Chapter 6
Ethan's POV
The door handle twisted.
Lena stiffened beside me, her breath trapped somewhere between her ribs and her throat. I felt her fear before she even looked at me.
I stepped forward instinctively, ready to break someone's skull if necessary.
The door opened.
A junior accountant peeked in. "Sorry, sir, wrong floor."
Lena sagged with relief. I didn't move. Not until the man hurried away down the hallway.
Only then did I inhale.
She lowered her gaze, fingers trembling around her files.
"We're safe," I said quietly.
She nodded. "Y-yes, Mr. Cole."
But she wasn't okay. And it bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
She turned to leave for her desk. Just before she stepped away, I said it:
"Lena."
She froze.
I stepped closer, not touching her, but close enough that she felt the shift in air.
Her shoulders rose with a tiny, nervous breath.
"Who is he?" I asked, my voice low. "And his full name."
She swallowed hard. "Jonah Reed. My ex-boyfriend."
I already hated him.
"Thank you," I said. "You can go."
She nodded and hurried away, hugging her files like a shield.
The moment she left, I pulled out my phone.
"Miami PD? I want to file a report. The man's name is Jonah Reed…"
I didn't realize my fingers were shaking until I had to tighten my grip on the phone.
No one scares my employees.
No one touches her.
Especially not him.
—
The day crawled.
My meetings blurred.
My mind stayed fixed on her, on the memory of her fear, her voice cracking, her body trembling.
By closing hour, I was waiting by the elevators.
She approached slowly, clutching her bag.
"Mr. Cole?"
"We're going to the police station," I said.
"But I.. I already told you"
"It's not optional."
She lowered her gaze. "…Yes, sir."
When she followed me out of the building, I pretended not to notice the slight limp in her step.
Another reason to destroy Jonah.
—
At the Police Station
The officer looked up from the desk. "You're here to file a complaint?"
"She is," I said, my palm pressing briefly on the small of her back, guiding her, steadying her.
Lena looked up at me, startled.
"This is my girlfriend," I added.
And I've called early today about the complaint.
The words felt heavier than they should have.
The officer's brows lifted, then softened.
"I see. Let's take your statements."
Lena swallowed, cheeks red.
She didn't correct me.
I sat beside her the whole time.
Every time her voice wavered, my jaw tightened.
When the officer finished, he told her, "We will increase patrols around your residence, Miss Hart."
"No," I cut in sharply. "She's not staying there tonight."
The officer nodded, understanding.
Lena looked at me with wide, confused eyes.
But she didn't argue.
—
Back at My House
My guards opened the gate before the car even stopped.
Lena stared at the mansion, Luke she hadn't been here the previous night.
"Mr. Cole… this is…"
"Safe," I said. "That's all that matters."
The guards nodded respectfully as we entered.
I watched her take in the foyer, marble floors, warm lighting, tall windows overlooking the garden.
She looked so small here.
So breakable.
So painfully gentle.
I led her to the guest room, but she hovered uncertainly, hands twisting together.
"Sit."
The command slipped out before I could soften it.
She obeyed instantly, sitting on the edge of the couch.
Her eyes lifted to mine, uncertain, tired, beautiful.
"You didn't deserve what happened last night," I said.
She blinked fast, trying not to cry.
"I'm just… I'm tired of everything, Mr. Cole. Work stresses me out. My life is a mess. And I didn't want to bother anyone. Especially not you."
"Especially me?" I echoed.
She nodded. "You already have so much to deal with. And I… I don't want to be a burden."
I stepped in front of her, leaning down until her breath hitched.
"You are not a burden," I said softly.
Her lips parted slightly.
Her gaze flickered down to my mouth.
Something inside me snapped.
I lifted her chin with two fingers, slow, deliberate, commanding.
She froze, breath trembling.
"Look at me," I said.
She did.
Her eyes were glossy, her cheeks flushed, her lips trembling between fear and something else she didn't want to name.
"You listen to me carefully," I murmured. "When something threatens you, it becomes my problem."
I didn't know where the protectiveness came from.
I didn't know why it was her.
All I knew was that her pain tore through me sharper than it should.
"Mr. Cole…" she whispered.
Then she broke.
Tears fell silently down her cheeks.
I didn't think, I just caught her face in my palms and kissed her.
Not soft.
Not gentle.
A claiming kiss.
She gasped against my mouth, hands gripping my shirt. I deepened the kiss, pulling her closer, feeling her warmth melt into mine.
"Ethan..." she tried.
"No," I murmured against her lips. "Don't say my name tonight."
My thumb brushed her cheek.
Her breath shivered.
She leaned into me, trembling with exhaustion, with relief, with something she wasn't ready to accept.
I kissed her again...slower this time, guiding her breath, steadying her.
"You're safe," I whispered into her hair. "I won't let anything happen to you."
She nodded against my chest, and for a long time she stayed there, breathing into me like I was the only stable thing she had left.
When she finally fell asleep, curled against my side, I held her until dawn.
—
The Next Morning
I left her sleeping in the guest room with guards stationed outside my door.
By the time she arrived at the office, I had already switched back into my role.
The role I hated.
She stepped into my office timidly.
"G-good morning, Mr. Cole."
I didn't let myself look at her.
Not the lips I kissed.
Not the eyes that cried against me.
"Miss Hart," I said coldly, flipping through the project files, "the draft you submitted yesterday was sloppy. Fix it."
She stiffened. "I… I will, sir."
I could hear the sting in her voice.
I could feel the guilt crawling under my skin.
But I kept my expression blank.
"Miss Hart."
She looked up.
"Don't disappoint me again."
Her face fell,hurt, confused, trying to understand how last night and today could belong to the same man.
She murmured a soft, "Yes, Mr. Cole," and hurried out.
The door shut.
I let out a breath I'd been holding since she walked in.
Pathetic.
I still had the ghost of her kiss on my mouth, and I was pretending it meant nothing.
I hated myself for it.
But the worst part?
I was smiling.
Like a fool who wanted the night again.