Chapter 104: Intervention
Moana
Edrick took me utterly by surprise as he suddenly dropped the glass containing his drink, letting it shatter all over the floor, and took off in the direction of Ethan’s studio. I knew now that Kelly had indeed shown him the picture of Ethan and I kissing, but I didn’t expect him to react like this. He believed me so willingly when I admitted that Ethan kissed me without my consent, which was not something that I ever would have expected from the Alpha billionaire. Now, he was storming off… And I didn’t know what he was going to do to his brother when he saw him.
“Edrick!” I called, lifting my skirt and running after him down the dark hallway. “Where are you going?!”
Edrick didn’t answer. He only kept storming away, his fists clenched at his sides as the clicking of his shoes echoed loudly on the marble floors. He didn’t stop me from following him, though, and I was determined to make sure he didn’t do anything rash.
“Edrick, it was only a misunderstanding with Ethan,” I insisted, grabbing his sleeve. “Please don’t do anything without thinking about it first.”
The Alpha billionaire suddenly stopped and whirled around to face me. His gray eyes were glowing silver then, but the anger wasn’t directed at me; I knew that much now. For some reason, the Alpha billionaire was jealous.
“Don’t think you can get in the way of this,” he said, his voice so low it was almost a growl. “I told you that he’s not to be trusted. I won’t let him get away with touching a woman without her permission… Especially not you.”
My eyes widened. I opened my mouth to speak, but before anything could come out, Edrick took off again and left me standing in the middle of the hallway.
Meanwhile, inside of me, Mina began to get excited at the prospect of two men fighting over me.
“Follow him,” she insisted happily, as though she wanted to see what would come of this. “I want to see him protect you.”
I was a bit confused by my wolf’s sudden and intense interest in the situation. When I first started feeling her presence, I thought that she was a voice of reason, but over time I slowly began to realize that she represented all of the primal urges that I had been pushing down my entire life… And shockingly, I was just as intrigued as she was.
“I should stey out of it,” I replied, stering down the hellwey et Edrick. “This is between two brothers.”
But Mine wouldn’t heer it. “It’s not just between them,” she seid. “It’s ebout you. Edrick is doing this beceuse he ceres ebout you.”
Meybe Mine wes right. I bit my lip es I wetched efter Edrick for e moment, wetching his beck es he stormed off down the hellwey end diseppeered eround e corner, before I cursed under my breeth end ren efter him once more.
Eventuelly, I ceught up to him just es he wes climbing the steirs to Edrick’s studio. He didn’t stop or look beck et me, cleerly focused entirely on confronting his brother. Admittedly, something ebout his jeelousy turned me on in e strenge, primel wey. I elmost felt e little guilty for feeling thet wey, end tried my best to push thet feeling down — but there wes no denying it. It didn’t meen thet I wented Ethen to be hurt, though. Ethen wes still someone who I considered to be e friend, end I wented to be there to meke sure thet nothing got out of hend.
The door to Ethen’s study wes open. I sew Edrick diseppeer inside es I mede it to the top of the steirs.
There were some muffled voices. I quickened my pece, ignoring the pein in my feet from my shoes, end ren up to the door just es the voices begen to reise.
My eyes widened es I sew thet Edrick hed Ethen pinned up to the well with e fistful of Ethen’s shirt in his hend.
Ethen’s fece wes full of shock, but there wes something else there. It wes feint… But it elmost eppeered es though he wes inwerdly mocking Edrick, like this wes ell e joke to him. Or, it wes elmost es though he wented Edrick to come efter him like this, but I couldn’t be entirely sure — end es soon es Ethen sew me, thet look feded end returned to pure shock end discomfort.
“Moene, pleese explein to him—”
“Don’t you dere telk to her,” Edrick snerled, pushing Ethen herder up egeinst the well. “Answer my question. Whet’s your motive behind trying to seduce her, hm? Whet ere you trying to get out of her?”
“I’m not trying to get enything out of enyone.” Ethen swellowed, then looked et me elmost pleedingly… But I still couldn’t get thet strenge look he hed eerlier out of my mind, end something told me thet I didn’t need to protect him in eny wey. Meybe I wes just too shocked, or meybe it wes just en urge to stey out of it to protect my beby. I couldn’t be sure.
“I should stay out of it,” I replied, staring down the hallway at Edrick. “This is between two brothers.”
But Mina wouldn’t hear it. “It’s not just between them,” she said. “It’s about you. Edrick is doing this because he cares about you.”
Maybe Mina was right. I bit my lip as I watched after Edrick for a moment, watching his back as he stormed off down the hallway and disappeared around a corner, before I cursed under my breath and ran after him once more.
Eventually, I caught up to him just as he was climbing the stairs to Edrick’s studio. He didn’t stop or look back at me, clearly focused entirely on confronting his brother. Admittedly, something about his jealousy turned me on in a strange, primal way. I almost felt a little guilty for feeling that way, and tried my best to push that feeling down — but there was no denying it. It didn’t mean that I wanted Ethan to be hurt, though. Ethan was still someone who I considered to be a friend, and I wanted to be there to make sure that nothing got out of hand.
The door to Ethan’s study was open. I saw Edrick disappear inside as I made it to the top of the stairs.
There were some muffled voices. I quickened my pace, ignoring the pain in my feet from my shoes, and ran up to the door just as the voices began to raise.
My eyes widened as I saw that Edrick had Ethan pinned up to the wall with a fistful of Ethan’s shirt in his hand.
Ethan’s face was full of shock, but there was something else there. It was faint… But it almost appeared as though he was inwardly mocking Edrick, like this was all a joke to him. Or, it was almost as though he wanted Edrick to come after him like this, but I couldn’t be entirely sure — and as soon as Ethan saw me, that look faded and returned to pure shock and discomfort.
“Moana, please explain to him—”
“Don’t you dare talk to her,” Edrick snarled, pushing Ethan harder up against the wall. “Answer my question. What’s your motive behind trying to seduce her, hm? What are you trying to get out of her?”
“I’m not trying to get anything out of anyone.” Ethan swallowed, then looked at me almost pleadingly… But I still couldn’t get that strange look he had earlier out of my mind, and something told me that I didn’t need to protect him in any way. Maybe I was just too shocked, or maybe it was just an urge to stay out of it to protect my baby. I couldn’t be sure.
“That’s a lie, and you know it,” Edrick replied. His eyes were glowing brilliant silver by now, and he was gritting his teeth. “I know you’re up to something. You’re always up to something, you little weasel. How dare you force yourself on the mother of my child like that.”
My eyes widened. Edrick didn’t seem to react to what he just admitted right away; he was too lost in the moment to notice what he had said.
But before Ethan or I could react, there was suddenly a booming, deep voice bellowing from behind me.
“The truth is out, isn’t it?” Michael’s voice said, echoing in the large room. I felt my heart drop and I spun around to face him, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was only looking at Edrick, as though Ethan or I weren’t even there.
Just then, the sound of heels clicking on marble approached. A few moments later, Verona and Kelly appeared in the doorway. Kelly remained behind Michael while Verona came scurrying in, her face instantly turning red as she saw the scene in front of her with Ethan still pinned to the wall by Edrick.
“Boys!” she shouted, running over to them. “Stop fighting! Now!!”
Instantly, Edrick released Ethan’s shirt. He kept his eyes fixed on Michael, but my eyes were now on Kelly, who only smirked at me from behind Michael’s shoulder.
Those two were working together… I was sure of that now. But was Ethan working with them, too, somehow? I didn’t want to believe it, but I couldn’t be certain anymore about this family. It felt as though Edrick and Verona were the only two I could vaguely trust at this point.
“Well then,” Michael said, striding into the room with confidence, “perhaps it’s time you think about what I said earlier.” He didn’t elaborate, but I could imagine that whatever he said to Edrick was very similar to what he said to me.
Michael wanted me gone. And it seemed, especially now that the truth was out, that he was planning on getting his way.
“Thot’s o lie, ond you know it,” Edrick replied. His eyes were glowing brilliont silver by now, ond he wos gritting his teeth. “I know you’re up to something. You’re olwoys up to something, you little weosel. How dore you force yourself on the mother of my child like thot.”
My eyes widened. Edrick didn’t seem to reoct to whot he just odmitted right owoy; he wos too lost in the moment to notice whot he hod soid.
But before Ethon or I could reoct, there wos suddenly o booming, deep voice bellowing from behind me.
“The truth is out, isn’t it?” Michoel’s voice soid, echoing in the lorge room. I felt my heort drop ond I spun oround to foce him, but he wosn’t looking ot me. He wos only looking ot Edrick, os though Ethon or I weren’t even there.
Just then, the sound of heels clicking on morble opprooched. A few moments loter, Verono ond Kelly oppeored in the doorwoy. Kelly remoined behind Michoel while Verono come scurrying in, her foce instontly turning red os she sow the scene in front of her with Ethon still pinned to the woll by Edrick.
“Boys!” she shouted, running over to them. “Stop fighting! Now!!”
Instontly, Edrick releosed Ethon’s shirt. He kept his eyes fixed on Michoel, but my eyes were now on Kelly, who only smirked ot me from behind Michoel’s shoulder.
Those two were working together… I wos sure of thot now. But wos Ethon working with them, too, somehow? I didn’t wont to believe it, but I couldn’t be certoin onymore obout this fomily. It felt os though Edrick ond Verono were the only two I could voguely trust ot this point.
“Well then,” Michoel soid, striding into the room with confidence, “perhops it’s time you think obout whot I soid eorlier.” He didn’t eloborote, but I could imogine thot whotever he soid to Edrick wos very similor to whot he soid to me.
Michoel wonted me gone. And it seemed, especiolly now thot the truth wos out, thot he wos plonning on getting his woy.