Chapter 7

Alex leaned casually against his car, arms crossed, the streetlight casting sharp shadows on his face. He watched Ethan with an unreadable expression, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of his lips.

Ethan, however, was far from amused.

His chest heaved, his fists clenched at his sides. He glared at Alex with pure hatred, the fury simmering beneath his skin like an untamed wildfire. He had fought, struggled, tried to outrun the men Alex had sent after him, but it had been pointless. They had caught him, dragged him to Alex's car like some reckless criminal, and now he stood here, defeated yet burning with defiance.

"I swear.'' Ethan hissed, his voice sharp enough to cut through the night air. "I'm going to make you pay for this."

Alex merely scoffed, the smirk widening on his face. "Go inside, Ethan. I'll have someone bring your car to you first thing tomorrow morning.''

Ethan's jaw tightened. "I'm not a child. Stop treating me like one."

Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "You are a child. I'm five years older than you, that makes you a kid in my eyes. And right now, you're proving it. So I'll treat you accordingly."

Ethan took a step forward, his rage bubbling dangerously close to the surface. "I won't let this go." He seethed. "I'll find a way to get back at you."

Alex only raised an eyebrow, his amusement never faltering.

With an angry growl, Ethan turned on his heels, storming towards his front door. He yanked it open and slammed it shut behind him, the echo ringing through the quiet street.

Alex let out a small laugh under his breath, shaking his head. Ethan's stubbornness was always entertaining.

Pushing off his car, Alex slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. He cast one last glance at Ethan's house, smirking to himself before driving off into the night.

****

The next day...

Alex tried to focus on his work, his fingers moving across the keyboard with mechanical precision, but his gaze kept flickering towards Ethan's empty desk. "Where the hell is he?" He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "So unserious.'' He made a mental note to confront Ethan about his growing irresponsibility if he ever showed up.

Minutes later, the door swung open.

Alex's breath hitched as Ethan walked in, hand resting on the waist of a man.

A familiar man.

The dancer from last night.

Alex's stomach twisted, his jaw locking as the sight of them stirred something deep inside him, something sharp and unwelcome. Before he could stop himself, he was on his feet, crossing the room with quick strides.

"The hell is this?" His voice was low and dangerous.

Ethan barely spared him a glance. "It's none of your business."

Alex's eyes darkened. "You think I'm just gonna stand here and—"

"Yes." Ethan cut him off, his grip tightening around the dancer's waist. "Because nothing I do should concern you, Alex."

Alex's gaze flicked to the man at Ethan's side, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Leave." He ordered coldly.

The dancer hesitated, but before he could take a step, Ethan pulled him closer, possessive, defiant. "He's not going anywhere." Then, with a smirk, Ethan added. "My boyfriend stays."

Alex stilled. "Boyfriend?"

Ethan nodded, unwavering. "That's right, so get used to it."

Alex's teeth clenched. The moment Ethan turned to press a slow, deliberate kiss to the dancer's lips, something in Alex snapped.

Before he could think, his hands were on the dancer's collar, yanking him backwards and shoving him towards the exit. The man stumbled, eyes wide with shock as Alex shoved him out of the office and slammed the door shut.

Locking it.

When he turned back to Ethan, Ethan swallowed hard, momentarily thrown by the burning rage in Alex's eyes. But he refused to back down.

Alex stalked forward, closing the space between them. "Is this what you are now?" He muttered, his voice laced with disgust. "That desperate for affection and attention?"

Ethan's body tensed, but he held his ground. "Leave me alone, Alex."

Alex didn't. Instead he grabbed Ethan's wrist, dragging him roughly towards the wall. Ethan gritted his teeth, attempting to break free, but Alex was stronger, fueled by something primal, something ugly.

"You enjoy this, don't you?" Alex whispered, his body pressing against Ethan's back, his grip tightening. "Sleeping around. Parading yourself like—"

"Stop!" Ethan hissed.

But Alex wasn't finished.

“Pathetic.” “Dirty.” The words landed like blows, each one cutting deeper.

Ethan's breath hitched. His chest felt tight. His vision blurred.

Then, suddenly, hot tears spilled down his cheeks.

"I didn't ask for this." Ethan choked out, his voice shaking. "I didn't ask to be who I am. To—to feel this way." His hands balled into fists. "And I won't change for you or for anyone." His voice grew louder, steadier. "You can insult me all you want, Alex. Call me names. Hate me. I don't care." His teeth clenched as he spat the final words. "The horrible person here is you, and I hate you, Alex. I hate you so damn much!"

Alex exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. Then, in a low whisper, he leaned close to Ethan's ear. 

"Stop pretending to be the victim." He murmured.

Then, just as suddenly as he had cornered Ethan, Alex released him.

 Without another word, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Ethan let out a shaky breath.

The weight of Alex's words settled in his chest like ice. And with it, his hatred for Alex grew stronger than ever.

****

Ethan sat at his desk, fully engrossed in his work, while Alex merely stared at his screen, his thoughts elsewhere. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't shake the image of Ethan breaking down earlier. The memory gnawed at him, filling him with an unshakable guilt. He had made Ethan cry. And now, he was torn—part of him wanted to apologize, to make things right, but the other half resisted, convincing him it wasn't necessary.

He hadn't meant to lose control like that. He just couldn't stomach the sight of Ethan with that dancer, especially after telling him to stay faithful. The anger had consumed him in the moment, but now, as he sat here, the regret was creeping in.

Alex exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. After a moment of indecision, he finally made up his mind, he would apologize, even if he ended up regretting it. "Damn it," He muttered under his breath.

Just as he was about to call Ethan's name, the office door swung open, drawing both of their Attention. A man strode in, and Alex immediately tensed, suspicion flaring in his chest. Was this yet another person Ethan was seeing? His jaw tightened—until he recognized the face. Ethan's friend, Marcel.

Marcel hesitated for a moment, clearly surprised to see Alex occupying a space in Ethan's office. "Alex?" He questioned, his brows knitting together.

Without hesitation, Ethan stood abruptly, snapping his laptop shut and gathering his belongings in one swift motion.

Alex frowned. "You're leaving work already?"

Ethan turned to him with a glare, his eyes dark with barely contained fury. "Why? Are you going to try and stop me? I dare you." He spat, his voice laced with venom.

Without another word, Ethan strode toward Marcel, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out of the office.

Alex clenched his fists, frustration simmering beneath his skin. How had Ethan managed to keep the company afloat with this kind of reckless behaviour? How had he gotten this far with such little regard for responsibility?

"Damn it!" Alex muttered, sinking back into his seat.