Alexander took a couple hits before finally pinning her against the wall.

He rubbed his side, his face dark as the dim stairwell around them. "Eira, you did that on purpose?"

Eira shoved him away, her brows slightly raised, obvious amusement flashing on her face. "What, only you get to throw your weight around? I'm not allowed to fight back?"

"You're unbelievable-you really think the world revolves around you, huh?"

Alexander yanked at his tie, the black shirt on him rumpled and half open, clinging to his frame. He didn't even pretend to care about her sarcasm. His voice was sharp, accusing. "Who's that pretty boy? No wonder you suddenly have the guts to ask for a divorce. Already got your next guy lined up?"

Eira let out a soft laugh. "Him? We've known each other for ages, but-"

She tapped his chest with a teasing smile in her fox-like eyes. "But seriously, what's it got to do with you? I never questioned your side chick, so how about you stop meddling in my business?"

Back then, Eira used to behave like a doormat around him. Now that she asked for a divorce, this is the real her?

Isn't flaunting herself with that sleazy dance in front of everyone shameless enough? One pretty boy isn't enough for her-she's casting a wider net now?

"You seriously have no shame, do you?" Alexander's anger flared as he took a step closer. "Look at yourself-heavy makeup, dressed like that. Don't forget, we're still in the cooling-off period. I'm not about to let you make a fool out of me."

His imposing presence loomed, making Eira instinctively tilt her head up. All she saw in his eyes was resentment and disgust. So in his eyes, whatever she does is wrong? What a joke.

Eira's laugh was cold, her lips curved mockingly. "Oh, don't worry, I remember. What about you, though? Still so invested-could it be you've still got feelings for me?"

"Besides, I can do whatever the hell I want. It's my life. Mind your own damn business!"

She jabbed a finger into his chest, putting some distance between them.

Seeing how much she pushed him away only added fuel to Alexander's fire. "So all those moments over the past two years... fake?"

"You really wanna know?" Eira snorted. "Why would I bother telling you?"

Alexander grabbed her arm tightly. "You're not going anywhere until you give me a straight answer."

At this point, whatever hope Eira had left was gone.

With a bitter smile tugging at her lips, her lashes drooped, hiding her disappointment. "That's right. I faked it all. Happy now? Stay the hell away from me."

With that, she yanked her hand free and made to leave.

But the door was behind him, and as she brushed past, he grabbed her wrist again.

His burning touch shot through her skin, all fury and desperation, like he was trying to brand her with it.She was yanked back by Alexander and pinned hard against the wall.

Heat radiated off him, and the icy cold from the wall behind her made her whole body tense up. Not comfortable in the slightest, Eira shoved at him, trying to create some distance.

Her eyes blazed with anger. "What the hell is this supposed to mean?"

Alexander's eyes were like frozen lakes in the dead of winter-cold and deep. "The divorce isn't public yet. I'm warning you-don't go messing around out there, making the Brooks family look like a joke."

Eira let out a low laugh, her lips curling with sarcasm. "If it weren't for your grandma's health, you think I'd have put up with your crap for this long?"

She scoffed, voice laced with disdain. "And for the record, I've kept quiet about you and Sophia all these years. But if you keep pushing me, I won't mind airing your dirty laundry."

She gave him a hard shove, glaring at him coldly. "Get lost."

Alexander's face turned darker, his stare sharp enough to cut. "You really think you're somebody? If it weren't for Grandma, you'd never have made it into the Brooks family."

Those words made Eira's blood boil. Without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped him-hard. Her arm even shook from the force.

With a controlled voice, she said, "That slap was for Grandma."

"You act like you care about her, but I know what you've been up to behind her back. What, now that we're getting a divorce, you're planning to pin everything on me?"

She thought of the things he just said and chuckled bitterly. "Alexander, I must've really been blind to waste two years of my life on you."

Only after she finished did his expression change, disbelief flickering across his face. "You actually hit me?"

"Why wouldn't I? Honestly, I should've used the other hand."

His jaw clenched tight, veins popping on his arm as his expression turned ice cold.

Barely days after the divorce was mentioned, and now she's acting all new-wearing that kind of dress, dancing here like some showgirl?

What, does she think she's some big deal now?

Just some girl from a poor neighborhood-no matter how she'd dressed up for the Brooks family, she couldn't shake the cheapness inside.

Eira caught the growing storm in his eyes, and his grip on her wrist was getting more painful by the second. She tried to pull away, but it was no use-he held on like a vice.

He looked like he wanted to crush her arm. Seriously.

"Let go of me, Alexander!" she yelled, lifting her knee and landing a solid kick.

Just then, there was a burst of fast footsteps outside, followed by a door slamming open and a boy's urgent voice shouting,

"Let go of her!"

Startled, she looked up and saw the boy rushing down the stairs, hair all messy from the run.

He reached out, pried Alexander's hand off her, and stood protectively in front of Eira, eyes full of worry as he looked at her swollen, red wrist...

The young man looked like he'd just come from some fancy event-slick suit and all, giving off a surprisingly mature vibe.

Compared to their last quick run-in at the bar, Eira suddenly realized Ethan had really grown up.

She raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan glanced down at her wrist, giving it a gentle rub. "Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine," Eira said, lips pulling into a faint smile. She spotted his collar sticking out and immediately reached out to fix it, driven by her usual pickiness.

To Alexander watching from not far away, this scene was like a slap in the face.

In just a few days, Eira had managed to reel in not one, but two men?

The guy wasn't just some average guy either - from his getup alone, Alexander could tell he came from money. No wonder Eira had been acting especially smug lately.

His brows knitted tightly, and he spoke with rare ice in his voice, "Where'd you dig up this new toy?"

"You don't mess around, huh? Already juggling guys like it's a game."

Before Eira could reply, Ethan turned on him. "Watch your mouth. Did you really think she had no one to back her up?"

Eira nudged Ethan's arm and said lightly, "No need to bother with the crazy. Anyway, what brought you here?"

Ethan took a deep breath, clearly trying to hold back his temper. His voice came out a bit hoarse. "Saw your post in John's Facebook. I happened to be around for an event."

"Good thing I showed up when I did."

He placed a steady hand on her shoulder as he spoke. From behind, it almost looked like he was holding her close.

When Eira didn't pull away, Ethan grew bolder and draped his arm fully over her shoulders. Together, they walked away.

Just before reaching the stairwell, Ethan looked back at Alexander with a faint smirk - one that carried a hint of provocation.

Outside, Eira said something under her breath, and Ethan's smile slipped away, quickly schooling his expression.

Meanwhile, Alexander stood frozen, watching them walk off like everything was peachy between them.

But his face told a different story - anything but calm.

In the dim stairwell lit faintly by flashes of music and lights from the party, red and green shadows flickered across his features, sharpening his already cold look.

His hand clamped around the railing, knuckles turning white as a sharp crack echoed in the stillness.

After a long pause, he shut his eyes briefly, then pulled out his phone and dialed Daniel.

"Come now."

It wasn't until Edward and Christopher realized Alexander had been gone too long that they started calling him. It took several tries before he finally picked up.

"Where the hell did you disappear to? You've been gone for ages," Edward said, alarmed.

"Something came up," Alexander answered calmly. "Tonight's on me."

And with that, he ended the call, eyes fixed out the window. The red marks on his cheek looked even starker in the dark.

In the passenger seat, Daniel was staring at him, jaw practically on the floor.

Someone actually took a swing at Mr. Brooks?

He glanced into the rearview mirror - only to meet Alexander's gaze dead on.

He flinched and quickly looked away, pretending like he'd seen nothing.

Still, he couldn't help thinking: Ever since the divorce, nothing in Mr. Brooks' life had been going the way he wanted.

*****

A little later, Eira and Ethan ran into a flustered John, clearly on the hunt.

He rushed over. "Boss, where have you been? You were gone forever!"

Then he eyed Ethan from head to toe, clearly not thrilled.

"Oh wow, what a nice 'coincidence' running into him, huh?"

He dragged out the sarcasm in "coincidence," clearly trying to call Ethan out.But Eira didn't bother responding to his childish tone. Still annoyed from running into Alexander earlier, she really had no energy left to deal with the situation, so she brushed him off half-heartedly.

She sighed, "I'm kinda tired. Let's just head back."

John didn't press her, just nodded. "Cool, driver's already here. I'll take you home."

Eira agreed, but right as she stepped forward, she noticed Ethan wasn't following. She turned around, puzzled. "What's up?"

John stopped too, eyes wary as he glanced at Ethan.

Ethan scratched the back of his head and avoided her gaze, looking like a lost puppy as he muttered, "I came to this event last-minute... didn't get the chance to book a hotel."

"Most places are probably booked by now, and the event's gonna last a few days..."

After saying that, he gave her a pitiful look, stepped closer, then bent down slightly and said, "Mind if I crash at your place for a few days, sis?"

Without thinking twice, Eira nodded, "Sure. There's plenty of spare rooms back at the villa, pick whichever you like."

She tugged at his sleeve with a laugh, teasing, "You really dragged it out for this? What, you think I'm gonna say no or something?"

"Of course not!" Ethan quickly replied, tagging along beside her.

John, however, trailed behind them, annoyed enough to stomp his foot where he stood.

Damn kid moved fast-already knew Eira was back?

'Poor guy, his competition was everywhere.'

On the way back to the villa, John ended up in the front seat, having fallen a step behind.

Eira leaned back in the rear seat, occasionally rubbing at her wrist in discomfort, trying to ease the throbbing pain.

That jerk really hadn't held back earlier-almost crushed her damn wrist.

She stared out the window, the scenery flying by, thinking she'd tell the driver to stop if they passed a pharmacy.

But before long, her drowsiness kicked in. Holding her wrist, she slowly closed her eyes.

Ethan noticed the way she kept touching that wrist, and his gaze fell on the red, swollen area.

He glanced down at his phone. "Take a left at the next turn. Gonna grab something real quick."

As soon as the car stopped, he dashed out and ran into a small clinic nearby. He came back with several ointments for bruises and swelling.

Once back in the car, he gently lifted Eira's hand. "Let me put some cream on it. Or it's gonna swell up worse."

Eira slowly opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep away, and saw the tubes of ointment in his hand, a little surprised. "You went and bought medicine?"

Ethan hummed softly, squeezing a bit onto his fingertip and gently spreading it across the swollen spot on her wrist.

He handled it like it was glass, super careful not to hurt her.

She winced a little at the first touch, but soon the cooling sensation spread, easing the burning pain bit by bit.

With a soft smile, she said, "You've changed a lot these past few years."

Ethan paused, then muttered, "I've always been like this... you just never noticed."

After that, he gently blew on her wrist. "There, that should help."

Eira chuckled at his childish little move. Yep, still a kid at heart.

As the discomfort faded, sleep took over again. She leaned her head against the window and dozed off.

Hearing her even breathing next to him, Ethan carefully shifted her head so it rested on his shoulder instead. He adjusted how he sat, making things more comfortable for her.

He could hear each soft breath she took, and the corner of his lips lifted just a little. "You really don't remember, huh..."

Back at the villa, John stared at the backs of Ethan and Eira as they walked off, looking like he was about to start brooding on the spot.

Neither of them noticed. Eira casually told him to do whatever he liked, then headed straight to her room.

Lately, she'd just been feeling... completely exhausted. No clue why.

Early in the morning, still half-asleep, Eira rolled over instinctively - only to press down on her injured wrist. A sharp jolt of pain shot through her, snapping her fully awake.

She gasped quietly. The swelling had gone down a bit, but the bruise was still very much there.

Thinking back to what happened last night, she cursed under her breath. Alexander, that bastard-why did she go soft on him again?

She mentally kicked herself. How had she not seen the walking red flag that was Alexander before?

With sleep thoroughly kicked out the window and plans to visit the old family estate later, she sat up and got moving. Picked out a bright, stand-out dress and headed into the bathroom.

By the time she came out, the smell of chicken soup had floated up from downstairs. Hair half-tied, she followed her nose to the kitchen.

And there was Ethan-apron on, standing by the stove.

She blinked, surprised. "When did you learn how to cook?"

Still focused on the soup, Ethan leaned half out and said, "Living abroad made me learn the hard way. My stomach refuses to settle for anything but hometown's food."

Eira nodded like that made total sense. She haphazardly tied her hair up, grabbed her coffee and leaned by the door, eyeing him up and down.

The little apron was meant for the housekeeper. On Ethan, it looked kinda ridiculously cute.

She smirked. "Your fans would lose their minds if they saw you like this."

Ethan gave a sheepish smile and glanced down at the apron he was wearing, clearly a little self-conscious. He quickly changed the subject.

"Why don't you go sit down? I'll bring the soup over - it's ready."

He pulled out two bowls, carefully poured the soup, and as he turned, his gaze flicked over to Eira, just in time to catch her awkwardly holding her wrist again.

Putting the bowls down, he frowned. "Where's the first aid kit?"

But Eira was already distracted by the smell of the soup and just waved a hand in a vague direction before grabbing a spoonful.

One sip in, her brows lifted. "Whoa. You could totally open a restaurant with skills like this."

She set the bowl down with some difficulty, wincing slightly as her injured hand protested. She gave it a quick shake, then turned to look for him-only to realize Ethan was preparing something for the swelling.

Eira saw him crouched there, clearly unsure of what to grab, and called out, "Just get an anti-inflammatory one. It's on the far left."

Ethan grabbed a bottle, eyed the label, and tossed it into the trash with a frown. "Not this one - it has penicillin. You're allergic."

"What?" Eira pointed at herself with a puzzled face. "I'm allergic to penicillin?"

She knew her own medical history - there's no way she wouldn't remember that, right?

Totally confused, she asked, "How do you know I'm allergic to penicillin?"

The room fell into a weird silence.

After a moment, Ethan stood up a little dramatically with another bottle in hand. "Did you really forget how awful you felt after you took it a couple years ago?"He waved his hands way too dramatically, and when he saw Eira's confused face, he quickly tried to smooth things over. "You were in so much pain you passed out. Doubt you caught what the doctor was saying."

Eira tilted her head, trying to recall based on what Ethan said, but her mind was completely blank. She couldn't remember being in that much pain at all.

"You serious?" she asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

Ethan handed her a cup of warm water and dropped two pills into her palm. "Of course. Why would I lie about something like that?"

Once she took the meds, he sat opposite her, sipping his soup a little anxiously while sneaking glances at her.

Truth be told, he hadn't known about the penicillin issue at first.

If someone hadn't tipped him off, he wouldn't have found out at all...

He lowered his head, aimlessly stirring his soup until it splashed up onto his hand, snapping him out of his daze.

Trying to sound casual, he said, "This project still has a few more days to go. I'll be in Oceanvein for a bit longer. It's kind of a hassle staying elsewhere... think I could crash here a few more days?"

Eira chuckled. "Didn't we already settle this last night? You can stay as long as you want. I could even keep this room just for you."

Ethan barely had time to be happy when she followed up with, "I've always seen you as my little brother. Staying at your sister's place doesn't count as freeloading, right?"

His smile faltered-worse than crying. Any trace of excitement vanished.

No matter how grown-up he was now, Eira still looked at him like he was a kid. Not a man, just a kid.

Even if she'd lost her memory, she still instinctively treated him the same. And there wasn't a thing he could do about it.

But at least he got the green light to stay. He pulled out the ointment he'd bought the day before and crouched down in front of her to reapply it to her wrist.

While applying the cream, he asked casually, "Got any plans for today?"

Eira paused, then her voice dropped a little. "Heading back to the old house to sort some stuff."

A moment later, she pulled out her phone and opened an email, then handed it to Ethan. "Check out this script. Think it fits your style?"

She'd skimmed it after leaving Johnson Corp and thought the male lead-warm, upbeat, healing type-actually lined up perfectly with Ethan's real personality.

But it didn't really match how the public saw him, so she wanted his take on it before deciding anything.

Ethan glanced through the script quickly, eyes lighting up. "Not a lot of stuff like this on the market. If it's done right, could really blow up."

His gaze paused on the production info. "Though, this genre needs solid editing. Might be worth switching the post-prod team."

Eira leaned her cheek against her hand. "Got someone in mind?"

"My own team should work. Just tell me the timeline and I can rearrange my schedule."

Since things were moving fast, she didn't hesitate. Smiling, she said, "Sounds good. And I'll make sure you don't work for free-we'll count you in as a co-producer. Once the show starts pulling numbers, you'll get your share."

Ethan looked like he wanted to refuse, lips parted-but Eira cut him off.

"You say no, I'll just find someone else."

She knew how stubborn he could be, so all he could do was nod.