CHAPTER 3: ANTIQUITY EXPERT
1218 Words
(Ethan's POV)
I stood there like an i***t still unable to believe her audacity.
For someone so little like her she sure had lots of guts.
The nurse had tried to stop her but she ignored her just like she ignored me.
Even though it was obvious she was still in lots of pain she had stubbornly walked out refusing any sort of treatment.
Unbelievable.
In all my years no one had ever looked me dead in the eye and called me a jerk.
An insensitive jerk at that.
I was used to people cowering all over me and trying so hard to please me and obtain my good graces.
But not her. She'd sized me up in about three seconds flat and decided I wasn't worth her politeness.
And she had absolutely zero clue who I was, which was... fascinating, actually.
When was the last time someone treated me like just a random guy.
I couldn't look away even as she had long disappeared around the corner.
"James," I called to my driver without looking away from her disappearing figure.
"Yes, sir?"
"Follow that woman. Make sure she gets home safely. Keep your distance, but don't let her out of your sight."
He nodded and left without question, accustomed to my unusual requests.
I was still reeling. The events of the day played back like a blur.
One minute, I was scrolling through reports in the back seat of the car, reviewing quarterly projections and merger documents…
When suddenly the brakes screeched loudly followed by a sickening thud that made my stomach drop straight through the floor.
I'd been out of the car before my brain caught up with my body.
Seeing her sprawl on the floor, I felt this surging panic like never before and I thought she may be dead.
I dropped to the floor ignoring my Italian suit that probably cost more than most people's annual salary.
And when I'd pulled her into my arms...
God.
She'd felt so small.
So fragile in a way that made every protective instinct I didn't know I still had roar to life.
I had immediately rushed her to the hospital and when I was told she would be ok, I finally released the breath I didn't even know I was holding.
When she finally opened her eyes, my world momentarily stopped.
Those eyes.
Deep green with little flecks of gold that caught the afternoon sun like scattered coins at the bottom of a wishing well.
For one heart-stopping moment, I'd thought , hoped even that maybe it was her.
But I was utterly wrong.
Still, there was something about those eyes that haunted me.
They reminded me of something I'd lost a long time ago, something I'd been searching for longer than I could remember.
My phone rang, slicing through my thoughts like a blade.
I fumbled for it, my hands still a little shaky from the whole encounter.
Anthony's name flashed on the screen.
"Please tell me you have good news," I said not bothering for pleasantries.
"Better than good, sir. We finally found her."
I felt my heart skip rapidly in my chest. "Found who?"
"Someone who can read the pendant with full translation and perfect accuracy. She knew details about the inscription that aren't written anywhere else."
I froze, my blood turning to ice. "That's impossible."
"I thought so too. But I was there myself. She had described it word for word. Including the old inscription."
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
"You're absolutely sure about this?"
"Very sure sir. I double-checked it against the original texts. She even mentioned the blood magic without anyone prompting her."
Something I hadn't felt in longer than I could remember surged through my chest. Hope, raw and desperate hope.
I'd been searching for so long. So damn long.
Scholars, mystics, historians, archaeologists… they had all failed me.
Each promising breakthrough had led to a disappointing end.
But now someone had succeeded.
"I need to meet her," I said, my voice urgent with barely restrained desperation. "Tonight."
"I've been trying to reach her for a while now, but I'll send her an email invite to the Hillcrest gala. She'll be there."
The Hillcrest gala. Of course. As one of their biggest clients and investors, I was hosting the damned thing.
Under normal circumstances, I would have made an appearance, written a substantial check, and left as quickly as possible.
I hated crowds, hated the small talk and meaningless socializing that came with maintaining my human facade.
The pretense exhausted me.
But tonight would be different. Tonight, I might finally get the answers I'd been searching for centuries.
"Make sure she's comfortable," I said. "Whatever she needs, whatever she wants. Spare no expense."
"Understood Sir. I'll take care of it personally."
"Good. Thank you, Anthony."
I ended the call and stood there, trying to steady my racing heartbeat.
The pendant had been my only clue. My last thread of hope to finding her again.
And now...
Now I had a chance.
In that moment, the sharp-tongued woman from the hospital faded from my mind completely.
All I could think about was the possibility that I might finally get the answers I'd been searching for.
Without thinking, I quickly stormed out of the hospital into my car and drove off to prepare for the big night ahead.
---
The Hillcrest gala was already in full swing when I arrived, fashionably late as usual.
The ballroom sparkled under those massive crystal chandeliers that probably cost more than most people's houses, and the city's elite had turned out in force.
All silk gowns and perfectly tailored tuxedos, air thick with expensive perfume and the kind of laughter that came from people who never had to check their bank account before buying anything.
I moved through the crowd with practiced ease, shaking hands and making small talk, but my mind was elsewhere.
Every few minutes, I found myself scanning the room, looking for the antiquity expert.
"Isn't she here yet?" I asked for the millionth time, unable to hide my impatience.
"She's on her way sir," Anthony replied calmly, checking his phone. "I'll let you know the moment she arrives."
I nodded, tapping my fingers restlessly against my champagne glass.
"Sir," Anthony returned few minutes later, appearing at my side like a shadow. "She's here."
My pulse surged, adrenaline flooding my system. "Where?"
"By the entrance. Getting her coat checked."
I turned toward the entrance, my pulse hammering in my ears.
After all this time, after all this searching, I was finally going to meet the person who could read the pendant
"There she is," Anthony said quietly, nodding toward the coat check. "The woman in the midnight blue gown."
I turned and my breath caught in my throat.
There, by the coat check...
It was her.
The same petite lady from the hospital. The one who had called me an arrogant jerk without batting an eye.
She was the expert?
The universe had to be playing some cruel joke on me.
"Sir, should I bring her over?" Anthony asked, noticing my stunned silence.
I shook my head as a slow, amused smile crept across my face.
"No Anthony, I'll go to her instead."
This was going to be very interesting!
- Writer
