(Ethan’s POV)
Everyone outside was surprised when I opened the door opened. My eyes narrowed as I searched for Anastacia, but she was already gone. I glared at Julia, surprised when she saw the scratch wound on my arm. I pursed my lips, feeling the tingling pain from it.
“Julia, how dare you send someone inside that old cabinet. I was just glad it was me, but what if Izobel was hurt instead of me?”
I turned to Izobel, hugging her knees, and I walked back to her. My forehead furrowed, feeling confused with how she reacted when she saw my wound, and I wanted to assure her that it was nothing but a scratch from the protruded nail that was loosened from the wood material of the cabinet. It horrified me that if Izobel had moved to me a little, she would have gotten hurt. I crouched down, facing her.
“Hey!” I said, placing my hands on her knees.
When she raised her head, I saw how horrified she was that inst
(Izobel’s POV)I rested my head at the backrest of the car as soon as I plopped myself in. Ethan looked at me, and I really didn’t care right now if he was saying something or not. This is all new to me, and perhaps even if I linked with Amber, she has no answer to my million questions.The ride home was quiet, and even Nolan was silent. Either he was drunk or not in the mood to make jokes at this dead wee hours. When Ethan stopped the car, we were already in front of the house. I opened the car and walked straight to the porch without looking at them. I heard Amber thanking Ethan for bringing us home, but she did not talk to Nolan.The door was open, so I assumed our father was still awake. It still amused me that he would still wait for us even if he knew Amber and I were not ordinary eighteen-year-old teens. When I pushed the door, the living room was dark, but I could see my parents well. My eyebrows raised when I saw mom pacing
(Izobel’s POV)This was the first time Connor did not bully me in eighty years. They were all just standing in my bedroom, staring at me and listening to my cry. They could pass a portrait or an ultra-realistic mannequin because they were not moving.‘What happened, Alaric?’ Mom asked worriedly.Dad did not answer.‘Shall we go to school, or should we just stay home?’ Amber asked as she looked at the window, staring at Ethan, who had just gotten up from bed. I turned my eyes in the same direction. I saw Ethan sitting on his bed, massaging his forehead, and turned his gaze on the window, but it was only for a short while. His two hands were on his head now, so I think his head must be aching right now.‘I’m sorry, Izobel. I had to erase his memory last night. He won’t remember a thing, so you have nothing to worry about,’ Dad assured me, making my
(Izobel’s POV)It was the first day of October, and it was unnaturally cold and chilly. The hotel's security guard greeted me, and I smiled back, but I had to run, human pace run, as I was already late for work. Asia sent me a message reminding me of today’s meetings in preparation for Halloween.Thanks to the couple who got lost in the woods six years ago, more tourists came to visit Springville Town, giving birth to another hotel in this small town where I work as an administrative staff in the operations department. I glanced at the time, and it was really my fault for being late this time. Amber and I had to help Mom and Dad pack. We had stayed in this town longer than we expected, and it was time for us to move. We will fly to another country, and Australia seemed an excellent place to live for a while.Ryzen, the front office manager, greeted me. “Running late for work, Izobel?”Asia and Ryzen have been my fr
(Ethan’s POV)Two years of experience were not long enough for me to be managing a hotel, but Dad was adamant about asking me to handle the hotel and learn from Mr. Godefroy, who would be retiring from his job at the end of the year. Dad insisted that I have one quarter to learn from him, and it shouldn’t be a problem since I knew Springville Town and its long history. Of course, taking over the position is just a front of my real purpose of coming back.When Mr. Godefroy gave me the list of employees this morning, one name caught my attention. Izobel Rodriguez. Who would have thought she would choose to stay and work in this small town? I sent her a message this morning, but just like now, she chose to ignore me.“Everyone, I’m pleased to introduce the new general manager of Grand Lake Hotel, Mr. Ethan Wilson,” Mr. Godefroy introduced and invited me to stand in front of the room. I walked in front but watched Izobe
(Izobel’s POV)I slammed the door, almost breaking it, but even if I did not, I had already caught the attention of the two other people with whom I shared the office. From the looks of their faces, Asia and Ryzen wanted to ask questions about him, but the door opened before any of them could ask me.Ethan came in. “Izobel, let’s talk. Please, let me explain.” He said, reaching for my arm again, but he put his hand down when he noticed Asia and Ryzen looking at us.Ryzen stared at me, but he managed to stand up. “Uhm... If you need me, I’ll be at the front desk,” He said as he widened his eyes to Asia when she did not move.She cleared her throat and nodded at him. “Actually, I need to check on some things in the kitchen. Let me go with you.” She stood up and held to Ryzen’s arm.They walked past us, but Ryzen bumped my back lightly before going out, a gesture telling me w
(Ethan’s POV)It is almost sunset, and the hotel’s roof garden was one of the most incredible spots of the Grand Lake Hotel. You can already see from here the beauty of Springville Town. It has not changed much for six years except for this hotel and other small shops or businesses. After that, there was nothing added in this town like I never left. The couple who got lost in the forest allowed Dad to construct another hotel. For many years, the town has been quiet, and no one has ever witnessed the opening of a portal or that entrance from hell, yet many wait for that day. The Council of the Moon Shadows has continued to monitor it, but so far, the only thing it did was give revenue to the town. Thanks to the local government's creative events and marketing promotion, tourists visit this place every year.“What did you do to Izobel?” Nolan asked as he stood beside me. He had a mischievous smile on his lips. “You scared th
(Izobel’s POV)“Beer?” Connor asked, and when Nolan and Ethan nodded, he went back to the kitchen to get three cans of beer.I shook my head, glancing as Nolan and Ethan focused on the TV. I started gathering the books we put on the shelves six years ago. I placed them carefully on the floor.“What’s with men?” Amber growled as she sat crossed-legged on the floor. She pulled an empty box, and her eyes were on the books, pretending to read each title before placing it inside the box. “After eating so many, how come you still have space in your tummy?”‘Why did you offer them a beer? Now, they won’t leave...’ Amber said.Connor smirked as he gave them the beers. ‘And what? Tell them, oh, you’ve seen we eat like normal people, leave now? Do you think that’s normal?’Ethan was silent after my threat, but I could feel he wa
(Izobel’s POV)Asia and Ryzen breathed in relief when they saw me joining the meeting this morning. Although they were unsure whether I would come to work this morning or not, they still reserved me a seat in the conference room.It was obvious that I was late because they were already starting, but it was not my fault.‘Good morning, Izobel!’ greeted Ethan, glancing at me for a brief second as he focused his eyes on the reports his secretary gave him.I almost sneered at him. ‘It’s your fault, Ethan! Why didn’t you wake me up?’ My face turned crimson when I remembered how our fight ended last night—no kissing and making out. We just decided to lie down together, stared at the stars, and talked about the homework we never get to finish because they had to leave immediately.We woke up in each other’s arms, and when I realized it was late in the morning, I could