C6 6 — Obsession

Serene Gomez hated that she was thinking of Ethan Reyes. It had been three days since the charity gala but she still couldn’t get him out of her head. She could still remember the confident smile, the intensity of his gaze and the strange change in his expression when she had mentioned the Shadow King. It was so delicate, so almost unperceivable, yet she'd noticed it, and the more she thought back to that moment, the more determined she was to figure out what it signified.

She'd dealt with powerful men before, enough to know the signs in how they acted. Most were pompous, predictable and only too willing to show how important they were, whether it was through costly outfits, well chosen phrases or the way they expected everyone around them to bow to their wishes. But Ethan had been unusual from the very first day. He was a quiet man, who listened more than he spoke, who noticed things that others missed, who had the kind of quiet assurance that never needed to assert itself. There was a strange self-possession about him, a reserve that made it difficult to know what he was thinking, or what he may be concealing.

That bothered her more than she cared to admit.

Seated in her father's study, Serene reviewed the information Daniel Cruz had gathered about Ethan. The familiar surroundings offered little comfort as she examined the documents spread across the desk, searching for anything that might explain the man who had occupied far too much of her attention since the gala. Her father's study had become one of the few places where she could concentrate without interruption, yet even here, her thoughts kept circling back to Ethan's reaction. She had spent years learning not to dismiss her instincts, particularly when something felt wrong, and she had no intention of ignoring the uneasiness he had stirred in her.

“His public record is remarkably clean,” Daniel explained over the phone. “Successful businessman, respected philanthropist, co-owner of Stone Global. No criminal charges, no suspicious public transactions.”

Serene leaned back in her chair, her fingers resting against the edge of the desk as she considered his findings. A spotless public record might have satisfied someone else, but it did little to reassure her. If anything, the absence of suspicious activity made her more cautious. Powerful men rarely allowed their secrets to surface where anyone could find them, especially when they had the resources and influence to keep certain matters out of public view.

“Everyone has something to hide,” Serene replied.

“Perhaps. But I haven't found anything connecting him to your father's murder.”

Her expression tightened at the mention of her father. Sebastian Gomez's death remained the reason she had continued digging, the unanswered questions surrounding it refusing to let her rest. She had learned to be patient with investigations, but patience did not mean accepting incomplete answers. Ethan's unusual reaction at the gala might have meant nothing, yet she could not shake the feeling that there was something about him she had not uncovered.

“Keep looking.”

After ending the call, Serene remained seated, her attention drifting to the photograph of Ethan on her desk. The image captured him in a perfectly tailored suit, his expression composed and his gaze directed toward the camera with the same quiet confidence she remembered from their encounter. There was nothing particularly revealing about the photograph itself, nothing that could explain why a brief conversation with him had stayed with her for three days. Still, she studied it as though the answers she needed might somehow be hidden in the details.

Why had he reacted so strangely to her question?

Ethan sensed the same discontent throughout the city. He stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, listening to Marcus’s report, the city below him, a sparkling sprawl of lights and distant motion. Usually, the view enabled him to sort out his thoughts, giving him a pleasant sense of detachment from the pressures of his business and the people who were always chasing him. But his emphasis tonight was on what Marcus was saying, particularly when it came to Serene Gomez.

“Serene has asked about you again,” Marcus said. “She appears convinced you know something about Sebastian Gomez's death.”

Ethan's expression remained controlled, although his attention sharpened at the mention of Serene's name. He had anticipated that she might continue investigating him after their conversation at the gala, but knowing that she was actively pursuing information did little to ease his irritation. Serene had a way of asking questions that made ordinary answers feel inadequate, as though she were searching for the meaning behind every pause and every carefully chosen word. It was an unusual quality, and one he had not yet decided whether to admire or resent.

“Does she have evidence?”

“Nothing substantial.”

Ethan dismissed the report with a brief gesture, but his attention did not return to the matters waiting on his desk. Instead, his gaze settled on the photograph displayed on his tablet, where Serene's image remained open despite the other information he had been reviewing. He studied it for a moment, recalling the composed expression she had worn throughout their conversation and the determination in her eyes when she had challenged him. Most people approached him with caution, their words softened by respect, fear, or the expectation that he could offer them something they wanted. Serene had shown none of that hesitation.

He remembered how she’d met his eyes at the gala, staring him right in the face, no flinching, no trying to hide her scepticism. It was an accusatory question and he answered it as if he were used to being questioned, even when the truth was difficult. There had been no clear attempt to impress him, no deliberate act put on to win his approval. She’d just asked what she wanted to know, as if she didn’t realise that most people avoided provoking him.

He was interested in her bravery, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

His anger grew as her suspicion. He was accustomed to leading talks, to anticipating questions and seeing through the motives of those who approached him. But with Serene he found himself thinking about the experience long after it had ended, thinking about minutiae that really shouldn't have mattered. He had no cause to think of her so much, but she stayed with him much longer than she should have, disturbing the focus he usually held so easily.

That evening Liam came to visit Ethan's workplace and instantly he saw Ethan's distracted look. Ethan sat behind his desk, iPad within reach but his focus divided between the job in front of him and something he had no intention of talking about. Liam had known him long enough to know when he was thinking on something else, even when he tried to look busy. But instead of wasting time pretending not to notice, Liam got right to it, the question obviously on his mind.

“Who is she?” Liam asked.

Ethan looked up. “Who?”

“The woman you're pretending not to think about.”

“I'm thinking about business.”

Liam regarded him with an expression of unconcealed amusement, apparently unconvinced by the answer. Ethan's insistence only made the situation more obvious, particularly given how quickly he had responded. For a man who rarely allowed personal matters to interfere with his work, he seemed unusually determined to avoid a simple question.

“Of course. Business now has a name and beautiful eyes?”

Ethan shook his head, refusing to answer. He offered no explanation and made no attempt to continue the conversation, relying instead on the silence that had ended countless discussions before Liam could press him further. Liam eventually left the office, taking his amusement with him, while Ethan returned his attention to the work he had been attempting to finish.

But after Liam left, Ethan opened Serene's file again.

Neither of them understood what was happening. They had entered each other's lives with questions, suspicions, and reasons to keep their distance, each convinced that the other represented something they needed to understand. Yet the encounter at the gala had left an impression neither could easily dismiss, and the more they tried to return their attention to other matters, the more difficult it became to ignore the person occupying their thoughts. They only knew that the enemy they had expected to forget was becoming impossible to ignore.