Chapter 3
1124 Words
Just then, Grace burst into the lobby.
"Ethan!"
The moment her eyes landed on her son lying on the ground, she let out a piercing scream and rushed over like a whirlwind, her voice loud enough to make heads turn.
"Ethan, are you okay? Please, don't scare me like this!"
Ethan groaned, covering his face with one hand. Pain etched deep lines into his features as he forced out a strained reply. "Mom, I... I'm fine. Don't worry."
Grace's expression shifted in an instant, her eyes blazing with fury. She pointed a trembling finger at Daniel and bellowed, "Daniel, you monster! How dare you lay a hand on Ethan? The Clark family won't let you get away with this!"
She continued, "You have no idea who you've crossed. Killing you would be as easy as crushing a bug!"
"Funny. I could say the same to you. You really don't know who you're dealing with."
Daniel's gaze was cold and unflinching as he stared at her. Without waiting for a response, he turned to leave.
But before he could take two steps, Ethan suddenly sprang to his feet and swung a fist at the back of Daniel's head.
Daniel, as if sensing the attack before it even came, shifted his body with ease, dodging the punch like it was nothing.
"Pathetic," Daniel muttered, turning to face Ethan with a look of disdain. "You really thought that would work?"
Ethan stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance from the failed attack.
In the blink of an eye, Daniel grabbed Ethan by the neck. His icy gaze seemed to freeze the very air around them.
"Ethan, I took the fall for you years ago. And this is how you repay me? Do you really think I'm someone you can mess with?"
Daniel's voice was low and menacing. Ethan's face turned red as he clawed at Daniel's hand, struggling to breathe, but his efforts were useless.
Grace shrieked in panic, her voice trembling with fear. "Daniel, let him go! If you hurt my son, the Clark family will destroy you!"
Daniel didn't even glance at her, his grip tightening. "Ethan, I'm going to teach you something today. I'm not someone you can push around."
Ethan gasped for air, his voice barely a whisper. "I... I'm sorry... Let me go..."
Daniel stared at him for a long moment before shoving him to the ground.
Ethan collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath.
Daniel adjusted his jacket, his expression calm as he turned to Grace.
"Consider this a warning. Take care of yourselves."
Without another word, he strode out of the Clark Group lobby, leaving Grace and Ethan behind.
"This isn't over, Daniel. I'll make you pay!"
Ethan's hands curled into fists as he glared at Daniel's retreating figure, his eyes filled with hatred.
"What happened?"
Natalie hurried downstairs and froze when she saw Ethan, his face bruised and swollen. Disbelief clouded her expression.
"Ethan, what happened?" she demanded, her voice sharp with urgency and anger.
The moment Grace saw Natalie, it was as if she'd found her lifeline. Tears streamed down her face as she wailed, "Natalie, thank goodness you're here! It's Daniel. He's lost his mind! He beat Ethan like this!"
Ethan's face was twisted with indignation as he chimed in, "Natalie, Daniel's a psycho! He doesn't care about the Clark family at all!"
"Daniel! You b*stard!" Natalie spat through clenched teeth. Whatever guilt she'd once felt toward Daniel was gone in an instant.
After leaving the Clark Group building, Daniel walked aimlessly, his heart weighed down.
Anger, sadness, disappointment, and resentment churned inside him, a tangled mess of emotions he couldn't untangle.
His steps were slow and heavy as though every movement brought him closer to the edge of a cliff.
He couldn't believe it. Natalie, the woman he had loved so deeply, had turned so cold and heartless as if his love had meant nothing to her.
The argument they'd had in the office replayed in his mind on an endless loop. Her cruel words cut through him like blades, each one leaving a fresh wound.
Walking down the street, he looked up at the sky. His eyes burned red, but he refused to let the tears fall.
He told himself he wouldn't let this break him. He would make Natalie and the Clark family pay for what they'd done.
But even as the fire of revenge burned in his chest, the ache of betrayal lingered, casting a shadow over him. The loneliness and heartbreak were suffocating, leaving him adrift in a sea of pain.
Daniel eventually found himself standing outside what had once been their home—the house he and Natalie had bought together.
His hand trembled as he held the key, the familiar weight now feeling unbearably heavy. Slowly, he slid it into the lock, turned it, and pushed the door open.
Everything inside was just as he remembered, yet it all felt foreign.
The sofa they had picked out together still sat in the living room, and their wedding photo hung on the wall, now dulled by a layer of dust.
He wandered into the bedroom, his steps slow and hesitant. The bed, once a place of warmth and love, now felt cold and lifeless. Cobwebs clung to the corners of the room.
As he ran his hand over the soft bedding, he could almost feel Natalie's presence lingering there.
Walking to the window, he noticed the small tree they had planted together. It had grown tall and full, its leaves lush and vibrant.
"Natalie," he whispered, his voice breaking with sorrow. "How did everything come to this?"
Daniel moved to the wardrobe and opened it. A few of Natalie's clothes still hung there, untouched.
He reached for one of her shirts and held it close, breathing in the faint, familiar scent. The tears he'd been holding back finally spilled over, running freely down his face.
"All those promises we made are gone," he muttered bitterly.
Daniel's knees buckled, and he sank to the floor, memories crashing over him like waves.
He remembered her laughing in the kitchen as they cooked together, heard her voice as they dreamed of the future in this very room. Every moment replayed in vivid detail.
"Why? Why did everything have to change?" He clenched his fists, slamming them against the floor with such force that a crack formed beneath him.
After what felt like hours, Daniel slowly got to his feet, wiping the tears from his face.
"Natalie, if you can be this heartless, then I won't hold on to you anymore."
His jaw tightened as he began gathering everything that belonged to Natalie. He threw her belongings, including their wedding photo, into the trash.
- Writer
