CHAPTER 8

~~ETHAN~~

The morning sunlight poured lazily across the street as the car sped into the city. Looking out through the tinted windows subtly reminded me of the time I'd served in prison. Gradually, the windows began to metamorphose into the tiny bars I'd been used to.

“Sir, we're here already”, my driver informed me, his voice breaking into my empty train of thoughts. Clearing my throat, I silently nodded in affirmation, too embarrassed to ask how long I'd spaced out this time.

I stepped out of the car, deeply inhaling the unpolluted morning air before making my way into the coffee shop in front of me. Perharps it was due to their great coffee which perfectly suited my taste buds or because theirs was the first I tasted on my first day of freedom, but I hadn't stopped coming here since.

I almost frowned in irritation at the long line ahead of me, wondering why everyone felt the need to drink coffee the same time as me. While I struggled to keep my expression neutral, choosing to shift my focus to unanswered emails and memos, a loud sound sharply entered my ears.

It was hard not to recognise her. Alina.

What was she doing here juggling so many coffees all at once? This did in no way, look anything like the figure of a Vice President.

With my tightly furrowed brows, I slowly approached her, helping her pick up the remaining cups that had been thrown to the ground.

“Thank you”, she muttered in a low voice, receiving my kind gesture without looking up at me. Somehow, she looked even smaller, vulnerable in this disarrayed state.

It made my eyes burn for some reason.

“Alina,” I finally spoke up, forcing her distracted gaze to snap up.

She looked up, startled, a flicker of relief flashed in her eyes. “Mr. Wilder,” she called in response. “It’s you. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

I nodded along, observing the increased fidgeting in her shoulders. What exactly was she scared of? I wondered impatiently, my lips drawing into a thin line.

“I see you're still settling into your new role as Vice President”, I remarked, thoroughly scrutinizing her with my gaze. “How's the experience been so far?”, I asked, determined to press further.

Her lips stretched into a tight smile, almost strained as she plopped into a near by chair in exhaustion. “I never got to thank you personally, Mr Ethan…”, she replied, her eyes shining with sincerity. “But this position feels more like a suicide mission than a promotion”, she admitted shortly after.

I struggled to keep a calm composure, having a keen sense of connection to her statement.

Being thrown into the spotlight in just one second. No one is truly prepared for what comes.

My gaze trailed back to her moving lips, bringing me back to reality. “...I’m…barely surviving. My team still doesn't see me as anyone worth listening to. Now, I have everyone coming at me like I'm some kind of threat and I'm very sure Miss Sarah instigates them just to spite me”.

At this, her voice lowered, with her gaze dropping to the table. “It's not like I can prove them wrong anyways. Now I'm just a delivery girl with some big, undeserved title”.

The sound of sniffling soon filled the brief moment of silence between us, leaving me speechless, confused and angry.

Probably realising my silence throughout her episode, she chuckled to herself, quickly wiping her wet cheeks.

“I'm sorry, Mr Ethan. I forgot myself for a while”, she made to stand up, arranging the several boxes in front of her. “I should really thank you for helping me out the other day instead of dumping all my problems on you. At least i’ve been learning quite a lot from the old, dusty files I've sorted out in the past few days. That's some silver lining I guess”.

She chuckled to herself again, trying to make light of the situation.

My chest tightened sharply, taking in the exhaustion written all over her. “You don't think you've earned this right?”, I asked with a deadly calm. Her round, black eyes stared up at me in confusion…and fear to admit the obvious.

“Would you rather be fired then?” I asked again, my voice low and dangerous.

She flinched at the unexpected question. “No…no sir. It’s… fine. All I have to do prove myself again and I promise I can handle it sir”.

My fists clenched in frustration by my sides, my teeth biting against the corner of my lip. “Well, looks like you're better at running errands than doing your actual job”.

A flicker of hurt flashed in her eyes at my response, pacifying my anger a little bit. So I strode out, leaving her frozen on her feet, no longer in the mood for coffee.

Soon, I was back on the road, heading to a board meeting. I slowly circled my forehead with my forefingers when the sharp ring of my phone broke through the quiet hum of the ride.

“Ethan speaking,” I answered curtly.

“I know,” a smooth, commanding voice said on the other end. “Theodore Vance here. I need to see you. Immediately.”

Theodore Vance. This was likely Julian's father.

I shifted more comfortably in my seat, “Mind explaining what this is about?” I requested, my voice colder.

Few minutes of silence followed on his end until, “Ethan, I'm sure we all have important things to get back to, especially you. So how about we stick to the meeting huh?”.

I twisted my lips in uncertainty. “Send me the time and location”, I responded, hanging up shortly after.

~~~

The Vance family house was nothing less than expected for the third most influential family in the city. I paid no heed to the feast set before us, as I couldn't wait to be done with things already.

“So Mr. Theodore, what is it that was so pressing to discuss yet deserved a feast?” I asked, my gaze fixed on him.

His dark glasses made it impossible to see through him, rigging the game already. A smile I already disliked broke out on his face as he proceeded to serve himself.

“I had a feeling I'd like you Ethan”, he said, his voice smooth, compared to the wrinkles on him. Something told me he was a lot more older than he looked.

“First off, I must commend your wise investment in my company as a major shareholder. That tells me you're a man of vision Ethan…so I'm going to tell you this one thing…”, he leaned forward, holding his wineglass. “That girl… Alina, she’s not worth it”.

My jaws tightened involuntarily as I finally understood what it was all about.

Alina. She was definitely right to say I'd put her in the spotlight, exposing her to a reality she was obviously too fragile for.

I straightened rigidly in my seat, determined to give him nothing from my expression. “She's been a liability and as a corporation in the rise, we have to make room for more smarter and talented people”.

“Like Sarah Carlson?”, I sharply retorted.

He slowly shook his head, chuckling lowly to himself. “You should know that whatever grudges you've had against Sarah cannot affect business. My company is not a field for your little revenge games, Ethan”, his voice deepened, growing colder.

“What?”, I scoffed. “Are you scared to see your fragile company break by the time I'm done with my little games?”

I watcheed the muscles on his face harden with tension as he remained silent, so I continued.

“You don't think I'd find out the true state of finances in a company before making an investment? You can hide it to the world but not me, Theodore”.

“Is all of this really because of a woma—”

Bang!

I shook in anger, rising to my feet. “All of this is simply because I can…and I will if she's ever messed with”.

Without another word, I turned around to leave with nothing else but one question.

Why her?

Alina was not of so much importance to the Vance Corporation especially to a man like Theodore Vance who had other people to concern himself with.

So why was she so special? And did I need to concern myself with it?

When all she did was remind me of how pathetic and helpless I was without any kind of power like I did now.

Maybe this was fate's way of giving me a chance to pay the good that had been done into me.

“Marcus”, I called, my phone pressed against my ears. “Handle my schedules for the week and get me a well trusted and efficient private investigator”.

As the car drove through the gates of the Phoenix mansion, I quietly resolved to make Alina my personal mission.

I would not watch her go down the way I did.

All that was left was the big,unanswered question, why and how did she become a target for the Vance Family?