Bound by Fate

Chapter 1: The Accident

In an upscale, elegantly designed office, the sound of a woman's moans filled the air, but there was only one voice, making the situation oddly unsettling.

Behind a large desk, a breathtakingly handsome man sat back in his chair with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. His clothes were still perfectly in place, but a completely naked woman with a voluptuous figure was straddling him, moving up and down. Her red lips parted as she let out sounds of pleasure, her eyes filled with a lustful obsession as she gazed at the man in front of her.

Despite her efforts, the man showed no reaction except for slightly heavier breathing. Frustrated, she couldn't believe that her charms were ineffective.

Determined to win him over, she moved her hips even more vigorously, trying her best to please the beautiful man. Her eyes were filled with determination—she had to have him!

Suddenly, the office door was kicked open with a loud bang, and a strikingly handsome man strode in. The woman screamed, hastily trying to cover her naked body.

At that moment, the man behind the desk finally opened his eyes, his gaze landing on the woman. His face showed no emotion, but she couldn't help but tremble, her eyes avoiding his, too afraid to meet his gaze.

"Continue," he commanded in a cold, detached voice, as if it had come from the depths of hell.

The woman glanced at the newcomer, her body trembling as she resumed her actions. The man who had entered the room smirked and casually sat on the nearby sofa, watching the scene unfold with amusement in his eyes.

"You're quite idle, aren't you?" Ethan Blackwood remarked.

The other man immediately wiped the smile off his face, finally remembering why he was there. He complained, "Boss, I've been swamped with work! I was hoping you'd finally show up at the office, but instead, you're here... having fun?"

The chilling gaze from Ethan silenced him instantly. He raised his hands in surrender. "I'll disappear right away!" He quickly turned and left the room, even closing the door behind him, as if his sole purpose had been to complain.

"Ah..." The woman collapsed onto Ethan’s chest, breathlessly reaching out to embrace him.

"Get off," he ordered.

She shivered, immediately withdrawing her hands, her eyes full of reluctance. "Mr. Blackwood..."

"Get off," he repeated, his voice even colder this time.

Not daring to test his patience, the woman obediently climbed off him. She didn’t bother to put on her clothes, instead posing seductively, but Ethan didn’t even glance at her. He turned and headed towards the office’s private lounge.

The woman watched as he entered the lounge, her face full of frustration. She looked down at her own flawless, pale skin. He hadn’t touched her once!

After a while, the lounge door opened again. Ethan had changed into a fresh set of clothes. Seeing the woman still standing there, completely naked, he frowned. "Why are you still here?"

"Mr. Blackwood, I..."

"Leave," he interrupted.

She opened her mouth to say something but caught sight of his cold eyes and froze. Not daring to protest, she quickly dressed and left the office, her heart full of resentment.

A few moments later, Ethan Blackwood walked out, only to be stopped at the door.

"Boss, are you leaving again?"

Ethan cast a cold glance at him and said, "You're the one who complains the most." The implication was clear—he was the most useless.

"Hehe..." The man chuckled awkwardly, stepping aside. "Take care, Boss!" He wasn’t being sycophantic; he simply didn’t want to be sent off to some remote outpost!

As Ethan emerged from the grand building, his driver quickly came forward and respectfully opened the car door. Ethan got into the car and closed his eyes. "Take me back to the villa," he ordered.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Ethan opened his eyes, and the driver, who had just caught sight of his gaze in the rearview mirror, panicked, his hands trembling. "I’m sorry, sir..."

At that moment, a red sports car lost control and sped directly towards them.

The screech of tires filled the air, followed by a loud crash. The red sports car’s front end swerved and collided with a nearby truck.

The driver let out a sigh of relief—at least his boss was unharmed. But seeing the accident ahead, his heart began to race again. The phone continued to ring, but he didn’t dare answer it. "Sir..." He wondered if his boss would fire him on the spot.

"Drive... wait!" Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the sports car. The driver was a delicate woman with doll-like features, who seemed to have passed out, likely having hit her head. Blood trickled down her face, staining her pale arm. Ethan’s eyes lingered on the ring on her finger as she still gripped the steering wheel.

"Get her into the car," Ethan ordered.

The driver hesitated for a moment before stepping out of the car. Ethan pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "I have a situation here—handle it. A car accident," he said curtly before hanging up.

"Take her to Riverview Hospital," Ethan said, glancing at the woman’s pale face without any visible emotion. Then his eyes fell on the ring again.

The ring was simple—a plain band with an unusual pattern that sent a shiver down the spine, as if some monster might emerge from it at any moment.

"Boss..." James Collins, his expression rarely showing emotion, seemed surprised. Since when did his boss care about saving a woman, let alone have him personally attend to her? He looked at the woman—she was indeed delicate and beautiful. Could it be that his boss had taken a liking to her? Then again, it didn’t seem possible.

When he exited the operating room, James’ expression was even more shocked. "Boss, you’re still here?"

Ethan ignored the question. "How is she?"

"She’s out of danger, but she hit her head. We’ll need to monitor her to see if there are any lasting effects."

"Alright," Ethan responded blandly, showing no further reaction.

"Uh... Boss, are you going to wait for her to wake up?" It was rare to see James so expressive.

"Is there a problem?" Ethan’s icy blue eyes swept over him.

James felt a chill but managed to hold his ground. They had all gotten used to it over time. He quickly replied, "No problem!"

After a moment’s hesitation, James spoke again. "Boss, I have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be going now." Being the hospital director was no easy job, especially since he had more than one profession.

Seeing that Ethan had no response, James quietly left the room. Just before closing the door, he noticed that Ethan’s eyes were once again fixed on that ring. A flash of recognition crossed his mind—the ring seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall where he’d seen it before.

Then it hit him. The boss had saved her because of the ring!