Ethan:
Yuna was still asleep.
The room remained quiet behind the closed door, her soft breathing the only sign of life inside. Ethan stood there for a moment before leaving, his gaze lingering just a second longer than necessary. Then he turned, silent as ever, and stepped out, closing the door carefully so not even the faintest sound would disturb her.
The hallway outside felt colder.
Quieter.
Like stepping back into reality.
His phone vibrated in his hand.
Ethan glanced at the screen, his expression shifting almost instantly from calm to something sharper, more focused. The message was short—but enough to pull him completely out of the fragile peace upstairs.
Without wasting a second, he moved.
His steps were steady, controlled, as he walked down toward the main hall. The large space was empty, dimly lit, the silence stretching endlessly around him. He stopped near the center, his thumb already pressing the call button.
The line connected almost immediately.
"Kai."
"Boss."
Ethan didn't pause.
"Set up a meeting."
Kai's voice lowered slightly, sensing the shift.
"With who?"
Ethan's eyes darkened just a fraction.
"My father."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
Not confusion.
Not hesitation.
Just understanding of what that meant.
"…Understood," Kai replied.
"Today," Ethan added.
"I'll arrange it immediately."
"Send me the details."
"Yes, boss."
The call ended.
Ethan lowered the phone slowly, his mind already moving ahead, calculating, anticipating. Meeting his father was never simple. It wasn't just a conversation—it was a move on a board where every step had consequences.
He exhaled quietly.
Then walked toward the bar kitchen.
The glass in his hand felt cold as he picked it up. He poured a drink without looking, his attention somewhere else entirely. The liquid settled, the faint sound echoing in the silence.
He took a slow sip.
His gaze unfocused.
For a moment, nothing moved.
But inside—
Everything was shifting.
---
The calm didn't last long.
His phone rang again.
Ethan glanced at it.
And for the first time in a while—
Something close to irritation crossed his face.
He answered anyway.
"What?"
A light laugh came from the other end.
"Wow. That's how you greet me?"
Ethan's expression stayed the same.
"What do you want?"
"I just landed," she said, her voice confident, almost playful. "At the airport."
Ethan's fingers tightened slightly around the glass.
"…Why?"
"Why?" she echoed. "To see you, obviously."
"No."
The word came immediately.
Cold.
Final.
There was a small pause.
Then—
"…No?" she repeated, amused.
"Don't come here," Ethan said.
His tone didn't rise.
But it carried weight.
Authority.
A warning.
"You think I listen to you?" she replied lightly.
"Yes."
A soft scoff came through the phone.
"You really haven't changed, Ethan."
"And neither have you."
Another pause.
Short.
Sharp.
Then she said,
"I'll be there soon."
Ethan's jaw tightened slightly.
"I said don't."
But the line had already gone dead.
She cut the call.
---
For a moment—
Ethan didn't move.
The phone remained in his hand, the empty call screen staring back at him.
Then slowly—
He lowered it.
A quiet breath left him.
"…She'll come anyway."
His voice was low.
Certain.
Because he knew her.
Too well.
Telling her not to come only made it more certain that she would.
He placed the phone on the counter, his fingers tapping lightly against the surface for a second before stopping.
Then he picked up his drink again.
Finished it in one go.
The burn didn't affect him.
Nothing did.
At least—
That's what it looked like.
---
Ethan leaned slightly against the counter, his mind shifting between two things now.
His father.
And his sister.
Neither of them brought anything simple into his life.
Both of them meant complications.
Power.
Conflict.
And now—
Yuna was here.
Right in the middle of it.
His gaze lifted slowly.
Upstairs.
Toward the room.
Toward her.
For a brief moment—
His expression changed.
Not much.
Just enough.
"…This timing…"
He shook his head slightly.
Not out of frustration.
But awareness.
Because he already knew—
What was coming.
His sister wouldn't just visit.
She would observe.
Question.
Push.
And Yuna—
She wasn't ready for that.
Not yet.
Not in this state.
---
Ethan straightened up, his calm returning completely.
Controlled.
Composed.
Untouchable.
But his eyes—
Still held that sharp edge.
That quiet storm waiting beneath.
He walked a few steps forward, stopping at the base of the stairs.
Looking up.
Thinking.
Planning.
Every move from here had to be precise.
Because things were about to shift again.
The peace upstairs—
The quiet moments—
The fragile balance he had with Yuna—
None of it would stay untouched.
"…She never listens," he murmured again, almost under his breath.
Then added, quieter this time,
"…just like you."
He didn't say the name.
But he didn't need to.
---
Ethan turned away from the stairs.
His phone buzzed again—Kai sending details.
The meeting was set.
Time.
Location.
Everything in place.
Ethan glanced at it once.
Then locked the screen.
His path was clear now.
First—
His father.
Then—
Whatever came with his sister's arrival.
And in between—
Yuna.
Always Yuna.
---
He exhaled once more, steady and controlled.
Then walked back toward the hall, his presence filling the empty space again.
The calm hadn't broken yet.
But it would.
Soon.
And Ethan was already ready for it.