Chapter Six: Obsession in the Shadows
Ethan's pov
I sat in my dimly lit study, swirling a glass of whiskey in my hand. The room was silent except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. On my desk lay a photograph —a snapshot of a woman with wide, innocent eyes and a smile that could stop time.
Kiara.
I picked up the photo, my fingers brushing over her image. It was crumpled at the edges, as if I had been holding it too tightly. There was something about her that unsettled me, something that made my chest tighten in ways I hadn't felt in years.
I couldn't let it go.
With a sharp inhale, I pressed a button on my desk phone. Moments later, the door opened, and Marco, my most trusted man, walked in. He was a broad-shouldered, no-nonsense kind of guy who never asked too many questions just how I liked it.
"You called, sir?" he asked, stepping into the room.
I held up the photo. "I need everything on her. Name, background, family, friends. Where she's been, where she's going. I want it all."
Marco took the photo, his eyes scanning it briefly before looking back at me. "Understood. Any specific reason or details you want us to focus on?"
I clenched my jaw, feeling my patience thin. "Marco, I don't pay you to ask questions. I pay you to get results. Just do what I asked."
He nodded, slipping the photo into his pocket. "Understood, sir. I'll have my team on it immediately."
"Good," I said, my voice low and sharp. "I want answers by the end of the week. No excuses."
Marco hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something else, but one look at my expression told him it was a bad idea.
"Yes, sir," he said before turning on his heel and leaving the room.
As the door closed behind him, I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair.
What was it about her? Why couldn't I shake the feeling that meeting her was more than just a coincidence?
I downed the rest of my whiskey in one gulp, the burn doing little to calm the storm brewing inside me.
Kiara.
I didn't know why, but I needed to know everything about her. And once I did, she wouldn't be able to hide.
Not from me.
Because once Ethan Blake sets his sights on something or someone it's only a matter of time.
She doesn't know it yet, but she's already mine.
I left my office as early as possible and I eased straight home , I needed that rest and a very long sleep for the next day
****
I woke up to the sharp buzz of my phone on the nightstand. The early morning light seeped through the curtains, but I didn't need to check the time. I already knew it was too early for good news.
Grabbing the phone, I answered without checking the caller ID. "Blake."
"Sir," came the voice of Jonathan, one of my senior managers. His tone was frantic, almost panicked. "We have a problem. A big one."
I sat up, my mind immediately snapping to attention. "What is it?"
"It's Zenith Tech. The board just had an emergency meeting. We're losing investors fast. There's talk of pulling out entirely."
I frowned, gripping the phone tighter. Zenith Tech was one of my most profitable companies. The idea of it collapsing was unthinkable.
"What caused this?" I asked, my voice low and sharp.
Jonathan hesitated, which only made my temper flare. "I… I don't know the full details yet, sir, but it seems someone leaked sensitive information about our upcoming project. The competitors are already using it against us."
"Who leaked it?"
"We're still investigating ..."
"Not good enough," I snapped, cutting him off. "I want answers, Jonathan. Today."
"Yes, sir. I'll update you as soon as we know more."
I hung up, my mind racing. A leak? That wasn't just negligence,it was sabotage.
By the time I arrived at the Zenith Tech headquarters, the tension in the air was palpable. Employees scurried around like ants, their faces pale and panicked.
Jonathan met me at the entrance, sweating through his expensive suit. "Sir, we're trying to contain the damage, but the media caught wind of it. Reporters are already outside."
"Handle it," I barked, pushing past him.
I stormed into the boardroom, where the rest of the executives sat in a hushed, nervous circle. They all jumped to their feet when I entered, but I ignored their greetings and went straight to the point.
"Who did this?" I demanded, my voice cold. "Who leaked the project details?"
Silence. No one dared to meet my gaze.
"I asked a question," I growled, slamming my hand on the table. "If no one here can give me an answer, then maybe I hired the wrong people."
Finally, one of the executives cleared his throat. "We… we think it might have been an inside job, sir. Someone with access to high-level information."
I stared at him, my jaw clenched. "Then find them. And when you do, I want their career and their life destroyed. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir."
Hours later, I sat alone in my office, the city lights twinkling outside the window. The whiskey in my glass remained untouched, my mind too consumed with the chaos unfolding around me.
Zenith Tech wasn't just another company it was the foundation of my empire. If it fell, the domino effect could ruin everything I had built.
As I stared out at the city, my phone buzzed again. It was a text from an unknown number.
"The collapse of your empire has only just begun."
My blood ran cold.
Before I could respond, another message came through. This time, it was a photo.
It was a picture of the Zenith Tech logo… burning.
I stared at the screen, my heart pounding.
Whoever was behind this wasn't just after my company. They were after me.
And they were just getting started.