Chapter nine

Summer

Ethan looked like he was about to object, but I didn't stay long enough to hear whatever arguments or complaints everyone had. I simply gestured for the maid to lead me to his room.

The maid hesitated and glanced at Ethan, obviously waiting for his permission before moving. I couldn't be bothered to wait. I turned and started walking toward the stairs on my own. As I climbed, I suddenly slowed down and stopped at a particular spot.

The exact place where I had fallen. A chill ran through me as the memories came rushing back. The pain felt so real that it was almost as if it had happened only moments ago. I could still remember the sickening crack when my neck broke. I could still remember the fear, the helplessness, and the darkness that followed.

It was strange.bEverything had returned to normal so quickly that it felt unbelievable. Looking around now, no one would ever guess that only a few days ago I had lost my life in this very place.

“You are just going to watch her walk away, you are not going to say anything? This is unbelievable!” Tamara's voice echoed from behind me.

I closed my eyes briefly and forced myself to move. Taking a deep breath, I continued up the stairs, the maid finally hurried after me, probably realizing I wasn't going to wait for her.

A few moments later, I reached Ethan's room and stepped inside. The maid arrived shortly after, but by then I was already standing in the middle of the room.

That was when I suddenly realized I had made a mistake, I was supposed to be a stranger. There was absolutely no reason for me to know which room belonged to the king.

My heart skipped a beat, to cover up my mistake, I stood quietly and looked around the room as though I was seeing it for the very first time, I was actually seeing it for the first time.

My gaze moved from one corner to another, carefully taking in every detail. The room was huge and luxurious, exactly what anyone would expect from a king's chamber. The furniture was elegant, the decorations were expensive, and every part of the room reflected Ethan's wealth and status. Nothing seemed out of place, everything looked grand, powerful, and impressive.

The maid placed the bag on a nearby chair and immediately excused herself. She seemed eager to leave the room as quickly as possible.

The moment she stepped outside, the door opened again, Ethan walked in. He closed the door behind him and slowly made his way toward me. When he stopped, he slipped both hands into his pockets and stared at me for a long moment.

His eyes narrowed slightly. “How on earth did you know that this is my room?” he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

My stomach dropped, of course he would notice. I shifted awkwardly on my feet as I searched for an explanation. “I just guessed. The door is the only different one and I assumed as a king you do not share the same wing with others,” I said.

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them.What kind of explanation was that? Judging by the confused look on Ethan's face, he was wondering the exact same thing. Honestly, even I was confused by whatever nonsense I had just said.

For a few seconds, he simply stared at me. “Charles didn't say you are running mad, he only said you had amnesia,” he said. His brows furrowed even deeper. “Why on earth will you think that you and I could share a room?”

I slowly lifted my head to look at him. Standing this close reminded me of just how tall he was. I had never really been this close to him before. He towered over me effortlessly, making me feel unusually small.

“With the way your mom and fiancée warmly welcomed me, you do not expect me to sleep in a room alone. I do not want them strangling me in my sleep,” I said. I folded my arms and continued. “Besides, who will take care of me if I sleep in the guest room alone?” I asked.

The muscles in his jaw tightened immediately, I could practically see his patience slipping away. “There are hundreds of maids here to do that. You are testing my patience, young woman,” he yelled.

His voice echoed through the room, but I refused to back down. “You can't share a room with me. Do you know the kind of scandal that would cause?” His expression darkened. “That I share a room with a stripper?”

The last word came out sharp and irritated, as though merely saying it annoyed him. Even though I wasn't Elena, I still felt insulted by the way he said it. The irritation in his voice made it sound as though being associated with her was the worst thing imaginable.

“I do not care what scandal this will cause. I am going nowhere,” I said firmly as I walked toward the bed. I stopped beside it and turned to look at him.

He was still staring at me, clearly expecting me to give up and leave at any moment. That wasn't going to happen, in fact, I decided to make him even more uncomfortable.

Since he had been such a wonderful host so far, I thought it was only fair that I returned the favor. Without saying another word, I reached for the hem of my gown and slipped it off, intending to get ready for a shower.

The reaction was immediate, his eyes widened in shock. As though he had touched something hot, he quickly turned away and shook his head. “What on earth are you trying to do?” he yelled.

“I need to shower,” I replied casually.

I bent down to pick up the gown and draped it over my arm.

“I am going to be wearing your shirt since I didn't come with any clothes.”

With that, I headed toward his walk-in closet. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he demanded as he hurried after me. “Come back here.”

Ignoring him completely, I stepped into the closet.

The place looked less like a closet and more like a luxury boutique. Rows of perfectly organized clothes lined the walls, with enough suits and shirts to fill an entire store.

I slowly looked around, most people would probably grab the first shirt they saw. Not me, I knew exactly which one I wanted. A smile tugged at my lips when I spotted it hanging neatly among the others.

I reached for it and pulled it from the rack. Immediately, Ethan groaned. “No. You can't wear that.”

I glanced at him. “Watch me.”

His jaw clenched. Before he could stop me, I turned and headed toward the bathroom with the shirt firmly in my hands. Behind me, I heard an exasperated sound that was somewhere between a growl and a frustrated sigh.

“Once you are done showering, I am coming back to drag you out and throw you back to the streets where you belong,” he yelled. “I am done with your shit.”