Ethan P. O. V
My eyes were glued to Claire and Chen Lien chatting away. It looked super fun, but I just couldn’t bring myself to join in. Even though I’m tight with Chen Lien, I can’t chat that closely with him without feeling like I’m lowering my self-esteem in front of them.
Even though they were just a few steps away, sitting right next to my seat, I had no clue what they were actually talking about. They were laughing like they didn’t even think about the trouble I went through yesterday because of what they did. No, not them, but what Claire did.
I snorted, turned my face away, and focused on the clouds outside the window. It made me feel a bit better than just watching them chat.
“Alpha, do you need anything?” Danny suddenly asked after taking a seat in front of me.
“No. But tell me, are they at the transaction spot yet?”
“Of course, Alpha. They’re already there. But before I told them we were coming, I said we’d be a few hours late because you had other stuff to handle.”
“Why did you tell them that? Shouldn’t you have said we’d be on time?”
Danny glanced at Chen Lien and Claire, who were still chatting and laughing, then turned back to Ethan. “I was just trying to give you some time to cool off and think of the right words for the meeting later.”
I don’t know why, but it seems like Danny gets me better than anyone else. It’s crazy. I guess I should give him some credit for what he’s done for me as my Beta.
“Nice work,” I said, not wanting to show how Danny reacted to my praise.
Because if he knew I was happy with his work, it wouldn’t make things better. Danny might get a big head and think I really need all that.
Today, if it weren’t for the big deal I’m making with the gambling district owner in Shanghai, I wouldn’t be on this trip. I’d probably choose to sleep all day instead of waking up super early and getting ready to fly thousands of kilometers like this.
“Two minutes until we land at Hongqiao International Airport, so get ready.”
I nodded, and Danny went back to his seat near the door to the pilot’s cabin. After Danny left, Chen Lien suddenly stood up and came over to me, asking what was going on, because Danny had been chilling in his seat but then came over to me.
I shook my head, “He just said we’re about to arrive,” I replied.
As Chen Lien and I started chatting, Claire got up and walked to the bathroom, which made Chen Lien feel more comfortable talking to me.
“Hey, listen,” Chen Lien started showing his usual body language after Claire disappeared behind the bathroom door, making me turn my attention to him. “Can’t you do some things without getting all emotional?”
“What are you really trying to say?”
Chen Lien sighed. He knew I never liked small talk. “Don’t be harsh on her again. You know she’s not used to people outside that church.”
“She’s not a frog in a well who always needs to seek safety,” I replied indifferently.
“You might ignore her, get mad at her for no reason, but you can’t ignore that she’s actually your fated mate.”
I squinted my eyes. What he said sounded more like an order to me than a conversation that could calm me down, relax me, and let go of everything that happened yesterday between me and Christopher Gale.
“Never once did I forget that reality, and I never thought of forgetting it,” I said.
“So, what about Lucy Spencer? She’s your fiancee, and there’s no way she’d let you keep her in that packhouse.”
“If you want to reject her, do it now before you hand her over to Christopher Gale. After what happened yesterday, I’m sure that Alpha will come looking for you, and things will get even messier if you don’t make a choice.”
“The choice you’re talking about is giving her to Christopher Gale. And remember, she’s never been useful except for giving me more power.”
“You’re such a jerk.” she cursed without hesitation, as if I was no longer someone she feared, or something that could make her tremble in fear.
I smiled a little, it sounded like I was playing a really fun game but the difference was, I was playing this game using words with my beloved Luna. Ah, did I overdo it by saying that? Haha.. I don’t know…
I’ll take that as a compliment, thanks a lot,” I replied, shifting my gaze back to the window. “What about your people? Will they be ready in position when we land?” I changed the subject, not wanting Claire to overhear a conversation she shouldn’t be part of.
“Of course, you don’t need to worry about that. Once we land, all my people will be waiting and ready to support our business.”
“So, what exactly are we doing in Shanghai?”
Claire suddenly asked a question, unable to hide her curiosity, and I couldn’t help but look at her face.
So different from Lucy. Claire Halle almost never wore makeup, not even a hint of powder on her skin, yet she still looked stunning. Her style was very simple; she rejected the fancy clothes I picked for her and preferred to wear the modest outfits she chose herself.
If it were anyone else, my view on simple clothing might have been different.
“Do you like night markets and the food they sell there?” Chen Lien suddenly asked, ignoring Claire’s unanswered question. As I suspected, Claire, who had never been anywhere besides church and the dormitory.
“Alright then, let’s have some fun once we get to Shanghai,” Chen Lien said, sounding very serious but also looking super excited.
What the heck are they thinking? Aren’t we supposed to be doing business? Why is this turning into a field trip? This is so annoying, damn it.