CHAPTER 15: Face to Face
812 Words
Ethan’s POV
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I didn’t wait.
By the time I left the library, I already knew where she would be. Vanessa never hid when she wanted to be seen. She chose her stage carefully, made sure there were eyes, whispers, attention.
Control wasn’t just something she wanted.
It was something she performed.
I found her exactly where I expected—near the central courtyard, surrounded by people who pretended not to be watching her but clearly were. She stood there like she owned the space, like nothing could touch her.
For a moment, I just watched.
Not because I was hesitating.
But because I was reminding myself of one thing.
She wanted a reaction.
She always did.
But this time…
She wasn’t getting the one she expected.
I walked toward her.
The moment she noticed me, her lips curved slightly, like she had been waiting for this.
“Ethan,” she said smoothly. “Took you long enough.”
The people around her slowly stepped back, sensing the shift in the air. Good. I didn’t want an audience.
But with Vanessa…
There was always one.
“You’ve gone too far,” I said.
She tilted her head slightly, studying me like this was nothing more than an interesting conversation. “That depends on your definition of far.”
“You involved her family.”
“And?” she asked lightly.
My jaw tightened.
“That wasn’t part of the game.”
Her smile didn’t fade. “You still think this is a game?”
Silence stretched between us.
Because we both knew it wasn’t.
Not anymore.
“You want control,” I said. “Fine. But this ends now.”
Something flickered in her eyes.
Not fear.
Interest.
“You’ve said that before,” she replied. “It didn’t work then either.”
“This time is different.”
“Because of her?” she asked softly.
I didn’t answer.
I didn’t need to.
Her expression sharpened just slightly.
“I warned you,” she continued. “You’re getting too close.”
“And you think this is how you fix that?”
“I don’t fix things,” she said calmly. “I adjust them.”
The same word.
Control.
Always control.
“You released that video,” I said.
“Yes.”
No denial.
Of course not.
“You’re trying to ruin her.”
“I’m showing her where she stands,” Vanessa corrected. “There’s a difference.”
“She’s not part of this.”
“She is now.”
The finality in her voice made something in me snap.
“She shouldn’t be paying for something that has nothing to do with her.”
Vanessa stepped closer, her gaze locking onto mine.
“Everything about you has something to do with me,” she said quietly.
There it was.
Not love.
Not even obsession.
Possession.
“You don’t get to decide that,” I replied.
“I already did,” she said.
Silence.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Then she leaned in slightly, her voice dropping just enough that only I could hear.
“Tell me,” she murmured, “did you explain everything to her?”
My expression didn’t change.
But she noticed the pause.
Of course she did.
Her smile returned—slow, knowing.
“I didn’t think so,” she said. “You never do.”
“This ends, Vanessa.”
“You keep saying that.”
“I mean it.”
“So do I.”
The shift was instant.
The softness in her tone disappeared, replaced by something colder.
“You think you can protect her,” she continued. “But you can’t even protect yourself.”
My jaw tightened. “Watch me.”
Her eyes darkened slightly.
“You’re forgetting something,” she said.
I didn’t respond.
I didn’t need to.
She stepped even closer now, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I still have it.”
The words hit exactly where she wanted them to.
Controlled.
Precise.
Dangerous.
My expression stayed neutral.
But inside—
I felt it.
The reminder.
The leverage.
The one thing she knew I couldn’t ignore.
“That doesn’t scare me anymore,” I said.
It was a lie.
And she knew it.
I saw it in her eyes.
“You should be careful what you pretend not to fear,” she replied softly.
Then she stepped back, creating distance again, her expression smoothing out like nothing had happened.
“Because the next time I use it,” she added, “there won’t be a way to take it back.”
The warning settled between us.
Clear.
Final.
I didn’t move.
Didn’t react.
Didn’t give her what she wanted.
But as I turned to leave—
I understood something I hadn’t wanted to admit before.
This wasn’t just about control anymore.
It was about destruction.
And Vanessa wasn’t bluffing.
- Writer
