Elijah looked straight at Ethan, his expression relaxed, as if Ethan's threats were of no consequence. Without hesitation, he walked towards Ethan, his movements calm and deliberate.
Ethan's guards watched him closely, their faces tense, waiting for him to make a wrong move so they could pounce on his behalf.
But Elijah simply passed by them, his confidence unwavering, and sat down in a nearby chair, exuding an air of authority.
Ethan smiled smugly as he sat down directly in front of Elijah.
"I've been watching you, Elijah," Ethan said, his voice dripping with confidence. "I've noticed you've been getting quite close to someone."
Elijah looked at him questioningly, his expression asking, "What are you talking about?"
Ethan's smile grew wider as he replied, "Kiara Blackwood."
Elijah tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regarded Ethan.
Ethan continued, his voice laced with amusement. "I've noticed you've taken a liking to Kiara, Elijah. But do you really know who she is? Are you aware of the... complicated history she and I share?"
Elijah's gaze remained fixed on Ethan, his expression expectant, as if waiting for him to reveal more.
Ethan's smile grew wider as he continued. "You see, Elijah, I hold a very special place in Kiara's life. She cares for me deeply, and I'm willing to bet she'd do just about anything to protect me... even kill, if necessary."
Ethan's eyes glinted with amusement. "And isn't it nice, Elijah, that you're attracted to someone who already has such strong ties to me? It's almost... poetic, don't you think?"
Ethan looked at Elijah and smiled. "Think about it," he said. "Why did Kiara Blackwood personally come to retrieve her goods that day? She has people like Christopher who usually handle such tasks for her, and yet she chose to come herself."
Elijah's face narrowed, his eyes piercing. Ethan continued, "And didn't you find it strange that she didn't expose my whereabouts? She could have easily done that and taken her goods away, and yet she chose to hide where I was. Did that never occur to you, Mister Elijah Blackhaven?"
Elijah looked at Ethan, his expression skeptical. "I have no reason to believe what you're saying is true," he said. "And if it was true, why would you sell her out now?"
Ethan laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "It's because I was fine with her getting close to you for my benefit before," he said. "But now I'm starting to realize that letting my woman get close to you isn't exactly the safest thing to do."
Ethan continued, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You can agree with me on that, right? A woman like Kiara... she attracts everyone. I can see you're starting to get drawn to her, and frankly, I don't need you being close to my woman. I'm starting to feel a bit... possessive, and I don't like it one bit."
Ethan's expression turned cold and detached as he spoke. "I didn't come here to discuss my personal life with you, Elijah. I came to deliver a message: stay away from Kiara. That's all."
With a swift motion, Ethan raised his hand, and one of his men stepped forward, handing him a sheaf of papers. Ethan dropped them in front of Elijah, his eyes glinting with a hard, unyielding light. "Sign these," he growled. "You don't have a choice. Refuse, and I won't leave you breathing in this house."
Elijah's smile spread lazily across his face as he locked eyes with Ethan. He slipped his hand into his pocket, the soft rustle of fabric the only sound as he retrieved a silver lighter. With a smooth, practiced motion, he flipped it open, the metallic click echoing through the tense silence. The flame danced to life, and Elijah touched it to the papers, watching with an air of detached curiosity as they burned to ashes.
Ethan's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. "You're looking for death," he snarled, his hand snapping out in a sharp gesture. His men raised their guns, training them on Elijah.
But Elijah just smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You think you can just waltz into my home and dictate terms?" he drawled. "I think you'll find that's not how this works."
As he spoke, Ethan's gaze flickered to the side, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of something. A red dot had appeared on his chest, and as he looked around, he saw that his men were all similarly marked. Realization dawned, and his face went white with rage. He had walked into a trap, and now he was at Elijah's mercy.
Just as Ethan's men were about to open fire, a group of heavily armed guards burst into the room, swiftly disarming and apprehending Ethan's men. Ethan himself was pinned to the floor, his eyes blazing with fury as he gazed up at Elijah.
"You really are as cunning as they say, aren't you?" Ethan spat, his voice venomous. "But this isn't the end."
Elijah merely smiled, a cold, calculating glint in his eye. He raised a hand, and one of his guards stepped forward, hauling Ethan to his feet. With a curt gesture, Elijah signaled for his men to escort Ethan and his team out.
The guards marched Ethan and his men to the basement, slamming the door shut behind them and locking it with a heavy clang. Elijah watched them go, his expression serene.
With a calm nod, he instructed one of his staff to clean the house. Then, he turned and strolled upstairs, disappearing into his bedroom to take a shower, leaving the chaos and violence of the encounter behind him.
After his shower, Elijah slipped into his pajamas and made his way to his study room. He settled into his chair, his eyes scanning the stack of paperwork in front of him. But before he could dive in, his phone buzzed, reminding him of his conference meeting.
He answered the call, his voice smooth and composed as he navigated the meeting. His focus was laser-sharp, his mind racing with strategies and solutions.
The meeting finally wrapped up, and Elijah turned his attention to the paperwork, pouring over documents and reports until the hours blurred together. The clock on his wall ticked away, marking the passage of time as the night wore on, the darkness outside his window growing deeper and more profound.
"As Elijah worked on his paperwork, his mind kept drifting back to Kiara Blackwood. He found himself questioning everything he thought he knew about her. Was she genuinely indifferent to him, or was it all an act? Elijah's pen hovered over the papers, his signature unfinished as his gaze wandered out the window, lost in thought."
He hoped that Ethan's accusations were unfounded, because the alternative was unthinkable. He didn't want to believe that Kiara was capable of the things Ethan had claimed.
"I really wouldn't want to go to war with you, Miss Kiara Blackwood," Elijah thought to himself, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated the possibility. "But if what Ethan said is true...then you'll leave me no choice."