Beverly hills
Chloe sat on the sofa, like a princess as she swayed her legs from left to right while holding a glass of wine in her hand. Her eyes were bloodshot due to the hangover. Across her, sat a lady in her early 20s basically of the same age with Chloe. She was her best friend, Ann. Although, the previous night, Chloe was drunk, she could vividly recall what had happened that night.
She could remember the argument she had with her brother, Jayden. She had spoken to him in a manner that she had never done before. But, one thing she was sure about, she meant every word she said to him. She would never give up on Ethan for anything in this world. But, that wasn't the issue at hand. Her main problem was Ethan.
She was gradually losing him. She needed to do something and very fast before it became too late. This morning when she woke up, after she had her breakfast, she invited Ann to come over to their mansion. She needed someone to talk to, someone who would advice her on what to do, and that person was her best friend, Ann.
"Thanks for coming, dear," said Chloe, in a low soft voice. "Care for a drink?" she asked as she prepared to call for the maid to serve her a drink, but Ann was quick to stop her.
"Don't worry Chloe, I'm cool," Ann replied stopping her from calling out to the maid.
"Are you sure?" asked Chloe, her forehead wrinkled expressing her doubt. She didn't want to seem like a bad friend, who invited her best friend over and didn't care to offer her anything.
"Without a shadow of doubt," added Ann, while she smiled genuinely at her.
"Okay, if that's the case, then I guess I won't force you," replied Chloe while she sighed deeply.
"So, tell me. Why did you ask me to come over this early morning? And, why did you sound like you were worried about something?" asked Ann a little bit worried for her friend.
"Ann, something happened between Ethan and I," she told her while she continued to sip her wine.
"What happened? Did you have a quarrel, again?" she blurted out.
"Sort of," answered Chloe cautiously. Ann sighed before she leaned back on the sofa. She had guessed it. Of course, what else could it be, if not 'Ethan did this Ethan did that' she always complained to her.
"So, what was the argument all about?"
"Yesternight, he came home late. I asked him, where he went to and why he didn't bother to pick up my calls when I called him," she narrated. "He told me to my face, that he didn't love me, he never did. He only took me as his sister which I already knew." Ann nodded her head as she listened to her complains. At this time, Chloe was like a child complaining to her mother after she failed to get a candy, while Ann listened to her complains.
"But, that's not the main reason why I called you hear," she added. "This morning when I woke up, I remembered that I saw something on his pull neck. I didn't give much thought to it, probably, because I was caught up in the argument,"
"This morning, it crossed my mind, and it seemed to have been blood on his pullneck!" Ann, on the other hand, listened carefully to her friend's part of the story, and from time to time she nodded her head.
"Did you notice any injury on any part of his body?" Ann asked, immediately after Chloe was done narrating her story.
"No, he didn't have any injury because if he did, I would have noticed," said Chloe.
"Something must have happened," Ann added, making up a conclusion.
"Yeah, something definitely happened. That is why I called you here. What do you think, I should do? I have a bad feeling about this! I'm gradually losing him, Ann!" she spoke, her voice a little panicked.
"We need to dig deeper! We need to find out the truth of what really happened that day!" said Ann
"In the mean time, stop worrying yourself too much, you won't lose Ethan to any other woman," she assured her. "Actually, I have a friend who can help us carry out an investigation on the matter! But, it would require money to pay him! Are you in for it?" she asked her.
"Of course, I'm in! Anything that would help me keep Ethan on my side, I'll definitely do it! Money is not a problem at all!" Chloe added quickly, finally becoming cheerful, again.
Meanwhile, an old man sat on the desk, his hands were currently interlocked while he placed them across his belly. His eyes were closed and his face was calm as he rested his back on the armchair. He appeared peaceful, not caring about the outside world. After a while, Stanley walked into the study room. He was the old man's butler.
When he walked in and saw how his master was peaceful as he rested, he suddenly had the urge not to bother him. But, what he wanted to report to his master was a crucial matter.
"Ahem!" he cleared his throat.
"Speak up! What is it!" the old man's cold voice echoed throughout the room. He didn't care to open his eyes at all. He seemed to have felt the presence of his butler even before he spoke up.
"Sir, something happened while Ethan was coming from the airport," he revealed.
"What happened!" asked Old Mr Urkel, still not bothering to open his eyes.
"He accidentally hit a young boy on his way to the office. The boy had been hospitalized, and, he only woke up yesterday," he concluded.
Old Urkel only made the 'um' sound as he listened to his butler.
"Sir, aren't you bothered by Ethan's sudden change?" Stanley couldn't help but ask. Because, the old man seemed not to be bothered.
"What do you mean?" asked the old man, his forehead becoming wrinkled. What was he supposed to be bothered about?
"Sir, Ethan took the boy to the hospital on his own account, accompanied by the little boy's sister. He stayed with her and comforted her the whole time, while the boy was being operated on, and we know quite well, this is unlike him. I think, you should pay more attention to him, because he might be in love with the woman or maybe, he's falling for her," he concluded.
At this time, Old Mr Urkel, finally opened his eyes.
Ethan walked into "The Intoxicated" Entertainment clubhouse, the familiar buzz of energy and laughter wash over him. He spotted Alex and James who were already seated at their usual position. “Hey, look who finally decided to show up!” Alex called out, a playful grin spreading across his face. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. James, ever the composed one, merely raised an eyebrow but offered a smirk.Ethan shrugged nonchalantly, but inside, he could still feel the residual warmth of the passionate encounter he’d just had with Aviana. The slightly disheveled state of his hair and the faint trace of lipstick lingering on his collar were the only signs that might give him away, but he hoped they would go unnoticed. “Traffic,” Ethan replied coolly, sliding into his seat with an air of indifference. He could see the knowing glimmer in Alex’s eyes, the way he leaned in just a bit closer, eager for any hint of a story.“Right,” Alex said, chuckl
Aviana walked into the house, her blouse still partially buttoned, a telltale sign of the passionate encounter she’d just had with Ethan in the car. As she fumbled with the remaining buttons, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy, a small, curious voice called out from the living room.“Big sis!” Hayden appeared around the corner, his bright eyes wide with curiosity. He was clutching a toy car tightly in one hand and staring up at his sister with a mix of innocence and suspicion.Aviana, momentarily flustered, straightened up and tried to smooth her disheveled appearance. “Hey, Hayden,” she said, forcing a casual tone. “What’s up?”Hayden’s gaze remained fixed on her, his little brows knitting together as he took in the scene. “You’re home pretty late, Big sis. And why are you buttoning your blouse like that? Did you and Uncle Ethan have a... uh, fun time in the car?”Aviana’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. She froze mid-button, her mouth slightly open as she tried to proc
Aviana lay in Ethan's arms, their bodies intertwined in a comfortable silence that spoke volumes of their deep connection. The room was quiet, save for the soft rhythm of their breathing and the occasional contented sigh that escaped their lips.Ethan gently brushed a strand of hair away from Aviana's face, his touch tender and filled with affection. He couldn't help but marvel at how natural and right it felt to have her in his arms, to feel her warmth against him.Aviana shifted slightly, her head resting against his chest as she looked up at him with a soft smile. "You know," she murmured, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness, "you have a way of making everything feel so... perfect."Ethan chuckled softly, his heart swelling with love for this woman who brought so much joy into his life. "I'm just glad you feel that way," he replied, his voice gentle. "You mean the world to me, Aviana."Aviana's smile widened, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest as she gazed up at
Ethan looked up, his face flushed and his posture stiff as he tried to hold Aviana close. His usual aloof demeanor was completely absent, replaced by a flustered and panicked expression. “Faith! I—I didn’t expect—” he stammered, his words tumbling out in a jumbled mess.Faith couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Ethan, the ever-composed boss, was now visibly flustered, with his shirt slightly askew and a look of sheer bewilderment on his face. Aviana’s cries were still unabated, adding to the hilarity of the situation.“Uh, Sir,” Faith said, trying to suppress her laughter as she walked over to them. “It looks like you’re having a bit of a rough time here.”Ethan, still holding Aviana, glanced at Faith with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. “Faith, I... I don’t know what to do. She’s... she’s crying because I figured out something too quickly, and then I made it worse by saying I got help from Scarlet. I don’t know how to fix this!"Faith’s eyes twinkled with a mix of amuseme
Ethan stood outside Aviana's office door, his mind racing with thoughts of how to approach her. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then knocked gently."Come in," Aviana's voice called from inside. Ethan entered cautiously, finding Aviana seated at her desk, engrossed in reviewing some documents. She looked up as he entered, her expression neutral but her eyes betraying a hint of wariness."Avi, can we talk?" Ethan asked softly, stepping further into the room.Aviana leaned back in her chair, her expression cool and composed despite the underlying irritation. Ethan stood before her, unsure of how to break through her icy demeanor."What's there to talk about, Ethan?" Aviana began, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she tapped her pen on the desk. "I don't expect you to have figured out the reason I'm mad at you already. It might take you a day, a week, or a lifetime to figure it out. Who knows?"Ethan blinked, taken aback by her blunt honesty. "Avi, I—""Nope," Aviana cut in,
Scarlet grinned at Aviana's comment about Milo, nodding in agreement. "He definitely does. But speaking of being kept on your toes, how's my brother treating you these days, Avi?" Scarlet asked playfully, raising an eyebrow teasingly.Aviana's smile faltered immediately at the mention of Ethan, her mood shifting drastically. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before responding. "Ethan?" she replied tersely, her voice edged with irritation. "He's... he's fine."Scarlet sensed the change in Aviana's tone, her playful expression fading as she picked up on the underlying tension. "Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?" she asked cautiously, eyebrows raised in mock concern. Aviana scoffed, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Paradise? More like a roller coaster," she muttered, her hands gesturing animatedly. Scarlet sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair as she looked at Aviana with exaggerated concern. "Okay, spill the tea, Avi. What happened between you and Ethan this