Chapter 20
“Ariella”
I look over at Ethan to see if he saw the threat Marcus mouthed at me but his eyes are glued on me. His eyes seem to still be burning with fury and he is panting slightly as if he is out of breath.
Should I tell him about Marcus’ threat? However, my fear of Marcus melts as I look at the man in front of me.
I am his… whatever that means. But if it includes his protection, I’ll take it. Marcus must have a death wish to even. try to come against Ethan. Marcus is a fool and reckless but above all, he is self-serving. Like he said, I am not worthy compared to his life.
Anyway, I guess I owe Ethan a thank you for stepping in and making the rejection happen, whatever his reasons. may be. I doubt it’s anything deeper than whatever sense of possession he has of me as his breeder. It couldn’t be anything more than that.
It can’t be anything more than that. Right?
“How long has this been going on?” His voice is still aggressive to match his energy. I don’t like any of this being directed at me, but this is trivial compared to what have just happened.
“Marcus?”
I
I sit down on my bed. Nowadays, I get tired too easily. Growing a baby takes a lot out of a girl.
Ethan snorts as he shakes his head. “Were you ever going to tell me?”
Why is he mad at me?
“Tell you what? That Marcus has been harassing me? Marcus has been harassing me, there you go!” I don’t know why his attitude is making me so upset but I’m getting annoyed.
“No, that he was your husband.”
I cross my arms protectively against my chest. “Because It’s painful just to think about it! He sold me off and nearly killed me! Why would I ever want to relive those horrible memories even for a moment?”
Ethan’s intense gaze is still on me, and his expression softens. It’s strange, being stared by him like this makes me a bit uneasy, but I just can tell he isn’t being malicious. It almost feels like he is concerned.
Is he worrying about me?
I soften my tone as well and I mutter, “Besides, I don’t think it’s something important to you anyway.
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Chapter 20
His intense gaze remains fixed on me, but his expression softens. It’s odd, being stared by him like this makes me a bit uneasy, yet I sense no malice in him. It’s almost as if he’s concerned.
Is he actually worried about me?
I soften my tone and mumble, “Besides, I don’t think it’s something that’s important to you anyway.”
“Everything is important. You should’ve told me. if he bothers you again, you come to me. Am I clear?”
“O-Okay.” That’s the only reply I can come up with at this point.
“I let you get back to whatever you were doing,” he says and turns around to walk towards the door.
“Ethan,” I call out. Why do I keep doing this? I have nothing to say, but I keep calling him back.
He stops and turns toward me. “Yes?”
The way he is looking at me gives me goosebumps. Why?
“Thank you,” I spurt out awkwardly. I look at the floor, too scared to look at him due to the strange unexplainable reaction my body has towards him. “For taking care of Marcus.”
I look up at him meekly.
He relaxes a bit as he takes a breath. “Don’t worry about it. It’s my job.”
“I can still express my gratitude,” I insist and give him a big smile.
He pauses, and replies, “You’re welcome.”.
Wait a second, did I just catch the faintest hint of a smile?
Before I can be sure, his expression turns stern again. But that brief smile… it was so gorgeous that it made my heart skip a beat.
He grabs my door. “My men will be stationed at your door, you don’t have to worry about anyone or anything. Just let them know if something happens.” He scans me from my head to my feet and back to my face. “Understand?”
I nod my head yes as I hold my breath. It has to be hormones from the baby, I’m never like this. He closes the door behind him and I exhale loudly. I rush over to the ensuite bathroom and splash cold water on my face.
What’s going on with me? Why am I so warm all of a sudden?
I look up at myself in the mirror and study my face. It feels like it belongs to someone else but it is still me.
I feel lighter. I never realized how much Marcus held me down and how his negative energy affected me. Now that I
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finally reclaimed a little of my own power and rejected him, Goddess, it feels like a million bucks.
I never want to feel weighed down by anyone again.
I brush my hair back out of my face and then return to what I was doing before Ethan and Marcus busted in, napping.
However, although my body is drained and needs to rest, my mind is racing and is flooded with endorphins. I can’t stop thinking about that faint smile of Ethan and then the way he looked at me.
He makes me feel safe, I know that nothing will harm me while I am with him. Two weeks…I have two weeks to make a decision.
Do I want to be with him going forward?
My hand finds its way to my stomach and rests as my breathing slows down. There’s a spark of life growing within me. This isn’t about two weeks, it’s about a lifetime.
However, he and I aren’t really serious about this engagement. We both know it.
I agreed to come here because I needed some time to think about what I’m going to do with life going forward. I didn’t want my brothers to worry about me too much. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to be bound to Ethan for life.
Especially, I still have no idea what he actually wants from me.
My eyelids begin to feel heavy as my thoughts start to slow down.
Darkness, terror, and even pain.
Those are not at all foreign to me, and like usual, I can’t see or hear anything. Darkness and dreadful quietness try to consume me. I want to cry and fight, but at no avail.
Slowly, my struggle slows down and I can’t breathe…
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