Chapter 6 The devil

Zoey

He stopped in his tracks when he noticed I wasn’t following him and turned around to stare at me with an impatient expression.

“Well?” He cocked his brows as if this were my last chance to move my feet before he completely lost his patience.

I immediately raced toward him, still perplexed that he had actually asked me to have lunch with him. I followed him through the hallway to the elevator, which he waited to open until I was close.

A lot of whispers and stares came my way, but I ignored them, lost in my own thoughts—wondering why my nemesis’s brother had suddenly asked me to have lunch with him.

Don’t overthink it, Zoey. It’s just lunch. Maybe he wants to go over his plan because he didn’t have much time earlier and didn’t want Leo to notice anything.

As the elevator doors closed, I felt myself gasping for thin air, standing in such close proximity to Ethan. He barely uttered a word, yet his presence was suffocating. I swallowed with each breath, gulping down my fear as sweat began to form along my neck.

My body felt as if it were on fire when Ethan handed me his handkerchief. “Take this,” he said. It sounded more like a command than an act of care. I immediately pulled myself out of the stream of thoughts threatening to overwhelm me.

“Thank you, sir,” I muttered, avoiding his gaze. When the elevator doors opened, I realized we were at the car park. Wait! When he asked me to have lunch with him, I thought he meant the company cafeteria. He hadn’t said anything about leaving the building, and I hadn’t even asked Leo for permission. He was my boss, after all.

He pointed toward his car, and I noticed something strange—well, strange for someone like him. He had no driver. His car was modest compared to Leo’s: a sleek charcoal-gray coupe with black leather seats and a faint new-car scent that filled the air when he unlocked it.

“You seem disappointed?” His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“No… no, I—” I stuttered, struggling to think of what to say. Then I remembered the obvious issue. “Sir, I had no idea we were leaving the company. I need to ask Mr. Leo for permission.”

He muttered an “Oh,” before reaching into his pocket for his cellphone. “Daniel, tell Leo I’ll be leaving with Miss Lawson for the rest of the afternoon,” he said and then hung up. “Now, shall we?” He turned to me.

I followed him to the car, my heels clinking loudly despite my effort to make them less obvious. Ethan didn’t seem to mind.

As soon as we reached the car, he pulled the handle and opened the door for me. I stepped inside, my heart beating rapidly, staring at nothing in particular as he got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. As the car drove off, I couldn’t help but wonder if I could survive another ten minutes in this confined space with him.

My eyes stayed fixed on the streets we passed—the traffic lights, the stores, the endless line of cars along the road. For the sake of my sanity, I hoped he wouldn’t say a word. Thankfully, he didn’t.

It was a thirty-minute ride before the car came to a stop at a small diner. He got out, opened my door, and gestured for me to step out. I picked up my bag and followed him inside, silently admiring his chivalry as he held the door open for me, but feeling slightly disappointed when he did the same for a blonde-haired woman walking behind us.

It wasn’t special treatment at all. He was simply a gentleman, something that felt like a myth in Leo’s world.

The diner was small and cozy, with checkered floors, wooden booths, and warm amber lighting that cast a calm glow across the room. The faint scent of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes lingered in the air.

We sat down, and I noticed the place was nearly empty, which I appreciated. A waiter soon approached, a slim, middle-aged man with neatly combed hair and a polite smile that didn’t quite reach his tired eyes.

Ethan ordered grilled chicken with sautéed vegetables and a bottle of water. I ordered a light chicken salad and iced tea, already full from all the emotions I had swallowed on our way here.

He barely spoke until the food arrived. Even then, he simply thanked the waiter and began to eat. I followed suit, noting that Ethan was indeed a strange man.

A few minutes later, he seemed content with his meal even though his plate was still half full. I made a mental note to mind my business and focus on my own food. I’d thought I was full, but the flavor of the meal somehow made room for more.

It wasn’t until Ethan cleared his throat, a clear sign he wanted to speak, that I paused mid-bite.

“You might be wondering why I asked you to have lunch with me,” he said. I only managed a nod, my mouth still full.

“The reason I brought you here is simple. I need you to do something for me,” he said.

“What?” I asked almost immediately.

“I’ll tell you when it’s time. I just need to know that I can count on you when that moment comes.”

My face turned pale with shock. Was he playing games with me? Did he really bring me here just to tell me he had something for me to do—but wouldn’t tell me what it was? What the hell is wrong with the Thorne brothers?

“And also,” he continued, “despite my brother’s calm demeanor, he’s not good at sharing what he considers his. He wouldn’t be okay with the idea that I asked his secretary to have lunch with me. And when he gets mad, he makes mistakes.” He paused, taking a sip of water. “I want us to be prepared when that happens. Time isn’t a luxury we can afford right now.”

While I was still trying to process what he’d said, his phone buzzed on the table. A smile immediately crept onto his lips, the first time I’d seen him smile since meeting him a few hours ago. And if I’d thought he was handsome before, he was devastating now. His features softened, his eyes brightened, and for a moment, he looked almost dangerous in his perfection.

He looked at his phone, then back at me. “Speak of the devil.”