Chapter Twenty Nine: Twisted Emotions

Chapter Twenty Nine: Twisted Emotions


Daphne's POV

“What the hell was that?” He fumes.

I roll my eyes at his theatrics.
“Um, don't you have eyes?” He narrows said eyes at me and cuts me a look that would have a grown man trembling on his seat, except that it doesn't work on me.

“Would you stop glaring at me? It's very distracting. I'm trying to work.” I point to the mountain of paperwork in front of me.

“Answer the question.” He belts out through gritted teeth. I narrow my eyes at his tone.

This whole big brother act is starting to piss me off.

I huff in anger “You want to do this? Fine, we’ll do this.”

I cross my arms tightly. “What do you mean by that? You mean, you, barging in here like a caveman and making a scene? That?What you did was totally unnecessary. I did not need your input.”

“You should’ve told me what was going on,” he growls.

I scoff. “Since when have I been answerable to you?”

His fists clench. He ignores my question and continues.

“Instead, I find out through the tabloids that you’re in the middle of a scandal with Reeves of all people?”

I scoff. “What do you mean, of all people? He is a childhood friend. There’s nothing going on. It’s just a misunderstanding. The photo was taken last night. I went to a hotel to get out of the storm. He caught me before I fell. That’s it. Not that I have to explain myself to you.”

“Last night?” he echoes.

“You mean last night when I called you and asked what you were doing outside?” He takes a step closer with each word he says.

“Last night when you hung up on me while I was worried about you?”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t have to answer to you, Ethan.”

“No, you don’t,” he strides towards me with the elegance of a predator.

“Tell me,” He stops in front of my desk and traces a pattern on the cherry wood.

His voice hardens as he glares at me.

“Did you let that photo leak deliberately? You wanted some attention perhaps?”

I narrow my eyes. “I do not appreciate your tone. What do you mean by attention?.”

The heat that flares in his eyes threaten to burn me if I get too close.

“I mean, did you cosy up to your ‘childhood friend’ to create a scandal? Perhaps you wanted to bring a client to the board to make yourself look competent. It would certainly have an effect if people were aware of your ‘relationship’,”

He rakes his eyes up and down my body and scowls. “with the bastard. The publicity would certainly bring in more customers.”

Is he saying what I think he is? How could he?
And now it's much more than his eyes that burn, his words scald me too. I visibly recoil.

“What?” I whisper, hurt that he would think that before fresh anger bubbles in me and buries the pain deep down. The overbearing, arrogant bastard!

My eyes flash. “You think I’d stoop that low?”

He meets my glare head on. “I don’t know. Would you? You've certainly make the mistake of picking a useless asshole before. Everyone is aware of what a loose dog Reeves is.”

He starts pacing now. “A scandal with him could ruin you!”

Okay, he's getting on my nerves now. The fact that he thinks I can do something like that is baffling.

“Did you not hear what I said? It was an accident! I didn't plan any of this!”

“Tell that to the press Daphne, they're all over the news.”

I step forward now, toe-to-toe with him. “I’ve had to claw my way back from everything Greg and the board tried to destroy. Don't think I wanted this to happen.

I know you're worried but calm the hell down. It's a bad situation now but I made the most of it and at least Reeves was there to help me. I know you don't care about all this as much as I do, I know you feel I should just throw in the towel and let you handle it but I'm not. This is MY company. This is MY life, so calm the hell down!”

By the time I am done, I'm a panting mess, staring daggers at him which my chest heaving up and down, my lips just inches away from his. I do not know why I have that thought but I am so conscious of his full lower lips, regardless of the way they are pursed in anger.

The words seem to have had an effect on him too. They hang heavy in the air. Ethan stares at me, breathing hard.

He hooks his arm around my waist and draws me even closer to him, so close that our breaths mingle.

Then his voice drops, low and rough. “You really think I don't care about anything that concerns you?”

He bends low, bringing his mouth so close to my ear, it heats from the contact.

“You think I don't care enough about this? You think if I didn't care I wouldn’t burn this whole place down for you,? It's because I know that you care that this place is still standing, that those greedy bastards are still alive.”

His eyes betray his fury. Not at me, I realize that now but on the situation, on the fact that he feels helpless and can't do anything to help. His grip on me tightens on me before he suddenly releases me like I'm a hot brand and continues pacing.

Wow. That was just, wow. I didn't expect that.

“Ethan.” I whisper. He stops in his tracks. His smoldering eyes, drawing me deep into its depths.

“Yes?” He relies, his voice husky.

The air shifts.

It’s dangerous, this thing between us. Electric. Our gazes lock and something primal pulses between us.

I reach for him. “Ethan, I-

Greg storms in like a wild
animal, his face reddened and twisted in rage. “You bitch! Why the hell did you fire the board?!”