"FIRE!"
The word ripped through the orchard like a gunshot.
One second everyone was laughing around the barbecue.
The next, panic exploded.
Workers sprinted toward the restaurant.
People shouted orders.
Someone called emergency services.
Madison's heart nearly stopped.
Smoke poured from the restaurant roof.
Not a lot.
Not yet.
But enough.
Enough to terrify her.
Enough to threaten everything.
"Ethan!"
Before she could react, Ethan was already running.
Fast.
Faster than she'd ever seen him move.
Madison followed.
The unfinished restaurant stood against the darkening sky.
Smoke continued rising from the rear section of the building.
By the time they reached it, several workers were already attempting to contain the fire.
Buckets.
Hoses.
Anything available.
The situation was chaotic.
"Ethan!"
A foreman pointed toward the kitchen section.
"The electrical room!"
Ethan's expression darkened.
"Everyone out."
The command came instantly.
Nobody argued.
Nobody hesitated.
Madison watched him take charge.
The calm farmer vanished.
The leader appeared.
"Check every section."
"Move the fuel containers."
"Get water to the rear wall."
Orders flew rapidly.
Workers obeyed immediately.
Then Ethan did something incredibly stupid.
He headed toward the building.
Madison's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?"
Ethan ignored her.
Not a good sign.
"Ethan!"
Still nothing.
Madison grabbed his arm.
Hard.
He stopped.
Finally.
"The fire hasn't spread yet."
"I know."
"Then why are you trying to become a hero?"
His jaw tightened.
"The construction plans."
Madison blinked.
"What?"
"The originals."
"The plans?"
"They're inside."
Madison stared at him.
Completely speechless.
"You're risking your life for paperwork?"
"The plans aren't backed up."
"What?!"
Ethan winced.
Apparently even he realized how ridiculous that sounded.
Unfortunately he was still planning to do it.
Madison pointed at the building.
"You've officially lost your mind."
"Probably."
Then before she could stop him—
He ran inside.
Madison nearly screamed.
Around her, workers continued fighting the fire.
Noah arrived moments later.
One look at her expression told him everything.
"What did he do?"
"He went inside."
Noah closed his eyes.
"Of course he did."
"You knew he'd do that?"
"Unfortunately."
Madison threw her hands into the air.
"The building is on fire!"
"Welcome to Ethan Hayes."
Noah looked completely unsurprised.
Which somehow made the situation worse.
Minutes felt like hours.
Smoke thickened.
Flames became visible through one side of the structure.
Madison couldn't stand still.
Couldn't breathe properly.
Couldn't think.
Because all she could picture was Ethan trapped inside.
The realization hit unexpectedly.
The fear wasn't normal.
Not friend-level fear.
Not casual concern.
This felt deeper.
Much deeper.
And that terrified her.
Then—
Movement.
A figure emerged from the smoke.
Ethan.
Covered in ash.
Carrying a large tube of rolled blueprints.
Madison nearly lost her mind.
He made it ten feet before she reached him.
And immediately smacked his shoulder.
Hard.
"What was that?!"
Ethan blinked.
"What?"
"What do you mean WHAT?"
Another hit.
"You absolute idiot."
Second hit.
"The building was on fire."
Third hit.
"You could've died."
Ethan stared.
Workers stared.
Noah stared.
Everyone stared.
Because Madison looked genuinely furious.
The kind of furious that only existed when someone scared you.
Really scared you.
Eventually Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.
"I got the plans."
Madison looked ready to throw him back into the fire.
Noah was trying very hard not to laugh.
Trying.
And failing.
Fortunately for Ethan, emergency crews arrived at that moment.
Saving him from Madison.
For now.
---
An hour later, the fire was finally extinguished.
The damage wasn't catastrophic.
Thank God.
But it wasn't minor either.
A large section of the kitchen had been damaged.
Several walls needed replacement.
Electrical systems required inspection.
Construction would be delayed.
Again.
Madison stood near the edge of the property watching firefighters work.
Her excitement from earlier was gone.
Replaced by frustration.
Fear.
Suspicion.
Because she no longer believed this was coincidence.
First the irrigation system.
Then the break-in.
Now a fire.
No.
Someone was targeting the restaurant.
The question was why.
Footsteps approached.
Ethan.
Madison didn't look at him.
"You almost died."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I really didn't."
She finally turned.
His shirt was stained with soot.
His hair was a mess.
There was ash on his face.
Yet somehow he still looked annoyingly handsome.
Madison hated that.
Very much.
"You scared me."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Silence.
A long silence.
Because the honesty surprised both of them.
Ethan looked at her carefully.
Then quietly said—
"I'm sorry."
Madison froze.
Not because of the apology.
Because of the way he said it.
Softly.
Genuinely.
As though her feelings actually mattered to him.
A dangerous warmth spread through her chest.
She immediately ignored it.
Or tried to.
Not very successfully.
---
Around midnight, the firefighters finally left.
Most workers headed home.
Only Ethan, Noah, and Madison remained.
The three stood inside the damaged section of the building.
Broken wiring hung from the walls.
Burned materials littered the floor.
The smell of smoke lingered everywhere.
Noah crouched beside the electrical panel.
Then frowned.
"What?"
Noah pointed.
"This."
Ethan moved closer.
Madison followed.
Inside the panel, several wires had been cut.
Not damaged.
Cut.
Deliberately.
The room went silent.
Noah slowly stood.
His expression was grim.
"Well."
Madison already knew what he was about to say.
"This wasn't an accident."
Nobody argued.
Because the evidence was right there.
Someone had intentionally started the fire.
Someone wanted this project destroyed.
And they were becoming more aggressive.
Madison felt a chill run through her body.
Because suddenly this wasn't about money.
Or competition.
Or business.
This felt personal.
Very personal.
Then Noah noticed something on the floor.
A small metal object.
He picked it up.
Examined it.
His expression changed immediately.
"Ethan."
Ethan looked over.
Then froze.
For the first time all night, genuine shock appeared on his face.
Madison frowned.
"What is it?"
Neither brother answered.
Bad sign.
Very bad sign.
"Ethan."
Slowly, he took the object from Noah.
A silver keychain.
Old.
Worn.
Engraved.
Madison couldn't see the front.
But whatever was written there had completely changed Ethan's expression.
The color drained from his face.
And suddenly he looked like a man staring at a ghost.
"Ethan?"
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"That's impossible."
Madison's stomach dropped.
Because she had never seen Ethan afraid before.
Not once.
Until now.
And whatever was engraved on that keychain...
Had just awakened a secret buried deep in the Hayes family's past.
A secret someone clearly wanted remembered.
To be continued... 🔥📖❤️