Page 18 of Stuck With A Billionaire Bad Boy

Ethan paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, “I understand that Alex’s case is of utmost importance, but we cannot take any risks with the corporate espionage case.”

I returned his stare and spoke again, “I think you don’t care much about Alex’s case.” Ethan’s behavior was perplexing, as he did not clearly explain whether he had a plan to retrieve the files for Alex’s business. Instead, he merely stated that it was imperative for him to solve Alex’s case, as it was intricately linked with another significant case. This left me with the impression that he lacked concern for Alex’s predicament. Ethan looked taken aback by my words, and he stood up from his seat, his expression incredulous.

“What do you mean that I don’t care for him?!” Ethan retorted. “Alex is not only your brother, but he is also my best friend, and you forget that his case is connected to our corporate espionage investigation. It is our first and foremost duty to resolve it. ”

He noticed tears welling up in my eyes. He came forward and said, “Please understand that I love you very much. I don’t want you to worry. We will handle everything together.” He held my hands as I rested my head on his shoulder. He patted my back to try to calm me down. He received a call for an important meeting. I had no other tasks on my list, so I decided to leave.

I called a taxi to take me back to my flat. As I made my way up the stairs to my apartment, my mind was consumed with thoughts of Alex’s situation. “What will happen to him ?” I muttered to myself. Finally, I reached my apartment and unlocked the door, stepping inside and taking a deep breath.

As I rummaged through my fridge, my mind was preoccupied with Alex’s case. I wondered if there was any other way to resolve it without relying on Ethan’s help. Perhaps going to the police could be an option, but that would only put Alex’s business in jeopardy. Taking a deep breath, I considered Ethan’s perspective. Maybe he was genuinely concerned about Alex’s issue, and I had misunderstood his intentions. Despite my previous anger towards him, I couldn’t deny that he wasn’t entirely terrible. With a heavy heart, I made my way to my room. I made my way towards the incomplete painting. It had been a while since I had the opportunity to work on my passion for art, but this job had given me the financial freedom to pursue it. I marveled at the paintings hanging on the walls, each a product of my sleepless nights and tireless efforts. They were a reflection of both the good and difficult times in my life, captured in vibrant colors and intricate brushstrokes. The work I had poured into them was a testament to my dedication and perseverance in my craft.

As I began to work on my incomplete painting, I felt a sense of urgency, knowing that the National Art Exhibition was fast approaching. The memories of my past experiences in exhibitions flooded my mind, particularly the city-level exhibition where my artwork was highly praised. However, upon reflection, I realized that my paintings at that time lacked maturity and depth. During that period, my ex-boyfriend was the center of my world, and I lived my life according to his wishes and desires. I trusted him implicitly and believed that he would always support me. It was as if I was living in a fairy tale, thinking that I was the queen of my own world, but I soon came to realize that my thinking was flawed. As tears streamed down my face, I tried to wipe them away, but they kept falling uncontrollably.

My ex-boyfriend was the epitome of a perfect partner, kind, loving and supportive, but it was all a façade that I had created in my head. The reality was far from what I imagined. He never disclosed his source of income, and at times, his actions seemed questionable, but he always pacified my doubts by assuring me of his love and innocence. As I sat there reminiscing, a vivid memory flashed through my mind of the time we spent at the beach during summer holidays. He wore shorts, and I was in a pink bikini. We were both wearing matching sunglasses and as we went boating, I playfully splashed water at him. He immediately grasped my arm, and we laughed together. We took some amazing photos that day, and as we enjoyed dinner together, the intensity of our connection was palpable. But the memory that stood out the most was when we were both submerged in the water, holding each other tightly. The persistent ringing of the phone and knocking at the door brought me back to reality. I sighed and checked the clock, realizing it was already nighttime. Time had flown by while I was lost in my thoughts and memories of the past. I turned my gaze towards my unfinished painting and noticed that my hand had instinctively crafted some beautiful strokes on the canvas while I was lost in my reminiscence. As the persistent knocking on my door continued, I was filled with curiosity about who could be visiting me at such a late hour. It was quite late, which made the situation even more perplexing. With a mixture of apprehension and intrigue, I made my way to the door and peered through the peephole. As I did so, my eyes widened in surprise at what I saw on the other side.

17

ETHAN

“What… What are you doing here?”Mia asked, completely taken aback by my presence. After a long and busy day of instructing Jim and his team and gathering information on the progress of their work, exhaustion had taken hold of me as I made my way back. As I passed through the area, a familiar memory resurfaced. I recalled the time when I dropped Mia off at her flat and she had given me the flat number. I made the decision to pay Mia a visit. She had left the office in a fit of anger. Her words had left me feeling quite upset when she said I didn’t care about Alex’s case. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. Every time things seemed to be going well between us, she would find a way to ruin it with her negative attitude. I knew that my temper didn't help either, as I was always angry with her. Her tendency to argue in a confrontational manner always made it difficult for me to control my anger. In fact, her arguments had often left me feeling furious. The dynamics between Mia and I had shifted significantly from the past. It had taken considerable time and effort to convince her that she was more than a mere plaything to me. I observed a shift in Alex’s demeanor. Rather than cautioning me to stay away from Mia as he had in the past, I sensed a newfound understanding of the bond between Mia and myself during our most recent meeting in my office. Despite my frustration, I decided to visit Mia, knowing she was likely still angry with me. As she opened the door, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of annoyance at her lateness in answering my calls and continuous knocking. I was not the type to go to a woman’s door uninvited. Women had always come to me, but here I was, standing at a girl’s door in the middle of the night. The thought was maddening, and I struggled to keep my emotions in check. As Mia finally opened the door, I was on the verge of leaving, my frustration at its peak. What the hell she was doing? Seeing her there, I found it increasingly difficult to control my rising anger. Taking a moment to compose myself, I looked around and took deep breaths, determined to keep my emotions in check. “You were angry, so I came to check on you,” I replied, stepping inside her flat.

“It’s late,” she retorted.

Sensing her exhaustion, I suggested, “So, I can’t meet you at night,” gazing at her with meaningful eyes.

“ I don’t mean that,” she added.

As I entered, I spoke with a stern voice, “I have been waiting for you. Can you come with me now?” Mia appeared surprised at my sudden arrival and request.

She inquired,“What?”

“I said I am waiting for you. Are you ready to go?” I reiterated, my voice slightly raised. After her understanding nod, I proceeded to make my way down the stairs. Today my personal driver was not with me at the time. Actually, I came here to spend some time with Mia, but as she opened the door too late, my frustration mounted and I immediately decided to take her outside, maybe to my flat. Usually, I had a highly trained driver who doubled as a spy and assisted me with various investigations. However, today was different. My investigation team manager, Jim, had requested someone to disable CCTV cameras for a mission he was working on.

The mission aimed to identify the culprits behind Alex’s threats. Usually, Jim has a lot of team members for this type of task, but today, some of his team members were on leave and some are already assigned with tasks. Some are inside and some are outside of the city, so I decided to leave my driver with Jim. Although Jim offered to arrange a driver for me, I decided to drive myself.

Mia quickly entered the car, and I wasted no time in questioning her about her tardiness. I couldn’t help but notice the redness in her eyes, indicating that she had been weeping. “I was busy, and I didn’t hear you knocking on the door. I also left my mobile phone in the kitchen, so I didn’t hear the bell ringing,” she explained.

Her response did little to quell my frustration, and I probed further, asking, “Why were you crying?”

She let out a heavy sigh before stating, “Ethan, you need to understand that you cannot control me. I am not an object that you can manipulate to fit your desires.”As I drove, Mia’s unexpected words caught me off guard, and my eyes widened in surprise.

I couldn’t believe what she had just said. “I don’t think I ever treated you as an object,” I replied, trying to stay calm.

Mia looked at me with a mixture of frustration and sadness in her eyes. “You did,” she said firmly. “Asking me to leave the office without any reason and then showing up at my flat and asking me to come out without any explanation. What else could all this mean?”

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. “Mia, you know my status very well. I have never gone to a woman’s door and requested that she come with me. But I came here and asked you to come with me because you are not just an object or mere plaything to me. I value you as a person. That’s all there is to it,” I explained.

Mia’s expression softened slightly, and she looked at me with a hint of understanding. We continued driving in silence for a few minutes, the tension between us slowly dissipating. After my explanation, I couldn’t discern how much it affected Mia as she remained silent. For me, it was an uncommon occurrence to explain things to a woman in such detail. In the past, I had treated women as nothing more than frivolous objects in the past. I couldn’t recall how many women had come and gone from my life, but none had ever stayed for the long haul. Yet, with Mia, things were different. I found myself breaking away from my usual habits and it felt strange. Despite her tendency to argue without fully understanding the situation, which often ignited my fury, I began to relish her company.

After a few moments of heavy silence, Mia finally broke it by asking, “Have you made any progress regarding Alex’s situation?” I shifted my gaze from the road to her and replied, “If you trust me, I can explain.” Confused, she asked, “What do you mean?” I took a deep breath and said, “You previously mentioned that I wasn’t taking Alex’s issue seriously. Do you still feel the same way ?” I asked. Mia’s eyes widened in realization, “When you mentioned that our own case was of utmost importance, I misunderstood your priorities. I thought you weren’t invested in helping Alex. But I was mistaken. Although I misunderstood you, it was also your mistake. You should have made everything clear to me. You did not tell me your plan for Alex’s case, so it was natural for me to think that you did not care about his situation.”

I looked at Mia with a hint of amusement in my eyes and said, “So, it seems you’ve finally managed to grasp something on your own without needing an explanation,” I said, chuckling.

Mia sighed and retorted, “Don’t underestimate me, Ethan. I’ve been comprehending things from the very beginning of our relationship.” I couldn’t help but smile at her fiery spirit.

Shifting the conversation, I continued, “Anyway, I have an update on Alex’s situation.” Mia nodded and I went on, “Jim and I discussed everything in detail and we’ve gathered some strong evidence. Jim is currently working with his team to acquire more information, and we’re closing in on the culprit behind the corporate espionage and the threats to Alex.”

I saw a look of relief wash over Mia’s face. Mia uttered, “It’s great,” but soon after, her curiosity got the better of her as she asked, “Ah, where are we going?” A smile spread across my face, and I replied, “To my apartment.” She looked surprised and inquired, “Why to your apartment?” With a serious expression, I gazed at her and explained, “Since our first meeting, you have had many misconceptions about me. You believed that on our first night, I treated you like a mere object. But now, we have come to understand each other better. You must realize that I can no longer see you as a mere object.”

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