CHAPTER 9 - Ethan Cole
1178 Words
If there was one thing Elena had learned since joining Wolfe Global, it was this:
Adrian Wolfe commanded attention.
Ethan Cole attracted it.
The difference was subtle but obvious once she noticed it.
People respected Adrian.
People liked Ethan.
And somehow, despite being cousins, the two men couldn’t have been more different.
The realization struck Elena again on Tuesday morning.
She had barely settled into her desk when a small box appeared in front of her.
She frowned.
“What is this?”
Maya immediately leaned forward.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“Oh my God.”
Elena looked inside the box.
A blueberry muffin.
A coffee.
And a handwritten note.
You looked like you were losing a battle with spreadsheets yesterday. Consider this a peace offering.
— Ethan
Elena laughed.
Maya gasped dramatically.
“He brought you breakfast.”
“It’s a muffin.”
“It’s not a muffin.”
“It literally is.”
“It’s attention.”
Elena rolled her eyes.
“You’re impossible.”
Maya pointed at the note.
“He likes you.”
“He doesn’t.”
“He absolutely does.”
Before Elena could argue further, the elevator doors opened.
Several employees stepped aside.
Adrian emerged.
As usual.
Sharp suit.
Calm expression.
Controlled presence.
His gaze swept across the office.
Then landed briefly on the box sitting on Elena’s desk.
Something flickered in his eyes.
Gone instantly.
He continued walking.
But Elena noticed.
And for some reason, she suddenly felt guilty.
Which made absolutely no sense.
Half an hour later, Elena was delivering reports to the executive floor when she found Ethan standing outside one of the conference rooms.
He looked unusually relaxed for someone who was supposed to be attending an important meeting.
“Ethan.”
He smiled immediately.
“There she is.”
Elena shook her head.
“Don’t you have somewhere important to be?”
“Probably.”
“Probably?”
“I ignore at least half my schedule.”
She laughed.
“That explains a lot.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I’ll take it anyway.”
His confidence was ridiculous.
And strangely entertaining.
Ethan walked beside her as she continued down the hallway.
“You never answered my question.”
“What question?”
“Dinner.”
Elena nearly stopped walking.
“Dinner?”
“Friday.”
“When did you ask me?”
“Last week.”
“You suggested food.”
“I was clearly asking you out.”
“You were not.”
“I was.”
They both laughed.
The easy conversation reminded Elena why so many people liked Ethan.
Being around him felt effortless.
There was no pressure.
No tension.
No complicated expectations.
Just fun.
Unfortunately, someone else witnessed the interaction.
From the other end of the corridor.
Adrian.
Again.
His expression remained unreadable.
But his eyes followed them longer than necessary.
Long enough to notice Elena laughing.
Long enough to notice Ethan watching her.
Long enough to feel something he didn’t appreciate.
Irritation.
The board meeting that afternoon lasted almost three hours.
By the end, Elena was exhausted.
She gathered her documents and prepared to leave when Adrian’s voice stopped her.
“Stay.”
The other executives slowly exited.
Leaving the two of them alone.
Elena sat back down.
“What happened?”
Adrian closed a file.
Then looked at her.
“Nothing.”
“Then why am I staying?”
A pause.
Then—
“Your analysis this afternoon was useful.”
Elena blinked.
“Thank you.”
Another pause followed.
Strange.
Almost awkward.
Finally Adrian spoke again.
“You and Ethan seem to get along.”
The comment surprised her.
Mostly because it sounded suspiciously personal.
“We work together.”
“He asked you to dinner.”
Elena stared.
For a moment, she forgot how to form words.
Because—
How did he know that?
The realization arrived immediately.
Someone had seen them talking.
Apparently everyone in this building had too much free time.
“I haven’t agreed yet.”
The response escaped before she could stop it.
Something changed in Adrian’s expression.
A tiny shift.
Almost imperceptible.
But there.
“No?”
Elena shrugged.
“I’ve been busy.”
The answer was true.
Mostly.
For some reason, that seemed to satisfy him.
Which was even stranger.
Why would he care?
The question stayed with her long after she left his office.
Later that evening, Ethan appeared beside her desk again.
“Good news.”
Elena looked up.
“What now?”
“I’m upgrading the invitation.”
“There was an invitation?”
“There is now.”
She laughed.
Ethan leaned against her desk.
“Dinner.”
“You’re persistent.”
“I’ve been told.”
“You’ve also been ignored.”
“A temporary setback.”
His confidence was honestly impressive.
Or concerning.
Possibly both.
Elena smiled despite herself.
“I’ll think about it.”
Ethan placed a hand over his heart dramatically.
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Yet charming.”
“Debatable.”
Ethan grinned.
Progress.
Across the executive floor, Adrian stood near his office window.
Below him, New York moved with its usual energy.
Busy.
Loud.
Unstoppable.
Normally, work distracted him.
Today, it didn’t.
His thoughts kept drifting elsewhere.
To Ethan.
To Elena.
To the growing familiarity between them.
This was what he wanted.
Wasn’t it?
This was the entire point.
Ethan notices Elena.
Develops feelings.
Gets attached.
Exactly as planned.
Yet somehow the reality felt different from what he’d imagined.
Uncomfortable.
Because every time he saw them together, he felt something unexpected.
Not satisfaction.
Not victory.
Something much worse.
Jealousy.
The realization irritated him immediately.
He wasn’t jealous.
He had no right to be jealous.
This was a plan.
A calculated decision.
Nothing more.
Yet the feeling remained.
Persistent.
Unwelcome.
Impossible to ignore.
That night, Elena finally arrived home just after eight.
Her mother sat in the living room reading.
Liam was stretched across the couch pretending to study.
Pretending badly.
“Long day?” her mother asked.
“The longest.”
Liam looked up.
“Rich boss still overworking you?”
Elena dropped her bag.
“Absolutely.”
“Quit.”
“That’s not how employment works.”
“It should.”
She laughed.
Then paused.
Because suddenly she found herself thinking about Adrian.
Not the billionaire.
Not the CEO.
Just Adrian.
The man who remembered details.
The man who worked too much.
The man who seemed lonely despite having everything.
And for reasons she couldn’t explain, she found herself wondering what he was doing right now.
The thought unsettled her.
Enough that she quickly pushed it away.
Because there was absolutely no reason to be thinking about Adrian Wolfe while sitting in her family’s apartment.
None whatsoever.
Unfortunately, her heart didn’t seem interested in listening.
And somewhere across the city, Adrian Wolfe was discovering a problem.
The closer Ethan moved toward Elena…
The more Adrian wanted him to stay away.
- Writer
