Chapter 6 Mental illness

Lauren's breath caught in her throat and her blood instantly ran dry as cold sweat formed on her skin. She slowly turned around to find her husband, Ethan staring at her, his eyes blazing with furry.

Why did he look so angry?!

The anger in Ethan's eyes made her instinctively move away from Asher. "W-what are you doing here?" Lauren asked in a cracked tone as she used the back of her palm to wipe off the sweat on her forehead.

Ethan let out a low, displeased growl which caused Lauren to immediately seal her mouth shut.

Jeez. She had forgotten the most important rule of not talking unless being asked to.

Ethan's piercing gaze studied Lauren for a while before he turned to face Asher who was now staring at him with resentment. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" Ethan's voice was cold, dripping with disdain as he asked.

"I'm here for my girlfriend. The one you had to use money to make your bride." Asher replied as he grabbed Lauren's waist and pulled her closer.

Lauren squeaked and tried to pull out, but Asher's grip around her waist was tight.

"Tell me, how much did you give to her father, I can pay back you immediately." Asher continued. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket and then stretched it toward Ethan. "My black card is in here, you can take as much as you want, but I'll be needing my girl back."

Ethan did not grab the wallet so Asher tossed it towards him, allowing it to fall on the floor.

Asher couldn't care less if Ethan was angry or not. He needed his woman back and he was going to get her.

At this point, Ethan's expression had gone void. He was still fuming on the inside, but his expression was stoic. He stared at the stupid wallet on the floor, then at Lauren, who was now as white as a sheet of paper, and then back at Asher. In a cold tone, he said, "Get out."

Asher scoffed then took a step forward towards Ethan. "You would have to make me."

The tension in the room instantly thickened, suffocating Lauren and the maids standing nearby. Two imposing, handsome men stood facing each other, locked in a silent battle.

Asher's fist was clenched, his eyes dark with hatred and resentment that Lauren could not comprehend. While Ethan remained calm, his slow, steady breaths and piercing gaze conveyed everything that needed to be said.

Lauren could no longer stand the tension, so she quickly walked over to the men and positioned herself between them. She bowed respectfully to Ethan before turning to face Asher. "P-please, you have to leave. W-we can talk another time."

Asher looked down at Lauren, his expression softening for a moment before it transformed into anger again as he glanced at Ethan. "Oh, Lauren, I would love to see Ethan try to make me leave." His tone was dark and threatening.

Lauren's face instantly went pale, and her heart raced. She slowly turned to Ethan and then back to Asher, unable to shake the feeling that maybe he had somehow become possessed.

Asher was a very calm, sweet guy who barely got angry, so where did all this hatred and resentment towards Ethan come from?! It was as if he had a grudge against Ethan. One so deep and old. She could not understand it.

Heck! How could that even happen?! Would Asher dare hold a grudge against a billionaire who was rich enough to easily end his life?

Despite Ethan's calm exterior, Lauren could still feel the steam blazing out of his skin and it made her eyes water with tears. His silence was killing her. "Asher, please just leave." She pleaded again.

Asher looked down at Lauren and his his resolve broke. The tears brimming in her eyes instantly shattered every piece of anger he felt toward Ethan. He let out a deep sigh as he shoved his hands through his hair. "Okay." He muttered. He spared a glance at Ethan before walking past him.

Lauren tried to escort Asher out when she suddenly heard, "Come to my office. Now."

Asher wanted to react but Lauren immediately pressed his shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Please." She pleaded then carefully pushed him away.

Lauren quickly followed Ethan, her heart racing like a galloping horse in her chest. She was filled with fear and anxiety, afraid of what might happen to her. She clutched her shirt tightly, trying to calm her racing heart.

Arghhh! Why was she so scared of him? He was just a billionaire, not some God who could easily end her life.

Okay. Maybe he could easily end her life with a snap of the finger, but he wasn't a God.

Soon the duo arrived at the spacious office. It was so huge and beautiful but Lauren was too nervous to even admire it. She watched as he sat on his chair then she immediately followed.

"Did I ask you to sit?" Ethan demanded in a stern tone, his piercing gaze still fixed on Lauren.

"I-i'm sorry sir," Lauren quickly got up from the chair as she apologized.

"Ethan."

"W-what?"

"Always call me Ethan." He corrected.

"Ok. Sorry Si...Ethan." At this point, Lauren wished someone could slap her because why the heck was she acting like a child who just got caught stealing a few bucks from her parents' purse?

One, two, thirty fucking seconds passed but Ethan did not say a word to Lauren. His burning gaze was just fixed on her face, never faltering and it made Lauren so anxious.

Ten more seconds passed but Ethan still didn't say anything. Although Lauren could not see him because she had her head bowed, she could still feel his gaze on her. Like a sharp sword silently cutting through her skin. Damn! He should just say something!

"Get out." Lauren suddenly heard him say.

"W-what?" She asked in surprise as she raised her head to meet his hardened gaze.

"I said get out!!" He barked.

Lauren did not want to be told for the third time so she immediately scurried out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

She did not even know she was holding her breath until she got outside and began breathing heavily. "Jeez. What was that about?" She asked herself as she faced the closed door behind her. "Why did he ask me to go to his office if he would just send me out?!"

She heaved a deep breath as she shoved her hands through her hair. She stared at the door again when a sudden thought crossed her mind. "Or does my husband have a mental illness?"