Jack turned and walked back to his room after speaking to Olivia, leaving her alone in the living room with Zara and a few servants who were tidying up the area.
Zara also turned away and made her way upstairs, disregarding Olivia, whose expression was filled with frustration.
Gia, who looked at the scene unfolding in front of her couldn't help but go near Olivia, "Young Miss, did you see? She disturbed everyone at this time, but still, Sir and Madam didn't say anything but still cared about her."
"Young Miss, I believe it's concerning if this continues. What if everyone starts to prioritize her and overlook you? How would you handle that, Young Miss?" Gia pressed on, her worried expression matching her words.
Gia's words just fueled the fire of anger simmering inside Olivia.
She shot a glance at Zara, who was heading upstairs without a backward glance, and that only fueled her rage further. In a fit of fury, she stormed upstairs, ignoring Gia completely.
Gia chose not to chase after Olivia since it was getting late, figuring it was best to let her sort through her feelings on her own.
Meanwhile, in the warehouse, Ethan managed to soothe Noah's agitation and instructed his assistants to handle matters concerning the two families.
While he was issuing commands, his phone buzzed. Ethan glanced at the screen and noticed it was a message from Sirius, prompting him to quickly read it.
As he read the message, a gentle smile spread across his face, and warmth filled his eyes when he spotted the attached photo.
The picture showed Zara, covered in some black dust, yet her eyes sparkled with brightness, making it hard for him to look away.
Ethan glanced at the photo and thought, "No matter what's going on, my Lia always looks adorable." Still, he mentally reminded himself to keep Zara out of the kitchen from now on.
Carter and David, who were waiting for their boss's instructions, were taken aback by the sudden shift in his demeanor. Even Noah noticed the change but shrugged it off, too caught up in his own bad mood as he reflected on the two families.
David quickly snapped back to reality and realized why his boss was grinning. Lately, he had figured out that there was only one person who could turn his boss's mood around in an instant.
Carter, still reeling from the shock of the situation, glanced at the composed David beside him. He nudged him and whispered, "What's going on? Is that person our Boss?"
"Why not just ask him yourself?" David shot back, a smug grin spreading across his face, clearly enjoying the fact that he knew something about their boss that Carter didn't.
Carter rolled his eyes at David's arrogance and turned away in frustration.
Meanwhile, Ethan, who had been tuning out the world around him, finally put his phone down and looked up. The warmth in his expression faded instantly, replaced by a cold, distant demeanor.
Carter caught his boss's typical icy glare and quickly zipped his lips, not wanting to say another word.
The people on the ground huddled in a corner, terrified of what might come next. They felt trapped, unsure of where to seek help, especially since the guy in front of them had no fear of anyone, and nobody dared to cross him.
Just as they were thinking this, Ethan shot them a chilling look and smirked, saying, "Didn't they want to mess with Lia? Let them experience the same."
With that, he stood up, fastened his coat, and strode toward the exit without glancing back.
His message was straightforward: they were going to endure whatever they planned on Zara, and he would make sure to make them feel the impact of it.
As his words sank in, the Warren and Davis families were overwhelmed with fear, crying out, "Mr. Anderson! Mr. Anderson!!" "Please!! Please don't take any action!"
"Yes, Mr. Anderson! We promise we won't even return to the capital again! Please allow us to go! We're begging you!"
Mr. Davis and Mr. Warren pleaded desperately, clinging to the slim hope that Ethan might choose to spare them.
Ethan just kept walking, not even pausing as he headed for the exit.
Carter felt disgusted and couldn't bear to hear their desperate pleas, so he glanced at the bodyguards behind them, who quickly shoved cloth into their mouths. The crowd continued to struggle, muffled sounds escaping from behind the fabric.
Noah glanced at the people on the ground, his anger flaring up again at their cries, but he held it back, focusing instead on his sister who had just come back. He stepped out after Ethan, with David trailing behind, while Carter stayed back to handle the job Ethan had given him.
As Ethan and Noah stepped out of the warehouse, Ethan noticed Noah's serious expression, which still reflected his irritation towards the people inside.
However, Ethan shrugged it off and simply met Noah's gaze. Without uttering a word, Noah nodded and climbed into his car.
Ethan and Noah shared similar personalities. Before Zara arrived, the trio of Ethan, Noah, and Alan were often described as being as unyielding as ice, even in their childhood.
Understanding the dynamics of the Adam family boys, Ethan remained silent and got into the car, where David was waiting to open the door for him.
Ethan settled into his seat and pulled out his phone to check out the picture Sirius had sent him earlier.
A big grin spread across his face as he switched over to Zara's chat.
Meanwhile, Zara had just finished washing up and was getting ready for bed when she felt her phone buzz. She picked it up and glanced at the message.
[Don't forget to bring Sirius when you go out. Be safe and call me if you need anything.]
Reading the message, Zara's usually icy gaze softened, and a wave of warmth washed over her heart, the same feeling she always got when she is around her family.
[Ok.]
She had known Ethan since they were kids, but honestly, she wasn't clued in on the decisions made by their families.
Usually, Ethan was pretty clingy when they were together, but she didn't think much of it; she just appreciated his softer side.
Even though she had been living abroad for years, she still managed to keep up with a lot about Ethan. She wasn't sure why she found out all this stuff, but anyhow, she did.
When she noticed his affection, which felt just like it did back in the day, she didn't let it show on her face, but inside, her heart felt all warm and fuzzy.
Seeing how much he cared, she couldn't help but smile as she glanced at the message and then up at the moon.