CHAPTER 12: MY FATHER'S MESSENGER, IS HIM!

ELENA’S POV

Our eyes snapped toward the door, then down to the two men groaning on the marble floor, before darting back to each other.

Ethan immediately let go of my wrists. I pulled my fingers out of his hair and scrambled backward, quickly smoothing down the wrinkled velvet of my gown.

"It's my mother," Ethan cursed, his voice dropping into a low whisper. His dark eyes locked onto mine. "What are we going to do?"

A sharp scoff escaped me. "What are we going to do?" I repeated, letting out a bitter laugh. "You're on your own, Mr Ethan. If she walks through that door and sees this mess, I'll gladly tell her you're awake and have been playing dead all this time."

"You must be out of your mind!" he growled, his knuckles turning white as his hands gripped the sheets.

"Think whatever you want. I'm completely out of it," I shot back, lifting my chin. "You brought this on yourself. If you hadn't set up that ridiculous spy test, none of this would have happened."

I turned toward the door.Behind me, I heard Ethan take a sharp breath.The arrogance in his voice was finally gone.

"Look... you can't let them find out I'm awake," he said, his tone suddenly urgent.

"Then do the right thing." I shrugged with my eyes up.

"Are you trying to bargain with me..?"

"Apologize for accusing me," I said simply, crossing my arms. "And swear you'll never question my background again."

I kept my voice flat, already expecting his pride to get in the way.

"You are blackmailing me..."

At that exact moment, the heavy click of the doorknob echoed through the room.

The handle began to turn.

A bead of sweat formed on Ethan's forehead. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

For once, the mighty heir of Vance Enterprises looked genuinely terrified.

I almost laughed.Almost. But Instead, I kept my face straight.

"One..." I began.Before I could get to two, his voice cut through the room.

"I... I'm..."

He swallowed hard, as if saying the words physically hurt him.

"You're what?" I raised a brow.He took a deep breath, his jaw tightening.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for calling you a spy."

"And?"I waited.

"And I won't question your character ever again," he muttered, the words coming out so quickly I almost missed them.But I heard him.

A small, victorious smile tugged at my lips.I had just forced the most feared billionaire in the city to apologize to me.Maybe stepping out of my submissive shell really was the best decision I'd ever made.

"Miss Elena, are you still in there? I'm coming in!"

Mrs. Vance's voice came through the door, sounding increasingly irritated.The doorknob turned again.

My breath caught.

I could swear Ethan's heart monitor suddenly started beeping faster.

Before the heavy oak door could open, I rushed forward and threw my entire weight against it, slamming it back into the frame.

A sharp gasp came from the other side.

"What in the world—" Mrs. Vance half-yelled.

"I'm incredibly sorry, ma'am, but you can't come in right now!" I called out, pressing my shoulder against the door as she pushed from the other side.

I dug my heels into the marble, refusing to move.

"Are you insane?!" Her sharp voice echoed through the corridor. "Who the hell do you think you are to keep me out of my own son's room?!"

My hands trembled against the door.

She was right.

I was just a surrogate her family had traded for. I had absolutely no right to keep a mother out of her son's room.

I looked back at the bed.

Ethan had already thrown himself down, eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious again.

Then my eyes moved to the bleeding doctor and the groaning bodyguard.

If she came inside, everything would be over.

I needed something big enough to make her back off.

"I am deeply sorry, ma'am..." I called through the door. "But you can't come in because I'm completely naked!"

silence followed, for a second, I thought I'd won.Then her icy voice came through again.

"The maids are stationed right here in the hall. They will help you into a proper gown. Open the door and let them in."

"No! No, they can't!" I shouted.

"And why not?!"

"Because..." I froze.My brain raced for another excuse.

"Because Ethan is completely naked too!"The words escaped before I could stop them.

Across the room, Ethan's eyes flew open.

He lifted his head from the pillow and gave me a look that screamed, What the hell is wrong with you?

I could only shrug helplessly.

"I was right in the middle of performing the physical care routine I was assigned for when your presence was announced," I lied smoothly through the door. "I was just about to..."

"It is quite alright. Take your time, Elena. I will wait in the study."

Her voice suddenly sounded stiff and uncomfortable.Then I heard the sharp click of her heels as she walked away.

I let out a long, shaky breath.I locked the deadbolt and rested my forehead against the cool wood.When I turned around, Ethan was still staring at me.

He looked completely stunned.Then a low chuckle escaped him.

The ridiculousness of the situation finally hit me, and I laughed too.

For a few seconds, we simply stared at each other and laughed, the strange tension between us somehow turning lighter.

Then Ethan's expression suddenly changed.

His face hardened again, as if he'd just remembered that he wasn't supposed to be having a normal human moment with me.

I cleared my throat and stepped away from the door.

"Clean the mess," he whispered.There it was.The cold command again.

I wanted to snap back, but there wasn't time.I walked over to Dan and the doctor.

Dragging two fully grown men across a marble floor while wearing a heavy velvet gown was a nightmare.

I glanced back at the bed.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with them?"

Ethan tilted his chin toward the master bathroom.

"Hide them in there."

I let out a frustrated breath.From the moment I stepped through these golden gates, I'd somehow gone from being a surrogate to a full-time worker.

First, I had to survive their ridiculous rules.Then I had to dodge threats.Now I was dragging unconscious men around like I was cleaning up a crime scene.

I bent down, grabbed the doctor by the arms, and slowly dragged him across the floor. I did the same with Dan, clearing away the broken pieces of the syringe along the way.

By the time I finished, my chest was heaving.I straightened my gown and walked back to the bed.

Ethan's eyes were closed, but I could see the slight movement beneath his eyelids. His dark curls were still a mess, with a few strands falling across his forehead.

I leaned down and instinctively reached toward his face.His eyes suddenly opened. His dark gaze immediately locked onto my fingers.

"Your hair is completely scattered," I murmured. "I'm just going to fix it so your mother doesn't suspect anything."

I expected him to pull away.Or threaten to cut off my fingers again. But he didn't.

He simply stared at me for a moment before slowly closing his eyes.I hesitated. Then I gently ran my fingers through his thick curls, smoothing them back against his forehead.

He stayed completely still. The warmth of his skin lingered on my fingertips even after I pulled my hand away.

I took one final breath, walked to the door, unlocked it,, and stepped into the corridor.

Mrs. Vance was gone.Only Clara stood waiting, her hands folded neatly over her uniform.

"Where is Mrs. Vance?" I asked, smoothing my hands over my velvet skirt.

"She had to leave for the corporate office, ma'am. Something urgent came up," Clara explained.

Then her expression changed."But in the meantime... you have a visitor."

I frowned.

"A visitor?"

"He says he's a messenger sent directly by your father."

I blinked to be sure I heard right."A messenger from my father?"

After everything the Stewart family had done to me, the last thing I expected was someone coming after me.

Clara nodded and stepped aside, gesturing toward the grand gallery.

"He's waiting for you in the private visitor's lobby."

I nodded slowly and followed her.The walk across the mansion felt strangely long.My mind wouldn't stop racing.Why would my father send someone here?What could he possibly want now?

As I stepped into the sunlit marble lobby, I noticed a tall, familiar figure standing with his back to me, staring out through the massive arched windows.My heart jumped into my throat.Every muscle in my body went rigid.That feeling...I knew it even before he turned.

"She has arrived," Clara announced softly behind me.

The man slowly turned around.Morning light fell across his smug, handsome face.

My breath caught.It was him, I was damn right.

Ken!