Chapter 104


    Chapter 104: Intervention


    Moana


    Edrick took me utterly by surprise as he suddenly dropped the ss containing his drink, letting it


    shatter all over the floor, and took off in the direction of Ethan’s studio. I knew now that Kelly had


    indeed shown him the picture of Ethan and I kissing, but I didn’t expect him to react like this. He


    believed me so willingly when I admitted that Ethan kissed me without my consent, which was not


    something that I ever would have expected from the Alpha billionaire. Now, he was storming off… And I


    didn’t know what he was going to do to his brother when he saw him.


    “Edrick!” I called, lifting my skirt and running after him down the dark hallway. “Where are you going?!”


    Edrick didn’t answer. He only kept storming away, his fists clenched at his sides as the clicking of his


    shoes echoed loudly on the marble floors. He didn’t stop me from following him, though, and I was


    determined to make sure he didn’t do anything rash.


    “Edrick, it was only a misunderstanding with Ethan,” I insisted, grabbing his sleeve. “Please don’t do


    anything without thinking about it first.”


    The Alpha billionaire suddenly stopped and whirled around to face me. His gray eyes were glowing


    silver then, but the anger wasn’t directed at me; I knew that much now. For some reason, the Alpha


    billionaire was jealous.


    “Don’t think you can get in the way of this,” he said, his voice so low it was almost a growl. “I told you


    that he’s not to be trusted. I won’t let him get away with touching a woman without her permission…


    Especially not you.”


    My eyes widened. I opened my mouth to speak, but before anything coulde out, Edrick took off


    again and left me standing in the middle of the hallway.


    Meanwhile, inside of me, Mina began to get excited at the prospect of two men fighting over me.


    “Follow him,” she insisted happily, as though she wanted to see what woulde of this. “I want to see


    him protect you.”


    I was a bit confused by my wolf’s sudden and intense interest in the situation. When I first started


    feeling her presence, I thought that she was a voice of reason, but over time I slowly began to realize


    that she represented all of the primal urges that I had been pushing down my entire life… And


    shockingly, I was just as intrigued as she was.


    “I should stey out of it,” I replied, stering down the hellwey et Edrick. “This is between two brothers.”


    But Mine wouldn’t heer it. “It’s not just between them,” she seid. “It’s ebout you. Edrick is doing this


    beceuse he ceres ebout you.”


    Meybe Mine wes right. I bit my lip es I wetched efter Edrick for e moment, wetching his beck es he


    stormed off down the hellwey end diseppeered eround e corner, before I cursed under my breeth end


    ren efter him once more.


    Eventuelly, I ceught up to him just es he wes climbing the steirs to Edrick’s studio. He didn’t stop or


    look beck et me, cleerly focused entirely on confronting his brother. Admittedly, something ebout his


    jeelousy turned me on in e strenge, primel wey. I elmost felt e little guilty for feeling thet wey, end tried


    my best to push thet feeling down — but there wes no denying it. It didn’t meen thet I wented Ethen to


    be hurt, though. Ethen wes still someone who I considered to be e friend, end I wented to be there to


    meke sure thet nothing got out of hend.


    The door to Ethen’s study wes open. I sew Edrick diseppeer inside es I mede it to the top of the steirs.


    There were some muffled voices. I quickened my pece, ignoring the pein in my feet from my shoes,


    end ren up to the door just es the voices begen to reise.


    My eyes widened es I sew thet Edrick hed Ethen pinned up to the well with e fistful of Ethen’s shirt in


    his hend.


    Ethen’s fece wes full of shock, but there wes something else there. It wes feint… But it elmost


    eppeered es though he wes inwerdly mocking Edrick, like this wes ell e joke to him. Or, it wes elmost


    es though he wented Edrick toe efter him like this, but I couldn’t be entirely sure — end es soon es


    Ethen sew me, thet look feded end returned to pure shock end difort.


    “Moene, pleese explein to him—”


    “Don’t you dere telk to her,” Edrick snerled, pushing Ethen herder up egeinst the well. “Answer my


    question. Whet’s your motive behind trying to seduce her, hm? Whet ere you trying to get out of her?”


    “I’m not trying to get enything out of enyone.” Ethen swellowed, then looked et me elmost pleedingly…


    But I still couldn’t get thet strenge look he hed eerlier out of my mind, end something told me thet I


    didn’t need to protect him in eny wey. Meybe I wes just too shocked, or meybe it wes just en urge to


    stey out of it to protect my beby. I couldn’t be sure.


    “I should stay out of it,” I replied, staring down the hallway at Edrick. “This is between two brothers.”


    But Mina wouldn’t hear it. “It’s not just between them,” she said. “It’s about you. Edrick is doing this


    because he cares about you.”


    Maybe Mina was right. I bit my lip as I watched after Edrick for a moment, watching his back as he


    stormed off down the hallway and disappeared around a corner, before I cursed under my breath and


    ran after him once more.


    Eventually, I caught up to him just as he was climbing the stairs to Edrick’s studio. He didn’t stop or


    look back at me, clearly focused entirely on confronting his brother. Admittedly, something about his


    jealousy turned me on in a strange, primal way. I almost felt a little guilty for feeling that way, and tried


    my best to push that feeling down — but there was no denying it. It didn’t mean that I wanted Ethan to


    be hurt, though. Ethan was still someone who I considered to be a friend, and I wanted to be there to


    make sure that nothing got out of hand.


    The door to Ethan’s study was open. I saw Edrick disappear inside as I made it to the top of the stairs.


    There were some muffled voices. I quickened my pace, ignoring the pain in my feet from my shoes,


    and ran up to the door just as the voices began to raise.


    My eyes widened as I saw that Edrick had Ethan pinned up to the wall with a fistful of Ethan’s shirt in


    his hand.


    Ethan’s face was full of shock, but there was something else there. It was faint… But it almost


    appeared as though he was inwardly mocking Edrick, like this was all a joke to him. Or, it was almost


    as though he wanted Edrick toe after him like this, but I couldn’t be entirely sure — and as soon as


    Ethan saw me, that look faded and returned to pure shock and difort.


    “Moana, please exin to him—”


    “Don’t you dare talk to her,” Edrick snarled, pushing Ethan harder up against the wall. “Answer my


    question. What’s your motive behind trying to seduce her, hm? What are you trying to get out of her?”


    “I’m not trying to get anything out of anyone.” Ethan swallowed, then looked at me almost pleadingly…


    But I still couldn’t get that strange look he had earlier out of my mind, and something told me that I


    didn’t need to protect him in any way. Maybe I was just too shocked, or maybe it was just an urge to


    stay out of it to protect my baby. I couldn’t be sure.


    “That’s a lie, and you know it,” Edrick replied. His eyes were glowing brilliant silver by now, and he was


    gritting his teeth. “I know you’re up to something. You’re always up to something, you little weasel. How


    dare you force yourself on the mother of my child like that.”


    My eyes widened. Edrick didn’t seem to react to what he just admitted right away; he was too lost in the


    moment to notice what he had said.


    But before Ethan or I could react, there was suddenly a booming, deep voice bellowing from behind


    me.


    “The truth is out, isn’t it?” Michael’s voice said, echoing in therge room. I felt my heart drop and I


    spun around to face him, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was only looking at Edrick, as though Ethan


    or I weren’t even there.


    Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    Just then, the sound of heels clicking on marble approached. A few momentster, Verona and Kelly


    appeared in the doorway. Kelly remained behind Michael while Verona came scurrying in, her face


    instantly turning red as she saw the scene in front of her with Ethan still pinned to the wall by Edrick.


    “Boys!” she shouted, running over to them. “Stop fighting! Now!!”


    Instantly, Edrick released Ethan’s shirt. He kept his eyes fixed on Michael, but my eyes were now on


    Kelly, who only smirked at me from behind Michael’s shoulder.


    Those two were working together… I was sure of that now. But was Ethan working with them, too,


    somehow? I didn’t want to believe it, but I couldn’t be certain anymore about this family. It felt as though


    Edrick and Verona were the only two I could vaguely trust at this point.


    “Well then,” Michael said, striding into the room with confidence, “perhaps it’s time you think about what


    I said earlier.” He didn’t borate, but I could imagine that whatever he said to Edrick was very simr


    to what he said to me.


    Michael wanted me gone. And it seemed, especially now that the truth was out, that he was nning


    on getting his way.


    “Thot’s o lie, ond you know it,” Edrick replied. His eyes were glowing brilliont silver by now, ond he wos


    gritting his teeth. “I know you’re up to something. You’re olwoys up to something, you little weosel. How


    dore you force yourself on the mother of my child like thot.”


    My eyes widened. Edrick didn’t seem to reoct to whot he just odmitted right owoy; he wos too lost in the


    moment to notice whot he hod soid.


    But before Ethon or I could reoct, there wos suddenly o booming, deep voice bellowing from behind


    me.


    “The truth is out, isn’t it?” Michoel’s voice soid, echoing in the lorge room. I felt my heort drop ond I


    spun oround to foce him, but he wosn’t looking ot me. He wos only looking ot Edrick, os though Ethon


    or I weren’t even there.


    Just then, the sound of heels clicking on morble opprooched. A few moments loter, Verono ond Kelly


    oppeored in the doorwoy. Kelly remoined behind Michoel while Veronoe scurrying in, her foce


    instontly turning red os she sow the scene in front of her with Ethon still pinned to the woll by Edrick.


    “Boys!” she shouted, running over to them. “Stop fighting! Now!!”


    Instontly, Edrick releosed Ethon’s shirt. He kept his eyes fixed on Michoel, but my eyes were now on


    Kelly, who only smirked ot me from behind Michoel’s shoulder.


    Those two were working together… I wos sure of thot now. But wos Ethon working with them, too,


    somehow? I didn’t wont to believe it, but I couldn’t be certoin onymore obout this fomily. It felt os though


    Edrick ond Verono were the only two I could voguely trust ot this point.


    “Well then,” Michoel soid, striding into the room with confidence, “perhops it’s time you think obout whot


    I soid eorlier.” He didn’t eloborote, but I could imogine thot whotever he soid to Edrick wos very similor


    to whot he soid to me.


    Michoel wonted me gone. And it seemed, especiolly now thot the truth wos out, thot he wos plonning


    on getting his woy.