Her face fell instantly and she stood glued to the spot, her eyes locked on him as he was surrounded by hotel guests and the crowd who had managed to enter...
He looked even better than Andrea had remembered with his fine and sexy body…He was whoever he thought he was, and he knew it.
The guards struggled to hold the line, pushing the excited crowd back as they tried to edge closer with their phones raised high to capture another glimpse of him.
"Darksire!" they chanted louder and louder until his name echoed through the lobby.
He smiled as he walked, enjoying every second of the attention. Each step he took made the crowd scream even more.
Andrea stood still as they drew closer and walked passed her, the noise around her fading until all she could hear was her heartbeat. The man she once loved and hated was right there…
The security kept shouting, trying to calm everyone and push them back toward their hotel rooms.
"Oh my God, he's even hotter in person!"
"Look at that jawline!"
"Ethan, man, you're perfect!" they shouted as they passed by her, praising the demon she knew as if he were a saint.
Andrea blinked and her face tightened as reality crashed back. She swallowed hard and her anger mixed with disbelief, then she quickly pushed through the crowd and chased after the direction he and his guards had gone.
She ran through the long hallway, peeking into lobbies like a lion desperate to find its lost cub. The elevator dinged open and she hurried inside, pressing the buttons in frustration. On the first floor there was nothing and on the second there was no sight of him. By the third, her chest burned from running and from all the pain she had carried within her…
Just as she was about to give up, like she had done four years ago…. Through the glass wall of the waiting room, she saw him.
Her breath seized as four years of hurt and humiliation slammed into her chest all at once...He looked different, sharper, richer and more confident but the arrogance in his posture was the same.
Swallowing hard, Andrea straightened her shoulders and whispered something to the guards. They stepped aside and let her in.
The door clicked shut behind her. Ethan turned at the sound, and their eyes met. Her heart thundered in her chest. His lips curved slowly into a smug smile as he placed the newspaper he'd been holding onto the table.
"Well," he said, walking toward her. "Are you the secretary?"
Andrea's fingers curled at her sides as he came closer, standing just inches from her face. Words failed her instantly as she looked at him.
Ethan frowned slightly, his brows squeezing together in thought as he studied her. Why was this woman just staring at him like that?
"Do we know each other?"he muttered, his face leaning closer than she expected.
Andrea's breath slowed, her chest rising and falling unevenly. She tightened her heart, trying to stop it from betraying her. It felt like he was breathing her in, like he could sense her trembling.
"Are you one of those fans?" he asked quietly, his voice low and rough, carrying that same deep gentleness she once fell for. .
When Andrea didn't say anything, he took that as a yes. That familiar, flirtatious smile curved across his face, the same one he'd worn back on the island, the one he knew made people melt.
Of course he thought she was just another fan.
"Hmmm," he murmured, leaning forward as if about to hug her. "You even smile like someone from my past."
Before she could move, his cheek brushed against hers, light, casual, and yet too familiar.
Then he pulled back with a half grin.
"We could have a one-night stand right here, right now," he said, his voice low and teasing. ". Then, with that same wicked grin, he added, "You're my type."
Andrea's heart pounded so loud she could almost hear it echo. How dare he? After everything, how could he still be this shameless?
The heat in her veins rose as his lips inched closer toward her cheek then
Wham!
Her hand landed across his face, so hard he stumbled back, almost losing his balance as his eyes widened in disbelief.
There was a moment of silence for the hot slap…as Ethan's face turned red as if blood had rushed to his head, and he was just about to curse when the door burst open.
"What's going on here?!" a deep voice thundered.
Both Ethan and Andrea snapped toward the door. Standing there was Mr Sebastian Pierce, Andrea's new boss…
Andrea's heart nearly stopped. Ethan's hands were still clutching his cheek.
Before Ethan could say a word, Andrea rushed forward, grabbing Ethan's hand.
"I'm so sorry, sir! I'm so sorry!" she blurted out, bowing over and over again. "There was a fly…on your face! I..I..I tried to kill it! I didn't mean…oh my God..I'm so sorry!"
Mr Pierce stepped further inside, his eyes darting between them with confusion.
"Fly?" Ethan repeated. "Do I look like a fly to you?"
He was about to say more, and Andrea could already see it coming, so she quickly cut him off with more frantic apologies, practically shaking. Then, without another word, she turned and rushed out of the room, leaving Ethan standing there while his boss glared holes through him.
Ethan turned toward Mr Pierce, his hand still pressed against his stinging cheek. He was seconds away from exploding, ready to blame him for hiring such a a stupid employee. But Mr Pierce didn't even look like someone who cared.
"Are you the reason the whole building's turning upside down?" Mr Pierce asked calmly, his hands resting in his pockets as if it were just another normal day.
Ethan's teeth clenched, that forced grin returning as he finally dropped his hand from his cheek. "What do you expect from someone like me?" he said, straightening his suit with a quick tug. "I'm Ethan Darksire" he extended his hand confidently, "one of the most popular names out there"
He extended his hand confidently, holding it out longer than he should have. But Mr Pierce didn't take it.. He just looked down at it, unimpressed.
"Is it by appointment that you're here today?" Mr Pierce asked, stepping forward a little, completely ignoring the outstretched hand.
Ethan's smirk faltered and he slowly lowered his arm, insult flooding his face. "Do you want someone like me to come here with an appointment? My presence alone could change this HoteI's name and its history," he said, voice rising with pride.
Mr Pierce nodded slightly, pacing in thought before walking up to him. Then, with a quiet authority that silenced the room, he placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"I'll see you when your day of appointments finally comes."
And with that, Mr Pierce walked out, never looking back once.