Claire P. O. V
I shoved Ethan back hard enough that he slammed against the bathroom wall. He looked pretty upset, but I wasn’t about to let him keep holding onto me like he had any control over the situation.
“How could you do this to me?”
“Just get out! Didn’t you get what you came for?” I shot back, feeling furious.
After that, I jumped in the shower and sprayed water all over him, soaking and making him even angrier. I noticed Ethan trying to inch closer, but the water I directed at him felt like my shield. I could still back away a bit until he finally gave up.
He shot me a sharp look, and for a moment, the guy just froze, then suddenly yanked the shower from my hands. I was terrified, thinking Ethan might lash out at me for what I did, but instead, he just gripped the shower with this icy stare before tossing it to the floor.
“I’ll be waiting for you downstairs in twenty minutes.” He said that and then walked out.
Watching him storm off, soaked and furious, I felt guilt. But I’d be in trouble if I didn’t stand my ground with Ethan. I couldn’t keep letting him have that kind of hold over me.
BAM!
The door slammed shut, and I figured Ethan was finally gone. With a sense of relief washing over me, I sank down onto the wet bathroom floor, tears streaming down my face, feeling like a total failure.
Should I just leave? Staying here felt pointless. The guy who was supposed to be my Alpha and mate didn’t want me. It felt like he was slowly crushing me with all this pain and pressure.
My tears kept streaming down my face until I felt like my facial muscles had utterly given up; everything was just numb. My feet were just as cold.
I wanted to escape this mansion and Ethan, but I definitely didn’t want to freeze to death in the shower. So, I quickly got up, stripped off my wet clothes, left them in the bathroom, and dried myself off before heading downstairs like he asked.
When I got downstairs, I spotted Chen Lien at the table, digging into her dinner with Ethan, Lucy, and a few old guys I didn’t recognize.
“Oh, Claire, you finally made it! We’ve been waiting for you. Come join us for dinner,” Lucy said with a big grin, signalling a maid to start serving me food while Ethan sat there quietly, eating without a word.
It was quiet. I noticed some older folks sitting near Chen Lien sneaking glances at me. Still, it got even more awkward when the maid Lucy sent to serve me food was suddenly interrupted by Ethan. He slammed his spoon and fork down on his plate, making a loud clatter that startled everyone.
“I need you to handle the next arms deal in Catalonia right away,” Ethan said, not bothering to look up. I knew he was directing his words at Chen Lien.
“The deal in Catalonia is set for five days from now. Why the rush? Our client is just one person, so there shouldn’t be any interruptions,” Chen Lien replied, sounding way more composed than Ethan, who was clearly on edge.
“Are you just trying to buy some time?”
Why should I bother with that? Your profit from this deal is still a profit for me, right? He shot back. “But if you aim to kick me out of this housepack, just know I’m not going anywhere until I get what I want.”
Ethan looked furious at Chen Lien’s response. I glanced between them; the tension in the air was thick and super awkward. When it seemed Ethan was about to fire back with something even more irritating, Lucy jumped in.
“Chen Lien, why are you acting so indifferent? You don’t get what’s happening here”.
“What’s going on? I used to come in, chill, chat, and share a few beers with Ethan, talking about the same stuff, the same business. Does that really make me indifferent now?”
Lucy shifted in her seat and glanced at Chen Lien, reaching to touch her hand. Just as Lucy was about to make contact, Chen Lien quickly pulled away, clearly not wanting to be touched.
I noticed Chen Lien smile in response to Lucy’s boldness. Even though Lucy seemed a bit irritated, Chen Lien’s grin seemed to deflate her a little, and she managed to smile awkwardly back.
“Chen Lien, you know Ethan is the Alpha-”
“I’ve never doubted Ethan’s position as Alpha. We’re just business partners. As long as he enjoys working with me, I’m all in for the perks that come with it.”
I turned away, feeling like I was eavesdropping on a conversation I didn’t want to participate in. So, I left my meal unfinished and got up to walk away.
Claire, where are you headed? Lucy stopped me in my tracks.
“I thought you were discussing something that didn’t concern me. So, I’m just going to leave. Thanks for the meal,” I replied, getting up from the dinner table.
As I was about to walk out, I caught Ethan’s gaze, still wearing that same annoyed expression. I felt pretty much the same-upset, angry, and disappointed.
I was initially planning to head back to my room, but then I remembered that Ak had just been let out after being cooped up for a whole day, so I changed my mind.
In the unfamiliar room, I felt a bit lost. There wasn’t much around, just a display table with flower vases and a few abstract paintings on the walls. I wandered down the long hallway until I stumbled upon a place that felt entirely new to me-a courtyard with some shady trees, but it wasn’t a forest, just a little park.
“It’s pretty empty here, but you can chill and soak up the cool air. Just a heads up, though-the longer you hang out outside, the colder it’s gonna get!”