Chapter 9: The Fragile Mirror
946 Words
Ethan stood in his office, the photographs in his hands no longer just paper; they were irrefutable evidence of a "conspiracy" in his mind. The theory of the twins, which had solidified in his thoughts, ignited a rage unlike anything he had ever felt. How could two women—the fragile Rachel and the rebellious Gazelle—be playing with the mind of a man like Ethan? He felt insulted, consumed by a desire to avenge his violated dignity.
At that moment, Rachel was walking down the hall, carrying a cup of hot coffee to the Director's office, unaware of the storm waiting behind that door. As she approached, the door swung open violently, and Ethan emerged like a cyclone, his eyes burning with the fire of suspicion.
Without warning, he gripped her wrist with crushing force. The coffee cup slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor, splashing hot liquid onto his clothes and scalding Rachel's hand. She recoiled, trembling, panic filling her eyes behind her thick spectacles, while Ethan dragged her into the office and slammed the door shut.
"Do you still think you can play the role of the innocent?" Ethan roared, his voice shaking the room. "Do you enjoy this deception? Do you think I am a fool, blind enough to believe in this face that changes like a mask?"
Rachel stood frozen, unable to comprehend his accusations, until Ethan suddenly noticed the coffee burn on her hand. His rage vanished for a heartbeat, replaced by a strange tension. He took her hand with unexpected gentleness, whispering, "I’m sorry... I..."
But Rachel had already reached her breaking point. Tears cascaded down her face, and she looked so utterly innocent and wronged that his heart swayed violently. She pulled her hand from his grip with a sharp jerk, standing before him, her body shuddering with sobs. She said, her voice splintered and barely audible through the tears:
"I don't know... I don't know why you treat me this way! And I don't know what I did to deserve this... But I swear, I swear I did nothing!"
She paused to catch her ragged breath, then continued bitterly:
"If you want to fire me... then do it. But don't treat me this way. Please, I am a human being, not a doll in your hands!"
Ethan didn't wait for a response; Rachel rushed out, leaving behind a heavy, suffocating silence. Ethan sat at his desk, watching the empty space where she had been standing. He began to think; had he wronged her? Were those tears genuine, or were they just part of another ruse?
"Perhaps Rachel is innocent... but I am certain that Gazelle is not," he muttered to himself.
A pang of conscience pricked at him. He had been too harsh. Grabbing a handkerchief from his desk, he stood up—not as a director, but as a man searching for the truth, or perhaps for forgiveness—and set out to find her.
Meanwhile, "Green Arrow" was operating at its usual pace until Adam, Ethan's younger brother, walked in with his confident stride and boisterous laughter. Only two years younger than Ethan, Adam possessed an entirely different energy; he began teasing the employees and exchanging jokes, shattering the rigidity his brother imposed on the place.
While wandering, his eyes caught Rachel from afar, and he decided to tease her. He crept up behind her to scare her, but as he drew closer, he found her sobbing bitterly. The playfulness vanished from his expression instantly, and he tried to comfort her by making her laugh. He playfully swiped her glasses and perched them on his own nose in a ridiculous pose. Rachel giggled despite her tears, and he chuckled, "Honestly, you are much more beautiful without them."
Rachel shook her head, wiping away the remnants of her tears. "I know, but I've grown so used to them. I had corrective surgery years ago, but I feel incomplete without them." They laughed together, a moment of pure spontaneity.
At that moment, Ethan was approaching the hallway, intending to apologize to her, clutching the handkerchief. But before he could reach them, Rachel tripped over a loose shoelace and was about to fall. In a blur, Adam lunged forward and caught her.
Ethan stopped in his tracks, paralyzed by the sight. A surge of fury surged through him; he gripped the handkerchief so tightly his knuckles turned white, threatening to tear the fabric, as he watched Adam holding her.
Adam stood still, holding Rachel, while Ethan advanced toward them with heavy, war-drum-like footsteps. Adam noticed his brother and smiled innocently, "Oh, Ethan! She almost fell, didn't she, Rachel?"
But Ethan ignored him completely. His eyes were fixed on Rachel, his jaw clenched, his hand still crushing the handkerchief. He closed the distance until he was face-to-face with them. Adam immediately released Rachel’s arm under the weight of his brother's scorching gaze.
Ethan leaned in, tilting his head toward Rachel, and whispered in a low, poisonous voice that only she could hear:
"So, you are trying to slip away from me because you have found a new prey."
Rachel was unable to respond, shock paralyzing her lungs. Ethan watched every drop of terror on her features, then turned to Adam with a cold, piercing look and ordered sternly:
"Get out of here, Adam. We have work to do, and there is no time for games."
Adam left, shrugging his shoulders in confusion at his brother's mood swings, leaving Rachel alone before Ethan's raging volcano.
- Writer
