In Love With Mr. Billionaire

CHAPTER 41- PUNISHED

The Ethan I had met the first time Aaron introduced us, and the Ethan standing before me, glaring at Aaron seemed like two different, completely opposite people. The warmth in his demeanor, the smile on his face, and the kindness in his eyes were all gone, replaced by the anger which was so similar to what I had seen on Aaron just this morning.

Aaron and he never had a normal relationship. His father trusted James more than his son, and that was what worried me. He didn't look happy about the whole ordeal. My heart was beating rapidly, and my mind was in a frenzy, but the man walking beside me, holding my hand, was far from being even mildly bothered about it all.

I stopped in my tracks and clutched Aaron's hand tighter when I saw James and Lahaina walking inside the room. She was glaring at me. It didn't concern me though, I was too accustomed to her glare to care. It was seeing James' face that made me gasp out loud. He was holding a bloody handkerchief to his nose, and a pack of ice to his cheek.

I looked over at Aaron. He had heard me gasp and tilted his head to the side to look at me. The moment our eyes met, he shrugged and looked away. Damn this man!

"You really went all the way to my father to complain about me, James? That's too childish. You're behaving like you're still in school and I'm a bully," said Aaron, cutting the tension in the room with a voice that was colder than James' ice pack. Though his words were amusing, there wasn't a hint of humor on his face. His eyes stayed on James, but the stare wasn't returned. James looked anywhere but at Aaron.

"What you did was childish, Aaron. Explain your act," Ethan huffed.

"We may sit and talk," Aaron said and settled on the sofa, looking as comfortable and carefree as ever.

He looked over at me, asking me—without words—to take the seat beside him. I did while Ethan took the chair reluctantly. Lahaina and James were about to do the same when Aaron stopped them.

"I didn't say that to you both so you will remain standing," he said. His eyes, looking sharp and as cold as ever, stayed on them.

James looked humiliated by the abrupt intervention of his seating plans.

"Where are your manners, Aaron?" Ethan chided. He was getting angrier with every passing second. Aaron, of course, didn't seem to care.

"I threw them in the bin on my way here, father. I don't have plans of changing my furniture any time soon, so they will remain standing."

Ethan eyed Aaron for a second before turning to his friend. In a much calmer tone, he said. "You both may sit down."

I looked around the room at each of their faces. Lahaina looked angry; James was utterly confused; Ethan was staring at Aaron, waiting for him to treat his guests with the expected respect; while Aaron was glaring at James, daring him to challenge his command.

"We'll remain standing. No worries. Continue your talk," James said to Ethan with a smile that was so forced that for a second I started to feel bad for him. I shook my head, remembering his actions that had led him to this moment.

Ethan gritted his teeth, annoyed at his son; whereas the said son smirked with triumph.

I leaned back in my chair and wrapped my hands around myself as if it could help the situation. It was going way too worse than I had initially thought it to be.

"Fine," Ethan said, irritated. "Explain."

"I don't need to give an explanation. Not to you, not to anyone. It's my company and I will make decisions regarding it. You should have thought about that before you made me sign a contract to hand over the company to me. It's mine now. You lost your right to question me about it the moment I signed it." Aaron was facing his father now.