55| Ethan's Anger

Ethan sat at his desk, but his mind was anywhere but work.

For some reason, Sophie kept creeping into his thoughts.

Over the past few days, he had noticed a change in her—something subtle, but undeniable.

She seemed distracted. Her usual bright demeanor was shadowed by something he couldn't place.

And no matter how many antacids she took for her persistent stomach issues, she never seemed to feel better.

But more than anything—

She was hiding something from him.

And the thought gnawed at him constantly.

She had been quieter than usual. Her smiles didn't reach her eyes like they normally did. She, who was always chatty in the evenings, barely spoke anymore—just curled up on the couch, clutching her stomach in pain, refusing to see a doctor about it.

Ethan ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

How could he approach this?

She didn't seem upset with him, but something was definitely wrong.

And why wouldn't she talk to him about it?

Sophie had never been the type to hold back. If something was bothering her, she would say it outright—sometimes even dramatically.

So why was she keeping this to herself?

It was driving him insane.

His jaw clenched.

Enough.

If Sophie were in his position, she wouldn't hesitate to do something.

She would barge into his office during a meeting—completely unannounced—because she didn't like them not talking.

Maybe it was time for him to channel that same boldness.

If Sophie could be audacious for their relationship, so could he.

Ethan grabbed his coat, his movements quick and decisive.

He was going to see her now.

As he strode toward the elevator, Jessica looked up from her desk, sensing his urgency.

"Leaving early today, Mr. Sinclair?"

"Yes, something important has come up," Ethan replied, his voice firm but distracted.

Jessica's brow furrowed slightly. "Understood. Have a good evening."

He barely registered her words as he headed to the parking garage. His focus was on one thing—Sophie.

She should be home by now.

Reaching his car, Ethan dialed her number as he started the engine.

No answer.

He sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary.

She probably left her phone charging somewhere and forgot about it.

That was so Sophie.

Then—

His personal phone rang.

Maybe it was Sophie calling him back—

But it wasn't.

His brows furrowed when he saw Mia's name on the screen.

They were friendly, but Mia never called him randomly.

Something felt off.

He picked up immediately. "Mia?"

"Hey, Ethan," she said, her voice unusually hesitant.

His stomach dropped.

"What's going on?" he asked sharply. "Is Sophie okay?"

A pause.

"We—" Mia hesitated, and Ethan's grip tightened on the wheel.

That hesitation scared him.

"Mia," he said, his voice low and firm. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Ethan," she blurted out. "Sophie might hate me for this, but I have to tell you."

Ethan's heart pounded.

Tell me what?

Mia took a deep breath—then she finally said it.

"Loan sharks."

Ethan's blood ran cold.

"What?"

"Last week, at the shop," Mia rushed out. "A group of loan sharks came in and harassed Sophie. Lucas and I were nearby, so we stopped it before it got worse, but—" she inhaled shakily, "Ethan, I'm so scared. Please talk to her."

Ethan felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

Sophie. In danger.

He gritted his teeth, his breathing slow and controlled, barely keeping his anger in check.

That's why she had been acting so off.

That's why she had been sick, anxious, distracted.

And she hadn't told him.

"She's not picking up," he said, trying to stay calm. "Have you talked to her today?"

"No. I had to leave town for my cousin's birthday, but honestly? I couldn't even enjoy it because I've been so worried."

Ethan's jaw tightened.

That wasn't helpful.

"Thanks, Mia," he said, starting the car. "I'm driving to the shop now to check on her."

He ended the call before Mia could say anything else.

His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his pulse pounding with a mix of worry and fury.

He pressed down on the gas, speeding toward Sophie.

Because if she was still at that shop—

And if anyone was there threatening her again—

God help them.

His heartbeat was so loud he could barely hear anything else.

He had never driven this recklessly before.

But this was Sophie.

The moment he pulled up, relief washed over him—the lights inside were still on.

That relief lasted only a second.

Through the window, he could see figures moving inside. The sign had already been flipped to 'CLOSED'—and those weren't customers.

Mia was right.

The loan sharks were back.

Without hesitation, Ethan rushed to the door and tried to push it open—only to realize someone was holding it shut from the inside.

His stomach dropped.

His voice was sharp, commanding—

"Sophie?"

No answer.

His pulse hammered in his ears. He tried again, banging against the door.

"Sophie! Are you in there?"

Then—

A faint, strained voice—

"Ethan..."

That was all he needed to hear.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, raw and unrestrained.

With one powerful shove, Ethan threw his full weight against the door—knocking the man holding it to the ground.

He stormed inside, taking in the scene in seconds—

Sophie, on the floor.

Eyes wide, body tense with fear.

Surrounded.

His entire body tensed with rage.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ethan's voice was a lethal growl, his fury barely contained.

The leader of the group turned with an annoyed sneer. "And who the hell are you?"

Ethan's hands curled into fists at his sides. His voice dropped lower, colder—

"Get. Away. From. Her."

The men who had been shoved aside scrambled to their feet, clearly startled by Ethan's unexpected arrival. But the leader tried to play it cool, straightening his jacket.

"Relax, big guy. This ain't your business."

Ethan stepped forward. Dangerous. Unyielding.

"Anything that concerns her—concerns me."

His voice was calm, but there was violence simmering beneath it.

"Now. I'm only going to say this one more time."

"Get. Away. From. Her."

The men visibly hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances.

But the leader smirked, still playing tough. "We just came for what's ours."

One of the thugs chuckled. "Oh, so you're the husband? Then maybe you should pay up instead of acting tough."

Ethan's eyes darkened, fists clenching tighter.

"You don't seem to get it."

His voice was lethal now.

"I don't care why you're here. But if you don't back the hell off right now, I promise you—"

"Ethan..."

Sophie's voice—small, shaken.

She wasn't looking at him.

She was looking down, her hands gripping the fabric of her dress.

Ethan's heart twisted.

Shame.

She was ashamed.

And that—more than anything else—made his fury explode.

He turned his glare back on the men, his entire body tense with restraint.

"You think you can just come in here and threaten her?"

The leader shrugged, clearly amused by Ethan's anger. "We're not leaving without what's owed to us."

Ethan's jaw tightened. His patience—gone.

"You don't seem to understand."

His voice dropped to a deadly whisper.

"I'm already pissed. You're only making it worse."

One of the men laughed. "Damn, you're really scary, huh? Maybe instead of whining, you should just pay your wife's debts."

Ethan's breathing slowed.

His mind was calculating. Cold.

He turned his head slightly. "Is that why you ganged up on her like this?"

The leader grinned, his tone dripping with mock innocence. "Well, how else were we supposed to get paid? Poor thing kept saying she didn't have the money, so we figured we'd take our payment another way."

Then—

He raked his eyes over Sophie's body, his smirk turning lecherous.

"Pretty thing like her? I'm sure she'd be worth a hell of a lot more than the money—"

Ethan moved before he could think.

CRACK.

His fist slammed into the leader's jaw, the impact so strong the man's head whipped back violently before he crashed onto the floor.

Hard.

"Ethan!"

Sophie's panicked cry barely registered.

Because Ethan wasn't done yet.

The leader groaned on the floor, clutching his face—blood trickling from his lip.

He coughed, spitting out blood before glaring up at Ethan with fury.

"Well," he growled, wiping his mouth, "don't just stand there! Get him!"

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