The shit on you.”“You mean, my suit?”Speechless in anger, Mr. Rider looked at him like he was insane and said, “Yes, your goddamn suit! Haven’t you worn that rag on many occasions?!”“Yes, and it is still in good shape for
Taking the glass of water off the tray, Nina smiled at Esther and said, “Thank you.”A soft breath escaped her lips as she slowly sipped the drink, enjoying how warm and comforting it was.With an uneasy expression, Kim leaned onto the railing next to Nina, looking at the view and gazing up at the night sky above, waiting patiently.A couple of minutes later, Nina rested her head gently on Kim's shoulder and whispered, “I got a headache.”Her vision was slowly getting blurry and she couldn't focus on anything. Her body was tense as she started to feel a bit warm inside, the cold air made her shudder slightly.Finally, Kim looked down at her with furrowed eyebrows and asked, “What’s wrong with you, Nina?”Even though she tried to answer no sound came out and instead, she closed her eyes tight and sighed softly, her teeth gritting together.“Do you want me to find a guest room for you to rest in? You look awful.” Kim whispered.Nina wanted to say that she was feeling weird in her body a
The group waiting outside for Ethan to open the door only seemed to get bigger the more aggressively Mr. Rider beat on the door. “You bastard, open this damn door right now, Ethan!” Mr. Rider's voice blasted through the door.Ignoring his father's screams and the whisperings from the guests that only seemed to be getting louder, Ethan give Nina a small smile and said, “If you want to use the rumors that we are having sex to break up your engagement, then I don't need to take advantage of your body for that to happen...”As Nina was about to argue with his logic, Ethan place his index finger on her lips and said, “Listen,”The whispers had long since become loud, arrogant statements, and Nina heard a lady echo out her opinion, “Does this child have any sense? She cheated on Charles with a servant boy… What kind of stupid woman does that?”“I can’t believe he is having an affair with her too, knowing that the Walkers are her soon-to-be in-laws.” Another lady said loudly.As the reali
The morning light met Ethan standing at the window, watching the sunrise in the east, his mind running over the conversation he eavesdropped on last night between the two men. Then when he heard the mattress move, he stretched his tired muscles and yawned before turning to the bed to see Nina wearing his black shirt with his pair of sweatpants that were both huge on her. “Good morning,” She whispered, looking over at the couch he slept on and feeling a sense of guilt for taking his bed. “Morning,” Ethan said, noticing the discomfort on her face, and thinking that now that the drugs were out of her system, she was regretting last night's event. “Are you regretting what you did for me last night?” Nina asked, rubbing her arm anxiously as she avoided his gaze. “No,” Ethan instantly responded. There was an awkward brief silence between them, with her still staring intently at his body until she asked, “Are you sure?” “Very sure.” Ethan replied. “Oh… Okay.” “How about you?” “No, I
As rage roamed in him, Mr. Simone slapped his hand on the table, his face red with rage, and shouted atEthan and his daughter, “He’s a scumbag!! That man is worthless!! A total waste of his family name-”“Wow! It’s a good thing that you are not the one marrying him then.” Nina snorted, trying to keep calm and act cool even though her heart raced rapidly at his aggressiveness. “Because I am. And Ethan and I don’t need your blessings!”The way Mr. Simone's eyes bulged out of his head with anger and his jaw dropped in horror caused her satisfaction to rise higher than ever, making her happy at being able to put him in his place, but still, it didn’t erase the fear that was beginning to build in her when she remembered that Ethan was getting dragged into her family mess.Like he could tell what she feared, Mr. Simone looked over at Ethan, his eyes narrowed dangerously, and then yelled at him, “You want to marry my daughter?!”“Yes, Mr. Simone,” Ethan said, trying to be respectful, even th
When Nina slapped Ethan's face, his eyes opened wide, and then he blinked back the sleep, feeling the weight of her hand on his face.Slowly, he lifted her hand off his nose and mouth and rested it on the bed, watching her as she slept peacefully.A smile crept slowly onto his lips, and he stared at her for a moment longer before turning away, and standing up from bed.Silently, he moved across the room, the morning chill making goosebumps rise on his skin. Shirtless, he glanced out of the window, the sight of the sun rising in the distance bringing a sense of calm and purpose. Then with a deep breath, he retrieved his phone and dialed Avan’s number."I need a favor," Ethan said the moment Avan picked up on the second ring.After yawning in his ear, Avan's voice, tinged with a hint of curiosity, responded on the other end, "It's pretty early for favors, brother. What do you need?"For a moment, Ethan hesitated considering his words carefully before he spoke. "I need someone to keep Do
The sleek black Uber came to a smooth stop, its engine purring softly as Drak gracefully emerged from the vehicle. Tracy, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, stood there, her expression a medley of disapproval and impatience. As her eyes fell upon Drak, stepping out with an air of confidence, her features contorted, forming a scowl that threatened to unleash her wrath upon him."You're early!" Tracy's voice rang out, laced with irritation, as she scrutinized him with disapproving eyes.Drak paused before her, his gaze locked with hers, unfazed by the displeasure radiating from her every pore. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he retorted.The muscles on Tracy's face clenched, preparing to release the storm of her fury upon him for his audacity. However, her eyes drifted to the bandage wrapped tightly around Drak's head, and a wave of unexpected anxiety washed over her. In that moment, she couldn't help but take a deep breath, her anger shortly diffused."The only job I could
Darting his eyes to the right, Ethan noticed three guys, coming towards them with menacing intentions etched on their faces. They moved with purpose, their strides purposeful and confident. With a quick flick of his gaze to the left, he saw another four dudes, equally as intimidating, closing in on them. The air grew thick with tension as their aggressive energy filled the bar, suffocating the peace that had previously lingered in the place.Turning away from the bartender, Ethan locked his gaze straight ahead, assessing the remaining six men, who were inching closer with every passing second. At that moment, Ethan's adrenaline surged through his veins, heightening his senses and sharpening his focus. His training had taught him to remain calm in the face of danger, to assess the situation, and to plan his next move. With a steely determination, he locked his gaze straight ahead, refusing to show any sign of fear or vulnerability.The remaining six men closed in, their footsteps ech
There was this hesitant look in Tracy's eyes as she gazed at Drak, his bloodstained face and hand, and the blood dripping from his hair. Her gaze shifted from his face to his shoulder and then settled on the bottle beside him. "You swear on your mother's life that if I get you this job, you wouldn't report this incident and pretend like I never knew you?" She asked, her eyes boring into his.Stunned for a second, Drak nodded, his heart racing with hope. "I swear," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.Tracy sighed, her eyes softening. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. But you better not mess this up, or I'll make sure you regret it.""I promise," Drak said.With a sigh, she reached into her bag. "Wait for my call tomorrow, and get yourself fixed before showing your face." She let out, and then took out her hand, tossing a few bucks on the floor. "Use that."Looking at the floor and the money scattered about, Drak's eyes darkened, but he didn't dare raise his head as he fought to c
Ethan's heart raced as he took one last glance at Nina. He knew he had to leave her out of all of these things because of her safety, but the thought of keeping things from her made his chest ache. With a heavy sigh, he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him, the sound echoing through the empty hallway.Drak stood in front of him, his expression unreadable. They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their mission heavy on their shoulders. Finally, Ethan broke the silence."What about London Hale?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Drak's eyes flickered with a hint of amusement. "Ah, yes, Hale. The last time we spoke, you needed a way into his facility, and information on the bone marrow he stole from you..."The name alone sent shivers down Ethan’s spine. The last time they crossed paths, he had barely escaped with his life.He then nodded, his mind racing with memories of the painful procedure he had endured at Hale's hands.Drak's eyes flickered with
The moment Mr. Rider walked into the dining room, it grew silent, no one daring to look up. He dragged out a chair and sat down heavily. His eyes immediately fell upon his Savannah, and she felt his gaze on her, but she didn't dare look up from the plate of food in front of her. "Savannah, I need all your car keys and your credit cards, and you should stay away from public eyes for the time being." Mr. Rider said with this unsettling calmness. Anger bubbled inside Savannah as she heard him address her like a child, and she tried not to lash out, saying, "Seriously! You are grounding me! Father, I am not a kid anymore. You can't-" "You live under my roof and earn from my money, you abide by the rules." Mr. Rider interrupted his voice hard. The rest of the family looked up at him, but before they could utter a word, he added, "If anyone thinks that I am being unfair, you can join her in her punishment." A pin drop could make a loud sound once those words left his lips, and for a
Holding her eyes captive in his calm gaze, Ethan watched her, his lips slightly twitching and yet no words leaving them, causing Madam Rider to command, “Answer me!” Not a spark of fear showed in Ethan's eyes, and Madam Rider knew he wasn't the same... he wasn't the boy who showed up at their mansion desperate for a job, the boy that trembled at the sound of her voice, that took the insults, the abuse, and he definitely wasn't just a bastard and a servant... Something had changed about his aura, how he carried himself, the confidence that he held in her presence, and the way he looked, and talked. How his eyes were clear and steady, his face expressionless, his tone indifferent. It was so unlike the Ethan she knew... "How?" Ethan finally said. "What?" Madam Rider replied. Lowering his eyelids slightly, he held his silence, causing a look of frustration to flicker in her eyes. "Explain to me how I could make all of this happen," Ethan said, an expression finally showing on his
10:00The party had grown even more lively, classical music still playing in the background, and everyone was enjoying themselves without a care in the world.There were so many familiar faces there that Ethan remembered from his and Nina’s wedding ceremony, and the way they were side-eyeing them now and whispering took him back to that day, and he clutched his fist tightly.10:10The ballroom suddenly grew this immediate tense energy as more guests started entering the hall one after the other, catching the attention of the others.It was a bunch of guys, young, and handsome, all walking into the room, and Nina stared after them, wondering who they were because she had been in the elite circle in the past, for a long while, and none of these faces, she could recognize.But her confusion soon faded when she stared up at Ethan, and saw the way he looked at these men with such a strange glint in his eyes.“Who are they?” Nina asked, not understanding why he was staring, but knowing that
As he stared at Ethan, Mr. Rider felt cornered, knowing that denying him would only lead to an explanation and more questions, and he didn't want to ruin the perfect image he had portrayed to the Hallow. He needed his reputation to stay faultless, and Ethan had the power to ruin so much. "Son, Nina, you guys are finally back. Two years have treated you two well, it seems." Mr. Rider said as he smiled weakly. "How about we catch up more tomorrow? As you can see, it's your sister's engagement ceremony, and tonight, it should be all about her and her fiance. Won't you agree?" It was clear what Mr. Rider was doing with his words, and Ethan could read the threat that lingered in his stares. "Of course, tonight is all about my beautiful sister. She is the true star of the show." Ethan answered, smiling at him as he saw the slight twitch in his eye. As the waiter was passing by him, he reached into the tray, grabbed a glass of champagne, and took a sip, ignoring the way Mr. Rider tried