Chapter 4 Distraction

"You will live here from now on," Ethan declared with finality. He sat there, looking at her shocked expression. This was just the beginning of what was to come. He was going to make her pay for everything her father did to his family.

"Wh.. what!" Kate exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. He was enjoying this.

"Yes, you must live here for a year, then I can consider letting you go," He replied, waiting for an outburst. Kate stood there rigidly, looking at Ethan. She couldn't believe what he just said. "Si.. sir, please let me go. I promise to repay my father's debt if you do," she begged, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ethan didn't feel an ounce of pity for her. "leave!" he yelled at her coldly. Kate stood there unmoving, she was still in shock.

"Leave now, or do you want to be dragged out!" Ethan snapped, he was trying to contain his anger.

Kate looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Before turning to leave, she walked into the hallway, finally letting out a sob. Was this going to be her life from now on? She had never enjoyed the freedom of doing what she wanted since after her parents died. The worst finally happened to her. Her freedom layed in someone's hand now.

More tears left her eyes as she walked back to the room she was taken to earlier, by the bulky man.

Ethan closed his eyes as soon as he heard the door close. He still was trying to calm himself. The more he saw her, the more he could not control his anger.

He stood up and walked to his desk. Ethan picked up the papers and pictures on his desk. They were sent to him anonymously. Why did the person withhold this information from him all these years? He squeezed the papers in his hand with anger. Why did Nicholas do that to his family? His father trusted him the most, but he betrayed him, tearing his family apart.

Ethan came out of his study, heading up the stairs to his room. As he was about to pass by the room she was in, he heard sobbing coming from inside. This made Ethan smile bitterly. If she only knew what her father did, she would be begging at his feet for him. He scoffed, walking past the room without feeling a bit of pity for her.

When he got to his room, Ethan waltzed straight to the picture of his parents, which were turned down on his bedside table. He picked it up and looked at them. They looked so happy, unaware of what was going to happen to them. "Mom, Dad, I'm finally going to get my revenge," he said, with a sad smile on his face. "Nicholas is lucky to escape my wrath by dying. If not, I would have killed him with my bare hand," he continued, remembering the last time he saw his parents.

Ethan dropped the picture and walked to his balcony. He needed fresh air to calm down, as his head was beginning to hurt. He turned back when he heard a slight knock on his door. "Who is it?" He inquired coldly. "John, Sir"

A reply came from outside the door. It was his butler, John. He walked to the door and unlocked it. "What do you want, john? i Made it clear I don't like to be disturbed when I'm in my room"

Ethan said, yelling a bit, as she still felt the rage in his veins.

"I'm sorry sir, but there is a problem", he responded, worry etched on his face. Ethan raised his brow in question. "Problem?" He asked, "Yes sir, it's about the lady," he replied, looking tense. "Just spit it out already," Ethan snapped, getting impatient about what he was talking about.

"Sir, she locked herself in the room and is refusing to open the door" he answered "What!" Ethan exclaimed, feeling his rage rising. How dare she! He walked past John, straight to the room she was in. When he got there, his men were already at the door. He looked at them and then at the door. "Why is the door still locked? Break it down!" He yelled at them. They went into action immediately.

But before they could break it down, the door unlocked. Kate heard all of him yelling, and she opened the door quickly. Ethan pushed the door open, walking straight to where she was standing, holding both of her arms in a rage.

"I don't think I made myself clear," he snapped at her. Kate winced in pain, as his hand was piercing into her skin. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep. I didn't hear them knocking. Please stop, you are hurting me!" she cried, trying to free herself from him.

Ethan let go of her arm when he realized how hard his grip was. He left the room angrily. Ethan didn't know what happened, but seeing her wincing in pain made him feel guilty. He entered his study and walked straight to his drink table. Ethan poured himself a glass of whiskey, gulping all the quantity in one go.

Why was this happening to him? Why was his heart wavering now? He finally had a chance and revenge, but he was feeling guilty. He poured himself another glass of whiskey and gulped it all in a go again.

"I won't allow myself to feel guilty, never!" Ethan yelled out in rage, throwing the glass at the wall.

A week passed by within a twinkle of an eye. Kate hardly saida word, but Ethan hears her crying in the middle of the night most times. This was exactly what he wanted, but he had an unsettling feeling.

"Can I go to get my things from my house?" She asked Ethan one evening, her eyes devoid of any emotion.

He ignored her question, and she continued to eat in silence without uttering a word throughout dinner. Ethan found the silence unsettling, too. He was expecting her to throw a fit or protest at least; but she did none of that, ever since the night he told her she would be staying in his house. It's as if she had given up on begging him to let her go.

Has he been too easy on her? He wanted her to plead every day for her freedom. Maybe he should have left her in the darkroom, then she would be begging at his feet...

_____________

Ethan sat in his office in the afternoon, trying to sort out the files that had piled up during the week. He felt the stress press down on his eyes. He had been slacking off on work lately, due to what has been happening going on in his house. A few minutes later, he decided to take a break. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, then poured it down his throat in one gulp.

Ethan's mind wandered to the woman he left at home and he felt guilt spread in his chest. He couldn't get over the look he saw in her eyes at breakfast. It was the look of hatred. Being able to mask his emotions saved him from it. He slammed the empty glass down and walked back to his seat.

Ethan picked up a file, trying to distract himself from thinking of her, but he couldn't understand a thing in the file. Suddenly, his office door flew wide open. He raised his head to see who it was. It was Felix, a childhood friend

"What do you want?" he muttered coldly, as Felix was the last person he wanted to see at that moment.

"What's with that tone? Can't I pay my bestie a visit?" He responded, waltzing straight to Ethan's drink table. "Are you not supposed to be at work?" Ethan said as Felix poured himself a drink. "Yes, you are right, but I don't think it's for me, sitting behind a desk all day. It's exhausting," felix replied, pouring the drink down his throat in one swing.

"Isn't that what work is all about?" Ethan asked, running his hand through his hair.

Felix walked to the couch and sank into it.

"I know Ethan. You don't have to remind me always like my dad," he replied, exhaling.

"I should be at home slacking off, not working my ass off," he added.

Felix stood up and walked close to Ethan's desk. "Have you found her yet?" He inquired, in almost a whisper. Ethan looked up at him, saying "It's none of your business if I do Felix". Felix scoffed, before walking back to the couch to take a seat.

"Whatever, I was just curious," came Felix's reply. Felix had accidentally heard Ethan's conversation a month ago, he was asking his men to find a girl. He probed for more information from his friend but got nothing. He was curious to know who this mystery girl was.

After a few more minutes, Felix finally left Ethan's office, when Ethan didn't pay him any attention and was engrossed in work. "see you later" He said as he walked out of the room. Ethan didn't spare him a glance and continued to go ththroughhe files in his hands.

His secretary came in soon after with an envelope. "Sir, this came in from you" she handed Ethan the file. "Does it say who it's from?" He inquired, gazing at the envelope. "No sir, it's similar to last time, there is no address, '' she answered.

"You may leave," Ethan said, looking at the file on his table. This was the third time he was getting something like this. The first time was six months ago. The first envelope he receivedwas prooff that Nicholas betrayed his father. He opened the envelope, and what he found shocked him.