Chapter 110 Chapter 110
Chapter 110
The penthouse was unusually quiet that night.
Ethan sat alone on the long leather couch, his phone resting loosely in his hand. The television played some business news in the background, but he wasn’t listening. The sound filled the room without meaning, like noise he forgot to switch off.
His thumb hovered over Celine’s contact again.
He had opened their chat at least ten times in the last hour.
Typed once.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
Deleted that too.
He wanted to ask how she was doing. Something simple. Something harmless. Maybe ask if she got home safely. Maybe just send Good night. Something normal. Something that would remind her he still cared.
But he stopped himself every time.
He leaned his head back against the couch, staring at the ceiling as frustration crept into his chest.
Staying away from her felt wrong, but it also felt necessary.
Amelia had never been the type to accept defeat. She always circled back, always pushed harder when she realized she was losing control. If she was already digging into the fourth floor, it meant she wouldn’t stop until she found something worth destroying.
And Celine…
She didn’t deserve to be dragged into Amelia’s world.
Protecting her meant distance. Even if that distance slowly tore at him.
He locked his phone and dropped it beside him, rubbing his face with both hands.
“This is stupid,” he muttered under his breath.
A few seconds later, the penthouse door opened loudly, followed by careless footsteps and the familiar sound of keys hitting the marble counter.
Sam Keystone walked in, shrugging off his jacket like he owned the place, which he practically did after years of walking in and out without permission.
“You didn’t drink today, gang?” Ethan asked without looking at him.
Sam loosened the collar of his shirt, laughing tiredly. “Got busy entertaining myself.”
Ethan glanced at him briefly, then looked away again. “That sounds like you.”
Sam dropped onto the armchair opposite him, stretching his legs comfortably. “You should try it sometime. Relax a little. Life isn’t only contracts and board meetings.”
Ethan scoffed quietly.
Sam studied him for a moment before smirking. “And I’m still convinced that precious virginity of yours is safe and untouched.”
Ethan shook his head, a small tired smile touching his lips. “You said it right.”
“Man,” Sam continued, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. “You need to go out. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. You’re too young to be living like a retired CEO.”
Ethan didn’t respond.
Sam rolled his eyes dramatically. “I swear, sometimes I think the only thing keeping you alive is caffeine and spreadsheets.”
Silence lingered between them for a moment before Sam tilted his head slightly.
“Oh wait,” he said slowly. “You’ve got a crush now.”
Ethan’s gaze shifted toward him sharply. “Don’t start.”
Sam grinned wider. “Why not invite her over?”
Ethan exhaled sharply. “Huh?”
“I’m serious,” Sam said, shrugging casually. “You like her. She clearly likes you. Why are you acting like a nervous teenager instead of a grown man who runs half of Monterey?”
Ethan leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You need sleep.”
Sam chuckled. “Deflecting already? That means I’m right.”
Ethan didn’t answer.
His silence was enough confirmation.
Sam leaned back comfortably, crossing one leg over the other. “You know… this whole ‘keeping distance to protect her’ thing sounds noble. But it also sounds like something that will blow up in your face.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened slightly.
Sam’s voice softened a little, losing its usual teasing tone. “You’re thinking about Amelia, aren’t you?”
That name alone stirred memories Ethan had buried deep.
His eyes drifted toward the dark window across the room, reflecting faint city lights from outside.
“I remember things,” Ethan said quietly.
Sam didn’t interrupt.
“She used to push boundaries,” Ethan continued slowly. “Every time I told her no… she treated it like a challenge.”
Sam’s expression hardened.
“There was a night,” Ethan added, his voice lowering. “She tried forcing things. I stopped her. Set rules. Clear ones.”
Sam nodded once, already knowing where this was heading.
“She didn’t like that,” Ethan said. “She lost her temper. Threw a flower vase at me.”
Sam straightened in his seat. “She what?”
“It caught my shoulder,” Ethan said simply. “Glass shattered everywhere. She cried afterward. Said she didn’t mean it. Said she just loved me too much.”
Sam’s hands clenched slowly. “That’s not love.”
“I know that now,” Ethan replied quietly.
The room grew still again.
“I stayed longer than I should have,” Ethan admitted. “I kept thinking she would change. She never did.”
Sam shook his head slowly. “You’re not letting history repeat itself. I get that. But Celine isn’t Amelia.”
Ethan swallowed, his thoughts drifting to the way Celine smiled earlier that week… the way she nervously adjusted her files… the way her eyes searched his face when he became distant.
“I know,” he said softly.
“Then stop punishing yourself,” Sam replied.
Ethan looked down at his hands, fingers loosely intertwined.
“I’m not punishing myself,” he said after a moment. “I’m protecting her.”
Sam studied him carefully before sighing.
“You’re already in love with her, you know that, right?”
Ethan didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Sam smirked slightly. “I fucking knew it.”
Ethan stood up suddenly, walking toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms.
“You should sleep,” he said without turning back.
Sam called after him, “You’re thinking about her right now, aren’t you?”
Ethan paused briefly.
“…Good night, Sam.”
He continued walking.
Inside his bedroom, Ethan loosened his shirt collar and sat at the edge of his bed, staring at his phone again.
Without thinking, he unlocked it.
Celine’s name stared back at him from the screen.
His thumb hovered over the chat once more.
He imagined her laughing with Ariana. Imagined her sitting on her bed reading something, probably unaware he had been thinking about her all evening.
A quiet sigh escaped him.
He typed three words.
Are you okay?
He stared at the message for several seconds… then deleted it again.
He dropped the phone beside him and lay back on the mattress, staring at the ceiling as her name slipped past his lips unconsciously.
“…Celine.”
The name lingered in the room like a quiet confession he wasn’t ready to say out loud to anyone else.
Outside his room, Sam leaned against the hallway wall, arms crossed, shaking his head slightly.
“Man is gone,” he muttered to himself before walking back toward the living room.
Inside the bedroom, Ethan closed his eyes, but sleep didn’t come easily.
Every time he tried to drift off, he saw her smile.
And every time he remembered Amelia… fear followed right behind it.
He turned to his side, grabbing the pillow tightly as if it could silence the chaos inside his mind.
Protecting Celine felt like the right thing.
Loving her… felt unavoidable.
And somewhere deep inside, he knew those two things were going to collide sooner than he was ready for.
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