hotmtlnovel Chapter 109
Chapter 109
Hearing what Ethan just said Naomi's jaw dropped as she took in the sight of Ethan standing on her door, his clothes filthy and a suit box clutched in his hands.
Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head realizing what Ethan just said again
"Ethan, what the hell happened to you?"
she sputtered, her voice rising with each word.
"You look like you just went ten rounds with a garbage truck! And why are you here, of all places?"
Her hands flew to her hips, her brows knitting together in a mix of concern and disbelief.
Ethan shifted from foot to foot, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Then he cleared his throat, his gaze darting around like a cornered animal.
"I, uh... I was sort of... kidnapped?" he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.
"KIDNAPPED?!"
Naomi screeched, her voice echoing off the walls.
"By who, when?"
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She gazed at Ethan properly and didn't see any mark or sign of blood on his face or body. She knew he was fine, and at the same time she had seen Ethan fight before he's capable of taking care of himself.
"And please tell me you didn't leave a trail of bodies behind!"
Her eyes were wide, her face pale as she waited for his answer.
Ethan nodded, his shoulders slumping.
"I didn't have a choice,"
he said, his tone pleading.
"They were going to kill me, Naomi. I had to fight back, you know."
Ethan was expecting Naomi to yelled at him but to his
utter shock, Naomi's expression morphed from horrified to calculating in the blink of an eye. Then she nodded, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"Leave the rest to me."
she said, her voice low and dangerous.
"I've got connections. my boys will clean up the mess and make sure those bastards pay for what they did by compensating you dearly."
he said, his voice small.
At that moment Naomi closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose.
"A taxi,"
she repeated, her voice flat.
"Ethan, we're about to walk into a room full of some most powerful, influential business people in the city. People who eat billion-dollar deals for breakfast. And you want to show up in a yellow cab that smells like cigarettes and broken dreams?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head.
"How the hell did you drop nearly four billion on an estate without even owning a decent set of wheels? Didn't that occur to you?"
At that moment Ethan's face flushed, his gaze dropping to the ground.
"I guess I didn't really think about it,"
he mumbled, scuffing his shoe on the pavement.
Naomi then sighed, long and loud. "Of course you didn't. Because you're a kid playing dress-up in a grown-up world. But we don't have time for this. Let's just go and pray no one notices our grand entrance."
Naomi was disappointed, if Ethan told her earlier she would have made some call and got something nice from some of her friends.
Ethan bowed his head and followed Naomi as they entered the taxi.
Not long after they arrived at the luxury hotel, Ethan thought his eyes might fall out of his head.
The place was like a palace, all gleaming marble and glittering gold.
A line of cars that cost more than most people's houses stretched down the block, each one more impressive than the last.
As they stepped out of the taxi, Ethan's heart sank into his stomach. when he saw a massive screen mounted on the hotel wall was broadcasting the arrival of any cars that drove in.
without being told he could tell their entrance was also broadcasted for all to see.
Naomi's face was tight with humiliation and frustration seeing the screen also.
"I could have gotten us a real car," she hissed under her breath.
"One phone call, and we would have rolled up in style. But no, you had to spring this on me at the last second."
But Ethan wasn't listening. He was too busy fumbling in his pockets, his fingers closing around a small, smooth object. With a flourish, he pulled out a sleek black mask and slipped it over his head, concealing his features.
He then faced Naomi.
"From now on,"
he said, his voice muffled but determined.
"you do the talking. I'm not ready for this world to know who I am. Not yet."