Chapter 14 Ethan’s Limits

• “Mommy, Mommy!” A coquettish voice suddenly rang out. “Don’t cry, Mommy. Did that mister make you cry? Riley will protect you, Mommy, don’t worry.”
• When she looked up and saw Riley’s smile, hearing her innocent voice, it was as if someone had extended a hand to her, who was drowning in a pool of despair. She hugged Riley, but her tears wouldn’t stop; they were filled with her five years of bloodied hell.
• Riley didn’t know what happened to Lauren, but she hugged her tighter, showing a resolve far beyond her age. “Don’t cry, Mommy. Riley will always stay with you, Mommy. Those misters won’t be making you cry anymore.”
• Hearing Riley’s consolation, she snapped out of her sorrow, a hint of delight resurging in her gaze as she caressed Riley’s face. “Thank you, Riley. I’m fine, but I can’t bring you to Ocean Park today. I’ll do it next time, okay?”
• “You’re tired, Mommy. Riley will sleep with you, then!” Riley grinned.
• All of a sudden, Lauren felt all her grief and pain disappearing, for she still had Riley, her hope.
• The cityscape flitted past the Rolls-Royce Phantom as it drove along the coastal highway. In it sat Ethan, still gloomy, and Simon, still delighted over what happened. If he hadn’t seen Ethan losing control today, he would have thought Ethan was incapable of getting angry, since he never flew into a rage during the past five years.
• “Say what you want to say. Holding it in is hard.” Ethan looked at him coolly.
• Simon chuckled. “If her child really is yours, what will you do?”
• “I’ll bring her back.” Ethan wouldn’t let Lauren raise his child, especially not when she was working in a club. It would hinder the child’s growth.
• “But she seems dependent on the child. Lauren won’t let her go so easily.”
• Ethan squinted, anger lingering in his gaze. “She doesn’t have a say in this.”
• Simon looked at him quietly for a long while.
• “Ethan,” he finally said. “It’s been five years. Are you still not letting her off the hook?”
• When Simon said that, the temperature in the car seemed to drop a few centigrades. His eyes as dark as ink, Ethan looked outside at the bright sun, his expression cold as steel, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Her sins can never be cleared.”
• Simon knew that meant Ethan would keep up his revenge against Lauren. It’s not going to be easy for her going forward. This whole case was puzzling though. Eight years ago, he and Lauren were a perfect match—until Nancy came into the picture. It was a pity the erstwhile lovers had to end up as enemies. “What happened between you and Lauren eight years ago, Ethan?”
• As soon as the question dropped, Ethan’s aloof expression darkened even further, his grin as wicked as a devil, and he looked at Simon as if wanting to devour him whole. Simon quickly stopped talking, fearing for his own safety. What happened eight years ago? Why did this become a taboo subject around him?