Chapter 11

The young man looked like he'd just come from some fancy event-slick suit and all, giving off a surprisingly mature vibe. Compared to their last quick run-in at the bar, Eira suddenly realized Ethan had really grown up. She raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. "What are you doing here?" Ethan glanced down at her wrist, giving it a gentle rub. "Does it hurt?" "I'm fine," Eira said, lips pulling into a faint smile. She spotted his collar sticking out and immediately reached out to fix it, driven by her usual pickiness. To Alexander watching from not far away, this scene was like a slap in the face. In just a few days, Eira had managed to reel in not one, but two men? The guy wasn't just some average guy either - from his getup alone, Alexander could tell he came from money. No wonder Eira had been acting especially smug lately. His brows knitted tightly, and he spoke with rare ice in his voice, "Where'd you dig up this new toy?" "You don't mess around, huh? Already juggling guys like it's a game." Before Eira could reply, Ethan turned on him. "Watch your mouth. Did you really think she had no one to back her up?" Eira nudged Ethan's arm and said lightly, "No need to bother with the crazy. Anyway, what brought you here?" Ethan took a deep breath, clearly trying to hold back his temper. His voice came out a bit hoarse. "Saw your post in John's Facebook. I happened to be around for an event." "Good thing I showed up when I did." He placed a steady hand on her shoulder as he spoke. From behind, it almost looked like he was holding her close. When Eira didn't pull away, Ethan grew bolder and draped his arm fully over her shoulders. Together, they walked away. Just before reaching the stairwell, Ethan looked back at Alexander with a faint smirk - one that carried a hint of provocation. Outside, Eira said something under her breath, and Ethan's smile slipped away, quickly schooling his expression. Meanwhile, Alexander stood frozen, watching them walk off like everything was peachy between them. But his face told a different story - anything but calm. In the dim stairwell lit faintly by flashes of music and lights from the party, red and green shadows flickered across his features, sharpening his already cold look. His hand clamped around the railing, knuckles turning white as a sharp crack echoed in the stillness. After a long pause, he shut his eyes briefly, then pulled out his phone and dialed Daniel. "Come now." It wasn't until Edward and Christopher realized Alexander had been gone too long that they started calling him. It took several tries before he finally picked up. "Where the hell did you disappear to? You've been gone for ages," Edward said, alarmed. "Something came up," Alexander answered calmly. "Tonight's on me." And with that, he ended the call, eyes fixed out the window. The red marks on his cheek looked even starker in the dark. In the passenger seat, Daniel was staring at him, jaw practically on the floor. Someone actually took a swing at Mr. Brooks? He glanced into the rearview mirror - only to meet Alexander's gaze dead on. He flinched and quickly looked away, pretending like he'd seen nothing. Still, he couldn't help thinking: Ever since the divorce, nothing in Mr. Brooks' life had been going the way he wanted. ***** A little later, Eira and Ethan ran into a flustered John, clearly on the hunt. He rushed over. "Boss, where have you been? You were gone forever!" Then he eyed Ethan from head to toe, clearly not thrilled. "Oh wow, what a nice ‘coincidence' running into him, huh?" He dragged out the sarcasm in "coincidence," clearly trying to call Ethan out.But Eira didn't bother responding to his childish tone. Still annoyed from running into Alexander earlier, she really had no energy left to deal with the situation, so she brushed him off half-heartedly. She sighed, "I'm kinda tired. Let's just head back." John didn't press her, just nodded. "Cool, driver's already here. I'll take you home." Eira agreed, but right as she stepped forward, she noticed Ethan wasn't following. She turned around, puzzled. "What's up?" John stopped too, eyes wary as he glanced at Ethan. Ethan scratched the back of his head and avoided her gaze, looking like a lost puppy as he muttered, "I came to this event last-minute... didn't get the chance to book a hotel." "Most places are probably booked by now, and the event's gonna last a few days..." After saying that, he gave her a pitiful look, stepped closer, then bent down slightly and said, "Mind if I crash at your place for a few days, sis?" Without thinking twice, Eira nodded, "Sure. There's plenty of spare rooms back at the villa, pick whichever you like." She tugged at his sleeve with a laugh, teasing, "You really dragged it out for this? What, you think I'm gonna say no or something?" "Of course not!" Ethan quickly replied, tagging along beside her. John, however, trailed behind them, annoyed enough to stomp his foot where he stood. Damn kid moved fast-already knew Eira was back? ‘Poor guy, his competition was everywhere.' On the way back to the villa, John ended up in the front seat, having fallen a step behind. Eira leaned back in the rear seat, occasionally rubbing at her wrist in discomfort, trying to ease the throbbing pain. That jerk really hadn't held back earlier-almost crushed her damn wrist. She stared out the window, the scenery flying by, thinking she'd tell the driver to stop if they passed a pharmacy. But before long, her drowsiness kicked in. Holding her wrist, she slowly closed her eyes. Ethan noticed the way she kept touching that wrist, and his gaze fell on the red, swollen area. He glanced down at his phone. "Take a left at the next turn. Gonna grab something real quick." As soon as the car stopped, he dashed out and ran into a small clinic nearby. He came back with several ointments for bruises and swelling. Once back in the car, he gently lifted Eira's hand. "Let me put some cream on it. Or it's gonna swell up worse." Eira slowly opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep away, and saw the tubes of ointment in his hand, a little surprised. "You went and bought medicine?" Ethan hummed softly, squeezing a bit onto his fingertip and gently spreading it across the swollen spot on her wrist. He handled it like it was glass, super careful not to hurt her. She winced a little at the first touch, but soon the cooling sensation spread, easing the burning pain bit by bit. With a soft smile, she said, "You've changed a lot these past few years." Ethan paused, then muttered, "I've always been like this... you just never noticed." After that, he gently blew on her wrist. "There, that should help." Eira chuckled at his childish little move. Yep, still a kid at heart. As the discomfort faded, sleep took over again. She leaned her head against the window and dozed off. Hearing her even breathing next to him, Ethan carefully shifted her head so it rested on his shoulder instead. He adjusted how he sat, making things more comfortable for her. He could hear each soft breath she took, and the corner of his lips lifted just a little. "You really don't remember, huh..."