Secrets after I do, a lawyers revenge

Chapter5

THIRD PERSON 'S POV

Ethan fixed his eyes on Lucy, his eyes unwavering and unblinking. Lucy didn't want to look away, but after a while it got weird. She looked away and breathed out heavily. “What is this? A staring competition?” She thought to herself.

Ethan smirked. “What would you like to order?” he asked.

“I am okay with what I am having right now.” She crossed her legs and sat up properly. “I didn't come here to eat; we both know that. So why don't we skip to what brought us here?”

Ethan chuckled softly. “You are just like they all say.” He muttered under his breath.

Lucy's eyes narrowed. “What was that?” She replied sharply.

Ethan's lips curled up in a small smile. “Ohh, it's nothing,” he replied. “I haven't had anything to eat today, so I would like to order something if you do not mind.”

Lucy nodded. “Go ahead.” She replied.

Ethan made his order, and while they waited, they sat in an uncomfortable silence. Soon the server appeared with the food. He dropped Ethan's order in front of him and the other plate in front of Lucy.

“Wait!” Lucy immediately called out to the server. “I didn't order anything.”

“I did," Ethan answered.

Lucy's eyebrows furrowed. "The audacity of this man."

"I know you well enough to know that you haven't eaten anything today. And I know you are about to argue, but please don't. We will have the discussion that brought us here, but we can eat while we do that,” he said to her. This time he wasn't smirking or smiling. He looked sincere.

Lucy swallowed heavily. “How does he know me so well? He even ordered something I liked. That is weird,” she thought to herself. She looked around the room, suddenly feeling a bit insecure.

Ethan dropped his cutlery on his plate and looked up. “Did I make you uncomfortable?” he asked.

“How do you know so much about me?” Lucy asked instead of giving him a reply to his question.

He picked up the napkin and wiped off his lips. “I have known you for a while. I know how weird that sounds, but it's true. I have been keeping tabs on you since you were in college,” he replied, maintaining eye contact.

Lucy's eyes narrowed. “Since college? That is over 10 years, or at least almost.” She replied in shock. “Why? Who are you?” she asked.

“That is an interesting question. It is also a valid question. Well, let's start with who I am. I am Ethan, the man you saw on the road bleeding and, at the point of death, whom you also rushed to a hospital.” He replied.

Lucy c****d her head to the side, the confusion evident in her face. “I saved you?” She asked, surprised.

He leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I can see that you do not remember.”

Lucy leaned in. “Are you serious about this?” She asked. "I think you got the wrong person, Mr Ethan."

Ethan's eyebrows raised. “Do I look like I am not serious? I think you should have been in your second year in college then,” he said.

Lucy's eyes scanned him. "You look well-put-together, so I can't say if you are mentally unstable or not. But it has to be that, or you got the wrong person."

Ethan burst into laughter. His voice was not too loud to attract attention but enough to have Lucy's eyebrows raised.

He took out his phone, and after pressing something on it, he handed it to her. “Here, look at this. It might bring back the memories,” he said to her,

Lucy carefully took a phone and looked at it. It was a newspaper article about an accident. In the front picture, a lady was holding a stretcher which was carrying a bloody Ethan. She gasped, “Oh my gosh, that's me." She muttered as it finally clicked. "I had forgotten about this. That, was you? I didn't even know that this made it to the news.”

“Yes. That was me. I am important enough to make it to the news," he said smugly.

"And if you hadn't seen me that night and called an ambulance, I would have died. I was really grateful for your act of kindness, so after I got better, I sought you out. I hoped to get an opportunity to pay back the kindness,” he replied.

“So all these years you stayed in the shadows and kept yourself updated on my life. Why?” Lucy asked skeptically.

Ethan cleared her throat. “Don't say it like I am some sort of weirdo. I didn't keep myself updated on your life. What I did was help you from the shadows,” he replied.

“Help me?” Lucy asked.

“Yes. Not that I am trying to toot my own horn, but I was your first investor when you were starting your law firm.” He leaned back into his chair.

Lucy looked at him surprised. “That was you?” Suddenly it was all starting to dawn on her. “It's all starting to make sense. The one who recommended me for contracts and high-profile cases was you.” She pursed her lips. "I always wondered how I managed to land those jobs as a newbie in the law field. None of it made sense to me, and when I couldn't find any answer, I just settled that maybe I was just lucky. But I wasn't; it was you all along?”

“It wasn't me. It was your kind heart and hard work that brought you this far. I did nothing other than recommend, and then you proved yourself to them. Don't give me the credit.” He replied nonchalantly and continued eating.

Lucy visibly relaxed and started eating. Now that she knows who he is, she is more comfortable. “But why have you appeared now? Why did you decide to show yourself now?” She asked.

Before he could answer, she noticed someone walking towards their table. “Amy?” She smiled at her best friend. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to meet with a client. Who is your friend?” Amelia asked, smiling.

“This is Ethan,” she pointed to him. “Ethan, this is Amelia.” She introduced them.

“Nice to meet you, Amelia.” Ethan offered his hand for a handshake, which Amelia took.

“Nice to meet you too." She gave him her signature big smile.

"I didn't know you had any friends aside from me.” She winked at Lucy suggestively.

Lucy's eyes widened. “It's not what you are thinking.” She said slowly.

Amelia chuckled. “I know. I was just joking. I will see you later.” She replied and strutted away in her high heels.

“Does she know that you are married?” Ethan asked.

“Yes, why?” Lucy replied and continued eating.

“I find it off that she knows you are married and still makes that sort of insinuation. It gives the impression that she sees you as someone who would do that kind of thing, and it's even weirder that she wasn't fazed by it. It was almost as though she was supporting such an act.”

“You are overthinking this. Amy isn't that kind of person. She is a good friend, my only friend, actually. She was just making a joke.”

Ethan shrugged. “Well, if you say so,” he replied.

“Back to my earlier question before we got interrupted. Why did you decide to show up now?” She asked again.

“Are you done eating?” he asked instead of answering the question.

Lucy’s eyebrows raised. “Yes, why?”

“I need to have a smoke. Let's go outside,” he said, and got up without waiting for her reply.

Lucy reluctantly stood up and followed him.

He stood in the smoking area and lit his Cuban cigar. He puffed out the smoke and turned to her. One hand in his pocket, his face devoid of his earlier smirks and smiles, he finally replied, “I showed myself now because you need my help. You are about to lose your firm and everything you have worked for. I am here to lend you my help,” he replied.

Dalia watched him closely in the darkness. “How did you know that I was at risk of losing my firm and everything I have worked for?”

“I know you are smart, Lucy, so I am certain that you already know the answer to that question.” He replied in a cocky tone.

“That's right. You basically know everything about me. But this is different. I only found out about this two days ago. How are you aware of something I wasn't even aware of? Why do I get the feeling that this is more than just a desire to help me because I saved your life?” She asked skeptically. She trained her eyes on him, watching him closely.

He turned away and slipped his cigar between his lips. He inhaled deeply, exhaling a perfect smoke ring. “You do not know how interested I am in you. The life I am living right now was literally given to me by you. I was in a hit-and-run that night. The person that did that to me left me there to die. If it wasn't for you, I would have bled to death. Your voice kept me conscious as I was being taken to the hospital. I owe you my life, and I will not allow anyone to take what you have worked hard for,” He said in a grim voice.

“Actually, it is not only what you have worked for. You seem to be forgetting that I am one of your investors, and if anything happens to your firm, I will be losing a lot of money.”

“That still does not answer my question. How did you know?” Lucy asked defiantly.

“I will tell you this one thing. I was the one who took you to the hospital the night you found out about it. I also left you that note. I want to help you; let me help you.

I will be waiting for your reply once you are ready to take my hand and have your revenge.” He turned and walked away. His posture straight, the air around him confident, like he hadn't just said the weirdest things.

Lucy stood there speechless. “Just how much does he know about me? This is some stalker s**t!” Lucy cussed.

As she made her way out, she couldn't help but wonder. “Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Should she really take help offered by a stranger who appears to be a stalker? Could he be doing this just to help her and nothing else?”