Chapter 16 – The Taste of Freedom
The morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the Zhou mansion, spilling gold across the polished marble floors.
But to Ethan, the house felt colder than ever.
Adrian had left early for a meeting, his instructions echoing in Ethan's mind like prison bars:
You don't go anywhere without me.
It wasn't a request. It was law.
Ethan sat at the breakfast table, untouched food before him, his fork turning over and over in his fingers. He tried to focus on the sound of the birds outside, on the faint breeze drifting through the open curtains, but all he felt was the suffocating weight of walls that weren't his own.
The Omega in him trembled with instinct—the need for safety, for stability, for protection. But the man in him screamed for freedom.
And Ethan Li had never been the type to stay caged.
---
"Mr. Zhou said—"
"I know what Adrian said." Ethan's tone was sharper than usual, enough to make the housemaid flinch as she tried to block his path to the door.
The staff exchanged nervous glances. Adrian's word was law here, and no one dared to go against him.
But Ethan wasn't a servant. He wasn't Adrian's property.
He tugged his hoodie over his head, sunglasses in place, and with one final glare that silenced further protests, he strode past them and out the door.
The morning air hit him like a balm. For the first time since the party, he breathed freely. The city sprawled before him, alive with sound and motion, and his heart pounded with exhilaration.
So this is what freedom tastes like.
He knew Adrian would be furious. He knew there would be consequences. But in that moment, Ethan didn't care.
---
The café on the corner was small, tucked between glass towers. Ethan chose it precisely for its anonymity, sliding into a quiet booth near the window. He ordered coffee, fingers drumming against the table, the thrill of rebellion coursing through him.
But as the steam curled from the mug, Ethan's gaze drifted to the street outside.
And froze.
Leaning casually against a sleek black car, sunglasses perched on his nose, was Leon.
His smile was lazy, confident, but his eyes burned with sharp amusement as they locked onto Ethan's.
Before Ethan could react, Leon pushed off the car and strolled inside, every step deliberate, predatory.
He slid into the booth opposite Ethan as if he belonged there, ignoring the startled gasp.
"Well, well," Leon drawled, his voice smooth as silk. "The little Omega bird slipped out of his gilded cage."
Ethan's heart raced. "What do you want?"
Leon leaned forward, his smirk deepening. "Want? Oh, Ethan. Don't flatter yourself. I don't want. I take."
His hand reached across the table, brushing against Ethan's fingers before Ethan jerked back. The faintest trace of amusement flickered in Leon's gaze at the rejection.
"Adrian's losing his grip, you know," Leon murmured, stirring his coffee as if they were discussing the weather. "He looks at you, and suddenly he's weak. Unstable. Reckless. That's not like him. He used to be ruthless, untouchable. Now?" Leon's smile sharpened. "Now he's a man undone by an Omega."
Ethan bristled. "You don't know him."
"Oh, I know him better than you ever will." Leon's eyes gleamed. "And I know he can't protect you from me. Not forever."
Ethan clenched his fists under the table. "I don't need his protection."
Leon tilted his head, studying him with dangerous curiosity. "Then what do you need, Ethan? Freedom? Love? Someone who doesn't treat you like property?" His voice lowered, intimate, poisonous. "Or do you just need someone willing to burn the world for you… without chaining you to it?"
The words struck deep, stirring things Ethan didn't want to acknowledge. Leon's presence was overwhelming—different from Adrian's raw dominance. Leon's was quieter, subtler, the kind that slipped past defenses and whispered to hidden desires.
And Ethan hated that a part of him wavered.
He shoved back his chair. "Stay away from me."
Leon chuckled, rising as well, but not blocking his path. "Run back to him, then. Pretend those chains are love. But remember this, Ethan—"
His lips curved into a smile that was equal parts promise and threat.
"Cages always break. And when yours does… I'll be waiting."
---
Ethan's hands trembled as he left the café, heart hammering against his ribs. The city no longer felt freeing; every shadow felt like a trap, every glance like eyes following him.
By the time he reached the mansion, his defiance had burned down to ashes of dread.
Because Adrian was waiting.
The moment Ethan stepped inside, the door slammed shut, and Adrian's voice cut through the air, cold and sharp.
"Where. Were. You?"
Ethan's breath caught. Adrian stood in the center of the foyer, his tie loosened, his eyes burning with a fury that barely concealed the panic underneath.
"I just—needed air."
"Air?" Adrian's laugh was harsh, bitter. "Air, Ethan? Or Leon?"
Ethan froze.
Adrian's fists clenched at his sides. "I had eyes on you the moment you left this house. You think I wouldn't know?" His voice cracked, raw. "You think I'd let him near you again?"
Ethan's chest tightened. He wanted to scream, to fight, to explain—but Adrian's pain was laid bare before him, bleeding through every word.
Adrian stepped forward, his hands gripping Ethan's shoulders, not rough this time, but desperate. "Why do you keep running from me? Am I not enough? Or do you really want him?"
The question cut deeper than any chain. Ethan's throat closed, tears stinging his eyes.
"I don't want him," he whispered, his voice breaking. "But I don't want this cage either, Adrian."
The silence that followed was heavier than any scream.
Adrian's grip loosened, his expression twisting between fury, hurt, and something far more fragile.
"Then tell me," he said hoarsely. "Tell me how to keep you without losing you."
Ethan's breath shuddered. For the first time, Adrian's mask had cracked completely. The ruthless Alpha stood before him not as a captor, but as a man terrified of losing the one thing he couldn't control.
And Ethan didn't know if his heart could survive either answer.
---
Far away, Leon sipped his wine again, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at a photo on his phone—Ethan, sitting in the café, sunlight spilling across his face.
"Run back to him, little bird," Leon murmured. "The more you resist, the sweeter it will be when you finally break."