Chapter 113: New Member

Chapter 113: New Member

Ethan pressed the answer button on his steering wheel. The car speakers immediately filled with rapid, panicked breathing.

"Ethan… it's me, Leah." The girl's voice was shaking badly, like she was about to burst into tears.

Ethan eased up slightly on the gas. "Leah? Take a deep breath. Tell me what happened."

"I… I was going through some old boxes my father left behind, and I found a black USB drive hidden in a compartment."

Leah dropped her voice low, like she was hiding from something.

"It's protected by this incredibly complex password. I tried a few times but couldn't get in at all. I want to give it to you — maybe it has something to do with you. And…"

She paused.

"And I think someone's watching me. Since yesterday afternoon, there's been a black Ford parked outside my apartment building. When I went out just now to take out the trash, there was a man in the stairwell reeking of cigarettes, just staring at me. I'm scared, Ethan."

"Listen to me, Leah." Ethan's voice turned serious. "Lock your apartment door right now. Close every window. Don't open the door for anyone, no matter who it is. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Okay, I'll wait — please hurry…"

The call ended. Ethan yanked the wheel and floored it toward Leah's apartment.

On the other end, Leah pressed her back against the wall, phone still in her hand.

Ethan's words had calmed her racing heart just a little.

But before she could even let out a breath, a violent pounding erupted at her front door.

Leah's legs gave out. She dropped to the floor and clamped both hands over her mouth, desperate not to make a sound.

"Open up! I know you're in there!" A man's rough, ragged voice bellowed from outside. "Hand it over, you little bitch!"

Leah crawled into the bedroom and wedged herself into the corner between the bed and the wardrobe, her whole body shaking beyond her control.

The pounding grew louder and louder. Leah felt like she was falling apart, tears streaming down her face.

Then, just as she was about to completely lose it, the pounding stopped.

Silence outside.

Leah slowly lifted her head and listened.

She quietly got up from the floor and crept toward the living room to look through the peephole.

Then — a massive crash.

The front door took a savage hit. The steel panel buckled inward.

Leah couldn't hold it in anymore. She screamed and stumbled backward.

A cold laugh drifted through the gap in the door. "Nice scream. So you are in there. Whatever your father left behind doesn't belong to you. Hand it over nicely, and maybe I'll make it quick."

The impacts came again, each one harder than the last.

The door was warping badly. It was about to give.

Leah squeezed her eyes shut in despair. She could already picture what would happen to her once it came down.

But right at the moment the door was about to go — the crashing stopped again.

Then something strange came from the other side.

Not pounding. The sound of bones snapping, mixed with a man screaming.

"Who the hell are you — my hand! Let go of my hand! What the—"

A few seconds later, everything outside went dead quiet.

Leah crouched behind the living room couch, staring at the badly mangled door, too tense to breathe.

Then, without warning, an arm shoved straight through the caved-in gap in the door.

And with one violent pull outward, the entire heavy-duty security door was ripped clean off and hurled into the hallway wall.

A tall, upright figure stood in the dim hallway light, stepping into Leah's view.

It was Ethan.

Leah stared at the man standing amid the wreckage. Then she ran straight at him and threw her arms around him, holding on tight.

"Ethan… I thought I was going to die…" Leah buried her face in his chest.

Ethan looked down at the terrified girl in his arms and let out a quiet sigh. He reached up and gently patted her on the back.

"It's over. You're okay now. Open your eyes — no one can hurt you anymore." His voice was steady. Calming.

Leah cried for a solid five minutes before she finally came back to herself. The moment she realized she'd been holding onto Ethan the whole time, her face went completely red. She quickly let go and stepped back.

Ethan looked around at the wrecked apartment.

"Go grab a few things you need and that USB drive." He made the call for her. "You can't stay here anymore. There's not even a working door — it's not safe."

"But I have nowhere else to go," Leah said, a little lost.

"Come with me. You can stay at my place." He looked at her. "The house is big. Plenty of empty rooms. Someone there will take care of you."

Leah didn't hesitate for a second. She nodded hard and ran into the bedroom to get her things.

Half an hour later.

Ethan brought Leah back to the sprawling villa.

"We're here. Relax — make yourself at home." Ethan parked the car and carried Leah's suitcase to the front door.

Leah felt a little out of place. She'd never seen anywhere this luxurious in her life.

Ethan pressed his finger to the pad. The door clicked open.

"Come on in."

He pushed the door open and led Leah into the living room.

But the moment Ethan stepped inside, he stopped dead.

The TV was still playing in the background, but the atmosphere in the room was strangely, completely still.

Four women were sitting on the couch.

Mia had on a loose white button-down, her long legs crossed, a cup of coffee in her hand.

Clara was in a tight black bodycon dress, casually flipping a sleek lighter between her fingers.

Hailey and Grace were in silky, barely-there slip dresses, sprawled over the throw pillows, mid-conversation.

Four pairs of eyes swept over Ethan — then landed, all at once, on Leah standing behind him.

The air in the room froze solid.