Chapter 83: Fire On The Mountain

Chapter 83: Fire On The Mountain

“Eve.” Ethan looked up from his desk and his eyes brightened.

Eve rubbed her eyes. She rubbed it again. Then she screamed and dashed toward him. “Ah! Ethan, when did you return?” She jumped onto his lap and hugged him tight.

“I returned last night. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Really?” Eve giggled and kissed his cheek. “You scared me, Ethan. I thought you were going to live in that city forever. During our phone call, you didn’t say anything about coming back. So you’re very good at surprises.”

“Mmm.” Ethan nodded and Eve’s eyes lingered on his features. Was that a subtle smile she saw?

“So you slept here last night?” She asked, playing with his collar.

“Yeah, I slept here.” Ethan snaked his arms around her waist. “I also needed to look over some work.”

“Urgh, Ethan… You just spoiled the surprise.” Eve pouted. “You could have just stopped at you slept here only to surprise me in the morning. Now, I’d think you only did it for work.”

But Eve’s heart had never been this at ease. Had he come straight home last night, she would be in trouble because he would witness her fainting.

“I missed you so much, Honey.” Eve stared at him sadly. “How are you going to compensate for those weeks we spent apart?”

“Mmm. Let me think.” Ethan put on a frown. “I have a good idea, Eve. Are you ready for it?”

“W–What kind of idea?” Eve blinked. The sudden change in his expression was all it took to send her heart into uneasiness.

“I can’t describe it.” Ethan kissed her cheek. “How about I show it to you instead?”

“Ah! Ethan–” Eve didn’t have time to react as he stood up and scooped her into his arms. He headed to the private suite then opened the door and placed her on the bed.

“E–Ethan…” He undid her shirt’s button, kissing the sides of her neck. “Ah– stop it, Ethan.” Eve tried to push him away.

“What is it? Don’t tell me you don’t miss me too.” Ethan straightened up.

“O–Of course, I missed you too, Honey.” Eve scurried up and shifted away. “B–But how about we get home first? The–This is a workplace.”

She redid her shirt’s button and ran her fingers through her ruffled hair. Damnit! She was scared. She was still in her first trimester. Any kind of activity could risk her babies’ lives, imposing a miscarriage.

“You’re being weird. Are you a different person now, Eve?” A frown appeared on his face.

“Y–Yeah.” Eve laughed nervously. “I’ve changed for the better, Honey. Work is work, so we mustn’t mess around in your office. What if someone walks in on us?”

Ethan regained his normal expression and Eve could swear she heard him sigh. She pulled him back as he was about to leave the bed and she hugged his arm tight.

“Seriously, I missed you so much, Honey,” Eve murmured. “How did things turn out there? Did you manage to solve the problem?”

“I did.” Ethan nodded. “It required a lot of screening, but things turned out well.”

“Did you screen out some employees?” Eve stared at him. “Are there too much corrupted ones there?”

“Yeah. They didn’t take their work seriously. They were also in collusion with rival companies.”

“Th–That is unprofessional.” Eve made an ‘Oh’ sound before nodding slowly. “I bet they were not satisfied with the salary.”

“The salary is good. They were just greedy,” Ethan answered.

Eve sighed inside and played with his shirt sleeve. After a while, she looked up. “What if you find out that the same thing is going on here? Will you take the same kind of action?”

“Why not?”

“Even if someone very close to you turns out to be working with them?” Eve held her breath after asking as Ethan gave her a narrowed look.

“Even if it’s someone very close to me, Eve. I don’t appreciate lack of professionalism.”

“What are you going to do to them?”

“The same way I punished the others,” Ethan replied. “They’ll lose their jobs and be blacklisted from ever finding another job. If it involves embezzling company funds, then they’ll have to spend many years serving in jail.”

“Ah! Really?” Eve covered her mouth.

“That is how the law operates, Eve,” Ethan replied. “Those who trifle with their work aren’t going to go scot-free. There are many people out there seeking the same job.”

Eve pressed her cheek to his chest, sighing inside. The angry look on his face when he mentioned the cheating employees made her shudder inside.

“Let’s go home.” Ethan stood up from the bed, pulling her up with him.

“But it’s still morning. How can we go home now?” Eve’s heart pounded. That looked had returned in his eyes, and she didn’t like it.

“We must observe professionalism in the workplace, but not at home. There’s not much to do anyways.” Ethan walked out of the private suite, holding onto her hand. “So we can spend the whole day making up for the past weeks I was away.”

“Ah! No, let me go.” Eve wriggled her hand but the man held on tight.

“I’m very serious, Eve. I missed you a lot.” Eve didn’t know when they even reached the elevator. And the next moment, they were inside his car in the parking lot.

Ethan drew up the partition separating them and the driver, and the man literally pounced on her. “Ah! Stop it.”

But he didn’t stop. Even when they reached the Villa. No one was in sight. Even Elena was not inside the house, and Eve wondered if it was his doing. This scene reminded her of that night she drugged him.

Ethan was no different from that night. He stripped her from the hallway and Eve hoped more than anything that her worse nightmare wouldn’t come true.

“You… I thought we talked about not being aggressive. Were you planning to break my bones, Ethan?” Eve jabbed at his chest as she lay in his arms on the bed.

With his arms wrapped around her, Ethan pressed her into his body. “I couldn’t hold back.”

“Since when did you start losing control of yourself, Mr. Anderson?” Eve pursed her lips.

“Since I met you, Evelyn… Since we got married.”

Eve ducked her head and smiled. Her hand wandered down the sheet and she touched her stomach. ‘Her precious babies.’ she cried inside. She’d give anything to make sure they were alright.

“You really do love me, don’t you?” She returned her eyes to him.

“Yes, I do,” Ethan murmured. “A hundred percent.”

“Really?” Eve raised a brow and he nodded.

“Am I the only woman in your heart?” She asked again and Ethan didn’t hesitate to nod.

“Urgh! You are so unbelievable, Ethan!” Eve pushed him away and sat up with the bedsheet wrapped around her. “If I am the only woman, then who is that girl you were posing with in your computer?”

Ethan also sat up, his brows furrowing. “What girl are you talking about?”

“Don’t try to fool me, Ethan. Inside your computer is a photo of you and a girl posing intimately at a beach.”

Eve had held it in for so long, but that image would always flash in her mind now and then. She never even intended to speak about it… But seriously.

“Eve, did you touch my computer?” Suddenly, Ethan’s demeanor changed.

‘Oh, no.’ Eve covered her mouth. “I– No, why would I touch your computer? I don’t even know your password. I must have seen that photo somewhere else, or– just forget it, I take back my words. I didn’t see any photo.”

“Eve–”

“Honey, look at you.” Eve waddled into his arms and hugged him. “I was only joking. I didn’t even go to your study room while you were away.”

Ethan was about to glare at her, but his phone rang from the bedside table and he grabbed it. His finger must have pressed the hands-free button mistakenly because Eve heard every single conversation, and she’d never been this apprehensive.

“Mr. Anderson, there is fire on the mountain. All the shareholders demand an immediate meeting. A rumor is going on that you’re having an affair. There’s also evidence.”