Chapter 2

Lucien kept staring at Ethan, but he didn’t move; he remained at the door. Ethan looked confused. Why isn’t he moving? Why isn’t he fighting the bad guy? Why is he staring at him like that? Different thoughts ran through his head.

“Lucien, save me!” Ethan whispered. He still had that hopeful smile on; at least Lucien came, but Lucien’s next words wiped off his smile.

“How dare you try to hurt Aiden?” His voice came out cold as he stepped close to Ethan.

“Huh? Ai..den?” Ethan raised a brow.

“Stop the act; you disgust me. I don’t give a damn what happens to you; I never want to see you again.” Lucien spat and turned to leave.

“Lucien, what are you talking about? I didn’t harm anyone; I’m the one in danger. Save me!!” Ethan yelled, but Lucien didn’t turn, nor did he stop; he was getting close to the door.

“Lucien!! Why are you acting like there's nothing between us? Why are you throwing everything away? I’m here tied to a chair with people who wouldn’t think twice before slitting my throat, but you don’t care? Why are you acting like I’m nothing to you?” Ethan yelled.

“Because you mean nothing to me, stop deluding!” Lucien said coldly.

“Wh..at?” Ethan whispered.

Lucien slammed the door hard, almost pulling it off its hinges, like it was his final answer to Ethan.

“Lucien!!!!” Ethan’s voice cracked, but the door never opened again.

Ethan's face arched with confusion, “Why would Lucien think I harmed Aiden? Why would he even bring up Aiden when I’m tied to a chair, my life on the line? What’s going on?”

Tears rushed down Ethan’s eyes as memories flooded into his head; he still vividly remembered the night Lucien wasn’t home at his normal time; he had paced the living room, chewed his fingernails, and called Lucien several times, but Lucien didn’t pick up, and after so many trials, Lucien’s line was switched off.

His stomach growled loudly from hunger,” Just a little more; Lucien will be back soon, and we’ll have dinner together, okay?” He rubbed his stomach.

He waited; it was past eleven, but Lucien still wasn’t home. Ethan’s eyes were heavy and red from sleep, but he refused to close his eyes. “He’d be home soon,” he kept assuring himself.

He sat down on the couch and fell asleep. His eyes shut open; he checked the time. It was past one. He grabbed his phone to call Lucien again when he heard a screeching tire sound in the driveway. He waited by the door. As soon as Lucien opened the door, Ethan hugged him, but Lucien shove him aside,

“Stop being too clingy; I hate it.” His voice was cold and distant, and without asking if Ethan had eaten or caring for the fact that Ethan had stayed up that long, he headed upstairs into the room.

👁‍🗨

More tears gushed down Ethan’s eyes as he recalled something he had ignored that night: Lucien’s shirt had a strong smell of a soft cologne that Lucien nor him used. He personally loves soft scents on him, but Lucien had once told him that he didn’t like them, claiming they were boring.

Another memory rushed in, he could remember one day when he had gone to drop lunch for Lucien at his office, he was heading to Lucien’s office but somehow there was a lot of people and someone pushed Aiden and when Aiden complained to the person, the person slapped Aiden and in the process, Aiden bumped into him and the food poured all over the floor.

Ethan bent down and stared at the mess on the floor. It had taken him hours to prepare this lunch, and now it’s all wasted. He called a cleaner at the office to clean it up. He then faced Aiden,

“You bumped into me, but are you okay tho?”

Aiden stared at him and suddenly held his cheek and started yelling, Why did you hit me? I already apologized; you didn’t have to hit me.”

Ethan’s face squeezed with confusion, “What are you…” A stinging slap landed on his left cheek before he could complete his sentence. He looked up to see Lucien, his eyes burning with fury.

“Lu…cien?” Ethan’s voice cracked, tears already gathered in his eyes.

“How dare you hit Aiden?” Lucien barked. Aiden, who was now behind Lucien, gave Ethan a scheming smile; Ethan understood immediately: Aiden had seen Lucien coming.

“I didn’t hit him, he...”

“Quit lying!!” Lucien yelled and pushed Ethan back. Ethan lost his balance and fell, hurting his arm, but Lucien didn’t care about the blood.

“Leave,” Lucien said with finality as he turned away, guiding Aiden with him to his office.

👁‍🗨

Ethan's chest tightened as reality settled in. “He never trusted me, not once to hear me out. He never cared about me; I was never worthy in his eyes.”

His body trembled, and as if to remind him he wasn’t dreaming, the kidnappers let out a chorused laughter.

“Lucien will come for me, I know he would.” One of them said in Ethan’s voice, mocking him.

“Seems like your Prince Charming doesn’t care about you, huh?” The bulky leader raised Ethan’s chin. Ethan was too weak to argue; tears kept streaming down his face.

The bulky leader got an iron; with how red it was, anyone could tell it was hot. The bulky leader started bringing it closer to Ethan; Ethan fidgeted and wiggled, but all of it was useless.

A shrieking shout erupted from his throat as the iron was placed on his cheek; the kidnappers laughed like they were enjoying some comic show. The bulky leader laughed, “Isn’t this nice? We now have matching scars.”

The kidnappers cheered as another member got a chain and wrapped it around Ethan’s neck; he was loosened from the chair. The kidnapper dragged him aggressively; the chain was draining life out of Ethan.

Another picked up the horsewhip and started whipping him all over with it, while another person poured water on him. His clothes were completely torn, and his back flesh was a mess as the horsewhip was tearing off his skin with every lash.

The bulky leader picked up a knife and stabbed it into Ethan’s thigh; he kept twisting it while keeping eye contact with screaming Ethan.

They kept torturing and laughing at his cries. The bulky leader finally decided to end everything; he picked up a gun and aimed it at Ethan’s heart. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

Hot tears poured out of Ethan’s eyes as blood gushed out from his chest. In all this, he thought, “He jerked violently on the floor and whispered weakly, “This is the end. ” And to prove his words, the bulky man pulled the trigger again, and Ethan’s eyes went SHUT.