Chapter 5
1799 Words
Chapter 5: The Warning in Her Eyes
Sophia’s POV
Sophia spent the entire night trying not to think about Ethan.
Which, unfortunately, only made her think about Ethan more.
Sophia stared at the ceiling of her apartment with visible annoyance while her bedside fan rotated lazily above her.
What kind of boss called their intern at night just to ask where they were?
And why had his voice affected her like that?
It wasn’t normal.
Nothing about him felt normal.
The way he spoke.
The way he looked at her.
The strange intensity that always surrounded him like invisible pressure.
Even remembering the call now made heat crawl up her neck.
“You’re being dramatic,” she muttered to herself, turning onto her side.
But deep down, she knew that wasn’t true.
Because the moment Ethan’s voice had reached her through the phone, her body reacted instantly.
Like it recognized him before her mind did.
And that terrified her a little.
Sophia groaned softly and buried her face into her pillow.
This was exactly the kind of distraction she did not need.
Her final exams were approaching.
Her internship evaluations mattered.
Everything she worked for depended on how well she performed these next few months.
So why did her thoughts keep drifting toward a man who barely even smiled?
A man who looked at her like he knew things about her she hadn’t even figured out herself.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Unfortunately, that only made the memories clearer.
The observation glass.
His stare.
That low voice asking where she was.
The possessiveness hidden beneath his calm tone.
Her stomach flipped annoyingly.
“Get a grip, Sophia.”
Eventually, exhaustion pulled her into sleep.
And somehow, even then, Ethan followed her there too.
The next morning, the company felt unusually tense.
People moved quicker.
Voices stayed lower.
Even the veterinary staff seemed more alert than usual.
Sophia frowned slightly as she entered the recovery ward.
“Did something happen?” she asked one of the technicians quietly while tying her hair back.
The woman hesitated.
Then smiled too quickly. “No. Just busy.”
Liar.
Sophia noticed it immediately.
There was a strange atmosphere in the building today.
Not panic.
Not fear exactly.
More like everyone was carefully avoiding saying something out loud.
Before she could ask another question, Dr. Hale appeared beside her holding a file.
“You’ll assist upstairs today,” he said.
“Upstairs?”
“The executive private care floor.”
Sophia blinked in surprise.
She didn’t even know the building had one.
Dr. Hale nodded toward the elevator. “Private clients. Rare animals. High-profile cases.”
That sounded intimidating already.
Still, Sophia straightened her shoulders.
“Okay.”
Focus.
Work.
No distractions.
Definitely not tall, emotionally confusing CEOs.
Unfortunately for her, the universe clearly enjoyed laughing at her plans.
The private care floor was quieter than the rest of the building. Softer lighting. Tighter security. More luxurious than some hospitals she had seen.
Sophia adjusted the files in her arms nervously while following a staff member down the hall.
Then she felt it.
That awareness again.
Warm.
Heavy.
Like someone’s attention physically touched her skin.
Sophia looked up instinctively
And froze.
Ethan stood at the far end of the corridor speaking to another man.
Dark suit.
Calm posture.
Power practically dripping off him without effort.
Then his eyes lifted.
Straight to her.
The effect was immediate and deeply unfair.
Her heartbeat accelerated so fast it was embarrassing.
Ethan stopped speaking mid-sentence.
The other man noticed instantly.
Sophia should’ve looked away.
Instead, she remained frozen there for one stupid second too long.
Because his gaze did something to her.
Something dangerous.
Something that made her feel seen in a way she couldn’t explain.
The man beside Ethan glanced between them curiously.
Then Ethan finally moved.
Toward her.
Sophia’s pulse became an actual problem.
By the time he stopped in front of her, she could smell his cologne faintly dark cedarwood mixed with something richer, warmer.
It made her dizzy.
“You’re assigned here today,” he said calmly.
Not a question.
Sophia forced professionalism into her voice.
“Yes, sir.”
Ethan’s eyes stayed on her face for a moment longer than necessary.
“You left late yesterday.”
Her stomach flipped.
Why did that sound personal?
“I was with a friend,” she answered carefully.
Something shifted in Ethan’s expression.
Tiny.
Almost invisible.
But colder.
“Ren.”
Sophia blinked hard.
“You know Ren?”
The silence afterward told her everything.
Oh my God.
He really had been watching her.
A mixture of shock and irritation rose inside her immediately.
“That’s inappropriate,” she said before she could stop herself.
The hallway went completely silent.
The staff nearby suddenly became very interested in literally anything else.
Ethan stared down at her.
Dangerously calm.
“Explain.”
Sophia’s heart pounded, but annoyance pushed her forward anyway.
“You had someone follow me.”
“For your safety.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You believe that.”
The response irritated her more than it should have.
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”
Ethan stepped slightly closer.
Not enough to touch her.
Enough to completely destroy her ability to think properly.
“It means,” he said quietly, “you don’t understand the kind of attention you attract.”
Sophia frowned.
“What attention?”
A pause.
Something unreadable crossed his face.
Then..
“You should stay away from him.”
Her eyebrows lifted immediately. “Excuse me?”
“Ren.”
The possessiveness hidden beneath Ethan’s calm tone hit her instantly.
And strangely enough
Her body reacted to it.
Warmth spread low in her stomach before she could stop it.
Which was insane.
Absolutely insane.
“He’s my friend,” Sophia replied carefully.
Ethan’s jaw tightened slightly.
“He wants more than friendship.”
Sophia opened her mouth to argue then stopped.
Because she realized Ethan was right.
Ren had been acting differently lately.
Still…
“That’s none of your business.”
The moment the words left her mouth, the air changed.
Ethan became very still.
Too still.
Like something dangerous had just tightened beneath his skin.
For one terrifying second, Sophia thought his eyes flashed gold.
Not brown.
Gold.
Her breath caught.
Then it disappeared so quickly she wondered if she imagined it.
“You’re right,” Ethan said finally.
His voice had gone colder now.
Professional.
Controlled.
“I’ll remember that, Miss Sophia.”
And somehow, that hurt more than if he had shouted.
Ethan stepped around her and walked away.
The pressure in the hallway vanished with him.
Sophia stood frozen in place.
Confused.
Shaken.
And suddenly aware that she didn’t want him angry with her.
Which made absolutely no sense at all.
The rest of the afternoon went badly.
Not externally.
Externally, Sophia performed perfectly.
She assisted with examinations.
Took notes.
Helped calm a nervous snow fox belonging to some wealthy client.
Answered questions correctly.
Smiled when necessary.
But internally?
Her thoughts were a complete mess.
Because every few minutes, she caught herself searching for Ethan unconsciously.
A glimpse of his dark suit passing through the hallway.
The sound of his voice somewhere nearby.
The faint feeling of awareness she now associated entirely with him.
It was exhausting.
By evening, Sophia finally escaped to the locker room with a frustrated sigh.
“You look stressed.”
Sophia nearly jumped.
She turned to find Margaret leaning against the doorway elegantly.
Margaret smiled slowly.
Sophia forced politeness into her expression. “Long day.”
“I heard.”
Something about Margaret’s tone immediately made Sophia cautious.
The woman walked closer in smooth, graceful steps.
“You should be careful,” Margaret said lightly.
Sophia frowned. “About what?”
“Ethan.”
Just hearing his name made Sophia’s pulse shift again.
Annoying.
Margaret noticed.
And smiled.
“He’s not someone you want attention from.”
Sophia crossed her arms slightly. “I’m just an intern.”
“Mm.”
Margaret tilted her head.
“That’s what makes this interesting.”
Sophia’s uneasiness deepened.
“What exactly are you implying?”
Margaret’s smile sharpened almost invisibly.
“You seem smart, Sophia. So let me give you friendly advice.”
The word friendly somehow sounded like a threat.
“People close to Ethan tend to get hurt.”
A chill crawled down Sophia’s spine.
Before she could respond, Margaret stepped aside casually.
“And trust me,” she said softly, “you don’t want certain women viewing you as competition.”
Then she left.
Sophia stared after her in complete confusion.
What was wrong with these people?
Seriously.
Was everyone in this company secretly insane?
She grabbed her bag quickly and headed for the elevators, eager to leave the strange atmosphere behind.
But as the elevator doors opened downstairs,
She stopped abruptly.
Ethan was already inside.
Alone.
Of course he was.
The moment his eyes landed on her, the air changed again.
Heavy.
Awful.
Dangerous to her concentration.
Sophia considered waiting for the next elevator.
Unfortunately, Ethan noticed.
“Get in.”
That deep voice sent another traitorous shiver through her.
Sophia stepped inside reluctantly.
The doors closed.
Silence surrounded them instantly.
Too close.
The elevator suddenly felt very small.
Sophia focused hard on the glowing floor numbers.
Anything except him.
Unfortunately, Ethan smelled unfairly good today.
And somehow she could feel him looking at her without even turning around.
“You’re avoiding me.”
Sophia blinked.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
She exhaled softly. “You’re my boss.”
“And?”
“And this is already complicated enough.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Silence.
Then....
“Complicated.”
Ethan repeated the word slowly like he was testing it.
Sophia cursed internally.
Great.
Now she sounded crazy.
“I just mean”
“I know what you meant.”
His voice had softened slightly now.
That somehow felt even more dangerous.
Sophia finally turned toward him.
Big mistake.
Ethan was already watching her intensely.
Too intensely.
Like every emotion inside him was being held back by force alone.
Her breath caught again.
“How do you do that?” she asked quietly before thinking.
A faint crease appeared between Ethan’s brows.
“Do what?”
“Look at me like that.”
The elevator became completely silent.
Sophia realized what she had said approximately two seconds too late.
Oh God.
She wanted the floor to open and swallow her alive immediately.
But Ethan didn’t laugh.
Didn’t smirk.
Didn’t look away.
If anything, his expression darkened slightly.
“Because,” he said quietly, “it’s difficult not to.”
And Sophia’s heart forgot how to function
- Writer
