The Man Who Forgot How to Feel
897 Words
Ethan Blackwood did not like mornings.
Not because they were difficult.
But because they arrived whether he was ready for them or not.
And readiness, in his world, was an illusion people used to feel in control.
He wasn’t in control, he never had been.
Not since the day his father died, not since the day Michael Blackwood followed after him.
Ethan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse office, staring at California below like it was a chessboard he no longer cared to play on.
Cars moved like ants, people moved like distractions.
Everything moved, except him.
“You have a meeting in ten minutes, sir,” his assistant’s voice came through the intercom.
“Cancel it,” Ethan said flatly.
There was a strange pause.
“That is the board meeting, sir.”
Another pause.
Ethan’s reflection stared back at him in the glass.
He was wearing a dark suit and had a sharp jawline. His eyes were looking like they didn’t belong to someone alive.
“Then let them wait,” he said.
The line went silent.
No one who valued their job argued with Ethan Blackwood twice.
He turned away from the window and walked back to his desk.
On the desk was a file.
It was unmarked, unrequested and unusual.
That alone was enough to irritate him but Ethan opened it.
Inside it was a photograph of a woman who had messy hair slightly damp from rain. Her eyes were looking tired but defiant. Something about her expression felt misplaced in his world.
The document has the name: Ariana Benson.
Below the image was a short note.
“No qualifications. No family backing. Extreme financial pressure. Perfect candidate for discretion-based arrangement.”
Ethan exhaled slowly.
He hated when people used words like perfect because he believed nothing was perfect. Everything broke eventually.
He closed the file.
“Throw this away,” he said. But he didn’t push it aside.
Not immediately.
Instead, his fingers lingered on the edge of the paper.
A habit he thought he had buried years ago resurfaced briefly.
Curiosity!
He didn’t like it but he couldn't let go of the file. The file stayed on his desk, unmoved and unforgotten.
A knock came at the door.
“Come in.”
A man entered. He was his legal advisor.
“Sir, we have a situation.”
Ethan didn’t look up. “We always do.”
The man hesitated.
“This one is different.” That made Ethan pause.
He finally looked up with his cold eyes and unmoved expression.
“Speak.” The advisor placed another document on the table.
A contract draft.
“Marriage agreement proposal.”
Silence filled the room. Ethan stared at it like it had insulted him personally.
Then he leaned back slowly in his chair.
“Whose idea is this?” The advisor swallowed.
“Yours technically...” Ethan’s jaw tightened slightly.
“Explain and explain now.” The advisor adjusted his glasses nervously.
“The board believes your public image needs stabilizing. A controlled relationship narrative would improve investor confidence. Low emotional risk. Temporary arrangement. One year.” Ethan laughed but there was no humor in it at all.
“I don’t do emotional arrangements.”
“Yes, sir.”
Silence filled the room again.
Ethan’s gaze drifted back to the file on his desk. Ariana Benson!
Something about her still lingered.
Like a question he had not asked yet.
He stood and walked to the window again.
Below him, the city kept breathing.
It was loud, messy and alive unlike him.
“Find me someone suitable,” Ethan said finally.
The advisor blinked. “Sir?”
“For the contract,” Ethan added.
A pause.
Then, he continued
“One condition,” Ethan said coldly.
The advisor nodded quickly. “Yes, sir?”
“She signs. No negotiation. No emotional attachment. No interference in my work.”
“Understood.”
Ethan turned slightly, his eyes hardened.
“And she leaves when I say.”
The advisor nodded again.
“Yes, sir.”
When the door closed, Ethan remained by the window.
Still, silent, empty.
But for the first time in years, something flickered at the back of his mind.
The image of a girl in the rain.
He shut it down immediately.
Emotions were dangerous.
He had learned that lesson the hard way.
Hours later.
Blackwood Enterprises Tower stood like a monument to power.
Inside, everything moved with precision.
No mistakes, no weakness, no room for failure.
Ethan walked through the hallway, employees stepping aside immediately.
He did not acknowledge them, he never did.
Until, his assistant caught up to him.
“Sir… the candidate file has been finalized.” Ethan stopped and slowly turned to his assistant.
“Bring it.” A folder was handed to him.
He opened it, and there she was again.
Ariana Benson!
Same tired eyes, same stubborn expression, same unknown problem he couldn’t define.
His assistant spoke carefully.
“She came recommended under urgent financial eligibility review. Extremely desperate circumstances. She will accept almost anything.” Immediately after hearing that, Ethan closed the file.
Good!
Desperation meant compliance, compliance meant control and control meant no surprises.
“Br
ing her in,” he said.
Then he turned and walked away.
Not realizing that the biggest mistake of his life had already been approved.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD