Outside the company, William stood with Ethan, his jaw tight, still seething from what had happened inside. But he was trying—barely—to keep his anger in check.Ethan looked drained, his shoulders heavy with exhaustion. But he forced himself to stand tall, his expression firm."Why are you doing this?" He asked, voice low. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"William scoffed. "Leave you alone? After your new man humiliated me in there?"Ethan's eyes flared. "Watch your tongue when you talk about Alex." William raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine. We'll leave that for another day."He stepped closer. "But I need your help. I need money. Something urgent came up.''Ethan let out a bitter laugh, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. He looked William dead in the eyes. "I don't have anything to give you. Go find help somewhere else."William's smile vanished. He pulled out his phone, his tone turning cold. "I tried being nice, Ethan. I wanted to talk peacefully. But if you want to d
The moment Alex saw Ethan walk into the office, he stood up quickly and made his way toward him.Ethan forced a smile. "Hey."Alex studied him closely. "How are you feeling?""I'm fine." Ethan replied, keeping his tone light. "Glad to be back at work."Alex stepped a little closer. "Are you sure?"Ethan nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay."Alex gave a small nod, still watching him carefully. "Just don't push yourself too hard. If you need help with anything, I'm right here."Ethan smiled faintly. "It's okay. I can handle it.""Have you eaten?" Alex asked.Ethan hesitated, then lied. "Yes."Alex didn't press. "Alright. I'll leave you to it.""Thanks." Ethan said quietly. "For caring."Alex's expression softened. "Don't thank me. I'm happy to take care of you."He gave Ethan a small smile before heading back to his desk. Ethan walked to his own seat, trying to settle in.But not long after, the office phone rang.Ethan picked it up."Sir." His secretary said. "There's a man here to see you."Ethan
Ethan stood outside the apartment, his body slightly trembling. The nerves were hard to hide, even as he tried to steady his breath. He inhaled deeply, then again—trying to calm the storm inside him.He didn't want to look afraid.It had been four years since he last saw William. Four years since everything fell apart. And yet, the memories still clung to him like fresh wounds.He shut his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to stay composed. "You can do this, Ethan!" He told himself.When he finally felt ready, he reached out and pressed the doorbell.Seconds passed.Then the door opened.And there he was.William.Ethan's breath caught the moment he saw him.William stood in the doorway, smiling—calm, composed, like nothing had ever happened.A sharp ache bloomed in Ethan's chest as memories surged forward; the manipulation, the shame, the pain. It all came rushing back, but he forced himself to stay still. His face remained blank, unreadable.William's smile widened. "Ethan. I'm so g
Ethan led Alex upstairs to his room. Once inside, he walked over to the closet, pulled out a clean set of clothes, and handed them to Alex."Here." He said softly. "You should change."Alex took them with a nod. "Thanks.'' He said, then headed into the bathroom.When he returned, he found Ethan sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly out the window. The headphones were still on, his expression distant.Alex sighed quietly and walked over, sitting beside him.Ethan turned slightly, and Alex reached out to remove the headphones—but Ethan gently stopped him, his hand catching Alex's wrist.Alex's voice was soft. "It's okay. There's no thunder.''Only then did Ethan let go, allowing Alex to take them off. Alex placed the headphones carefully on the bed.He looked at Ethan for a moment, then asked. "Have you eaten?"Ethan blinked, surprised. He'd expected Alex to push for answers, to demand to know what was wrong. But instead, he was asking if he'd eaten.Ethan shook his head.Alex
Marcel stepped into the bar, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on a familiar figure at the bar area. William sat there, casually nursing a drink. Marcel's jaw tightened as he walked over and took the seat beside him. William turned, and when he saw Marcel, a slow smile spread across his face. "Well, well. Long time no see, Marcel. I didn't expect you to show up."Marcel's voice was cold, his expression hard. "Why are you back, William? You swore you'd disappear. And the video—you said it was deleted. Why the hell do you still have it?"William smirked, unfazed. "Easy now, Marcel. No need to cause a scene." He finished his drink and shifted in his seat to face him fully.He reached out, trailing a fingertip down Marcel's cheek.Marcel slapped his hand away, eyes blazing. "Don't mess with me, William. I swear, you'll regret it."William chuckled. "Still so serious." He studied Marcel for a moment, then shurgged. "I came back because I missed Ethan."Marcel scoffed. "You've g
The elevator dinged open, and Ethan stepped out with a wide smile. His mood was sky-high, the client hadn't just approved the proposal Alex drafted, he loved it. Ethan couldn't wait to share the news.His secretary stood up as soon as she saw him, holding a small gift box. She walked over quickly."Excuse me, Sir." She said.Ethan stopped and looked at her."This arrived for you." She said, handing over the box.He took it and frowned. "Who's it from?""No idea." She replied. "I was told a delivery man just dropped it off.""Alright." Ethan murmured, then headed into his office.He spotted Alex on the phone but still walked over to his desk. Alex held up a finger, mouthing. "One minute, please." Ethan nodded and waited.When Alex ended the call, he looked up. "How'd it go?"Ethan grinned. "It went great. The client loved it. Thank you, Alex—I owe you."Alex waved him off. "No need.""I'm serious." Ethan replied. "To repay you for your help, I'm going to cook something nice for you."A