Chapter 76: I’m Sorry, Ethan

Ethan returned home on his bike, ensuring he didn’t spend more than an hour outside.

The moment he opened the door and entered, Evelyn walked up to him and silently embraced him.

He patted her back and lifted her off her feet, letting her cling to him like a koala as he entered the living room.

Sitting on the chair, he looked around and asked, "Where is Nora?"

Still straddling him, Evelyn replied in a muffled voice. "She went to sleep in the room."

Ethan nodded and said nothing else. He simply held her close, gently patting her back until she relaxed slightly.

"Where did you go?" She asked softly. "Tell me the truth."

He hesitated a little, then answered, "I went to a bar. The thugs came from there."

She stiffened slightly. "A bar...? Did you offend someone there?"

Not wanting to let her understand the full scale of the issue, he explained vaguely. "Someone wanted to get the shop, actually. And when I refused, they sent those thugs to threaten us. It’s not a big deal."

"Not a big deal...?" She pulled away from him, staring into his eyes. "What if they attack again? What if they ambush you, Ethan? It’s a gang!"

He smiled and pulled her closer, pressing her face against his chest. "I told you it’s not a big deal, didn’t I? Vincent’s guys will be around your shop always and will act immediately. As for me, I’ll be fine on my own. I’ve got a pretty strong fist."

The young woman pouted but didn’t argue. Instead, she said something that surprised him.

"You’re angry, aren’t you? That’s why your body is burning like you have a fever."

He immediately grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from him gently.

"You..."

She shook her head and forced her way past his hands, hugging him again.

"It’s not uncomfortable. It’s just warm," She said with a smile. "But you shouldn’t be this angry, Ethan. Haven’t you dealt with them already?"

He sighed. "I know that. It just irks me that someone messed up your shop. Besides... seeing you sad makes me..."

He didn’t complete the sentence, as he didn’t need to. Unnecessary words would only scare her.

Evelyn smiled faintly, listening to his heartbeat. "You don’t need to worry, Ethan. Weren’t you the one who told me we’ll renovate it? It’s fine."

He nodded with a sigh and stood up, regaining his smile.

"Alright. Come watch me prepare some food."

He carried her to the kitchen, then had her sit on the kitchen counter.

Pulling away from her, he stretched his arms and began taking out the utensils and ingredients he needed.

As he did, he asked her, "Did you receive a call from anyone?"

She shook her head. "Cassie texted me, but I haven’t replied. I wasn’t in the right mood to reply her."

Ethan nodded. "I understand."

Cracking two eggs into a bowl, he began mixing them with a spoon.

"The renovation will take a day or two. Do you want us to visit my parents again?"

Evelyn blinked, then smiled. "Sure. That would be a nice place to relax. And I guess I can take some time to unwind too."

Ethan hummed. "I’ll let them know we’ll be coming tomorrow. Mom should be happy to see us."

She smiled, then lowered her gaze. "I’m sorry, Ethan."

He froze, turning to her in surprise. "What? Why are you sorry?"

"My parents," She said. "They’ve been pretty... unreasonable. In fact, I don’t know what to do about them. Your parents are so nice to me, but my parents don’t seem to like you. It just feels unfair and unbalanced."

Realizing it was nothing serious, Ethan chuckled and turned back to what he was doing.

"I don’t think about it, y’know? If they’re good, they’re good. If they aren’t, I just ignore. As long as someone doesn’t actively affect my family, then I’ll just ignore them. And if they do..."

He clicked his tongue. "I’ll scare them off with some pancakes."

"Pancakes...?" Evelyn blinked, confused.

It didn’t take her long to connect the dots, and she began laughing.

Ethan laughed a little too, but his main focus was on cooking.

It wasn’t much. He simply had to fry eggs and make tea.

When he was done, he went into the bedroom to wake his daughter up. She yawned groggily, rubbing her eyelids as she stared at him.

"Dad...?"

He smiled at her. "Yes, princess. It’s time to eat."

He led her to the dining room, then had her sit with him. As he applied butter to her bread, she yawned again.

"Dad, did you tell them to fuck off?"

Ethan froze, and so did Evelyn. She shot him a mild glare, as he was the reason for the crudeness of her words.

Ethan smiled stiffly and avoided her gaze, turning to his daughter. "Yes, I did. I already made them regret coming to destroy your mommy’s shop. They’re even going to pay for damage caused and renovate the place."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. "Really...?"

Nodding stiffly, Ethan said, "Uh... yeah. Somewhat indirectly."

He hadn’t specifically told Maxwell to come repair Evelyn’s shop, but he would definitely take money from them through Vincent.

After they finished eating, Nora and Evelyn sat in the living room while Ethan went to the balcony to relax and make a call.

Once the call connected, Lucas spoke cheerfully. "Brother Ethan, how are you doing? Thanks for the help today! I really appreciate it."

Ethan nodded. "It’s no problem. You see, I actually need another favor."

Lucas went silent, then quickly replied. "What favor? I’m all ears, brother."

Ethan nodded, then said. "There are a few companies I need you to buy at all costs. Just three of them."

Lucas fell silent, puzzled and wary. "What... what companies? And can I afford them?"

Staring at the dark, evening sky, Ethan replied. "I want you to get the Mobos Game Company and their two affiliates. Wait. Their two affiliates, Yin and Yang Games, should be enough."

"Game...?" Lucas quickly connected the dots. "You’re making a move against the Wayne family?"

"No, not them." Ethan shook his head. "Samuel Wayne in particular."