24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ethan

T here is someone else in this morgue. I can smell them. The smell is too familiar, and I know who I am dealing with.

I, Ethan Rothschild, have been awfully betrayed by the one person whom I considered more than family. Perry. Now that I got rid of him for good, I need to take care of the rest, no matter who they might be.

I need to find out who is behind this, and who else is in this morgue. I have my doubts, but his smell is too strong to not make sure.

I sprint through the dimly lit corridors of the morgue, the frigid air biting at my skin. Each breath I take is a ragged gasp, but I can't stop. I need to put an end to this.

When I finally burst through the doors of a locked room, a wave of relief and terror washes over me. But it is short-lived. I stagger into the room, barely able to stand.

"Lily!" I gasp, feeling as if I am about to collapse to the ground.

"Ethan? Ethan, is that you? Please. Help!" she cries out, her eyes begging me to untie her and grab her into my arms.

I can't handle looking at the sight. She is tied and bruised, sitting on an old chair that seems like it can break any second. Right behind her stands my very own brother, Nick.

"Nick? What the hell have you done?"

"Well, well, well," he says, barely smirking.

"Nick, let her go!" I shout, my voice echoing through the room.

"Ethan. You made it. I have to say I am impressed," Nick smirks, his fangs glinting in the dim light.

"Nick, this ends now. Step away from her," I growl, my own fangs bared.

"She smells delicious, Ethan. It is a shame you have grown so attached to her," Nick leans closer to Lily, inhaling deeply.

"If you harm her, I swear it will be the end of you, Nick," I take a step forward, my muscles tensing.

"The end of me, brother? You have always been so dramatic, haven't you? This is more than just a human girl. This is about power," Nick laughs, his voice cold and hollow.

"Power? Are you willing to destroy everything for power? Our bond? Our brotherhood?"

"Everything you have should have been mine! The company, the respect, all of it!" Nick's eyes flare with anger.

"This is madness, Nick. You're my brother. We can find another way."

"Another way? Like you always do, trying to talk your way out of things. There's no other way, Ethan. You've forced my hand."

"Just keep Lily out of this, Nick. This is between us. Please."

"Not a chance!"

"Release her, Nick. We can settle this another way," I say again, desperately attempting to convince him to stop. I take another step forward, my eyes locked on his grip on Lily's chair.

"You think you can order me around? You think you can just waltz in here and save the day?"

"Nick, don't do this. You're better than this," I say, my voice softening slightly.

"Better? I am better than you, Ethan. Always have been. But you never saw it."

"I saw it, Nick. But this isn't the way to prove it."

"You've always been a disappointment, Ethan!" Nick hisses, suddenly he teleports in front of me and chokes me. He grins as his grip tightens around my throat.

"And you've always been a coward!" I retort, pushing him back.

"Coward? I'm the one in control here!"

"You're destroying everything we've built!"

"You built nothing. You were handed everything!" Nick's face twists with rage.

"And you could have had it too, if you weren't so blinded by jealousy," I say, my voice raw with emotion.

Nick roars, lunging at me again. We clash, the room echoing with the sounds of our struggle. I manage to get the upper hand, pinning him to the ground.

"Nick, stop this. It's not too late," I plead.

"It's too late for me," Nick says as he looks up at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and despair.

Before I can react, Nick twists free, and grabs a nearby piece of broken wood. He swings it at me, but I dodge, grabbing his arm and forcing him to drop it. His body must be full of drugs.

"Nick, I know you're better than this."

Suddenly, he begins to have a seizure, something he's never had before. Nick's eyes finally meet mine, filled with pain and regret.

"Ethan. I-"

His voice trails off as he takes one last breath. His eyes remain locked on mine, and then he is gone. Symptoms of an overdose. He soon turns paler than ever. He is gone forever.

Behind me, Lily lets out a small sob of relief. I turn to her, quickly untying her hands.

"Lily, are you okay?" I ask, my voice filled with concern. She is all I care about now.

"You are here now. Where have you been? What happened?" she sobs as she wraps her arms around mine.

I take a deep breath, anger coursing through me. I have been betrayed, but at least Lily is still here. Alive and sane. All mine.

"It was Perry. He is the one behind the FDA, and everything else. He kidnapped me and brought me to this goddamn place."

"What? Why would he do that?" Lily's eyes widen in shock.

"Possibly for the very same reason Nick brought you here."

"God, Ethan. How did it come to this?"

"They were trying to destroy my business," I explain, my voice filled with rage.

"Why would Perry get involved in any of this?" Even through the panic, Lily still has questions.

"Perry is a spy, and Nick... he's betrayed me. I am also sure Alfred has, too. They want to take everything I've built and tear it apart. But they can never do that."

"Alfred guided me here. He said I would find you here."

"Of course, he did. I don't know who to trust anymore."

"I am here," she says, putting her shaky hands on my chest. I hate what they have done to her.

"My love. You are safe now," I pull her in for a tight embrace, doing my best to reassure her that everything is okay, that she is safe, and that I am here for her as much as she is for me.

"Let's leave this place, please."

"Come on."

As we stand up to leave the room, I suddenly hear more footsteps. Before I can urge Lily to hide, it is too late. Alfred enters the room quietly, his face wearing a mask of concern.

"Mr. Rothschild. Thank God you're safe. Miss Snow?"

"Alfred," I say as I turn to face him, my eyes narrowing. I then look at Nick's paralyzed body on the floor, which makes Alfred look at it too. He gasps and slowly backs away.

"Nick?" Alfred's expression is twisted with hurt and disbelief.

"Lily. Get out of the room, please. Now," I stare at him as I say to Lily, my instincts screaming at me to be cautious.

"Are you sure?" Lily glances between Alfred and me, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Yes, you have to trust me on this, Lily. Go on. You will be fine."

"You are making a mistake, Mr. Rothschild," Alfred says, his voice turning cold.

"You traitor! After everything I have done for you!? I trusted you with everything. The company. Lily," I say, and slowly watch Alfred's facial expression change.

"Mr. Rothschild, I really don't- he says, but I am too quick and interrupt him. I wrap my hands around his neck, and he doesn't react. But then, a threatening smile appears on his lips.

"You were always naive, Ethan. This is bigger than you, bigger than her," Alfred chuckles.

"I won't let you get to me, you bastard. Or Lily. Or the company," I growl at him.

"You really think you can stop me? After everything?" Alfred's smile fades, his eyes narrowing.

I manage to land a punch, sending Alfred staggering back. He snarls, his fangs flashing in the dim light.

Alfred charges at me, and we grapple, each trying to gain the upper hand. His strength is overwhelming, but I hold on, refusing to let him win.

"Ethan, you can't win," Alfred hisses, his grip tightening around my throat.

I gasp for air, struggling to break free. If I don't do this for me, I need to do it for Lily. With a burst of strength, I break free and land a powerful kick to Alfred's chest. He stumbles back, hitting the wall hard. I don't give him a chance to recover. I pounce, pinning him to the ground.

"This ends now," I say through gritted teeth.

"You think you've won?" Alfred laughs; a gurgling sound of blood seeping from his mouth.

"You will die a disgraceful traitor," I tighten my grip, my fangs inches from his neck.

In a final, desperate move, Alfred reaches for a hidden dagger, but I'm faster. I sink my fangs into his neck, tearing through flesh and muscle. He screams, a horrible, blood-curdling sound, as I drain life from him.

Alfred's body convulses beneath me, his strength fading. His eyes lock onto mine, filled with pain and fear.

"What a typical day for a CEO," I lay back against the wall, heavily breathing and trying to regain my strength. My eyes spot a rusty axe in the corner of the room. I need to finish this once and for all.

I place the three lifeless corpses of Perry, Nick, and Alfred next to each other. There are no signs of life on their faces, but I need to do this the right way to keep them from rising again.

"Till betrayal do us part," I murmur to myself as I bring the axe down and decapitate them.

"You shall not get a proper burial. And that is what you get for betraying a real Rothschild," I say again as I silently move between the bodies, staring at them for one last time.

I burst out of the morgue, the freezing air hitting me like a wall. My breaths come in uneven gasps, my body trembling from the exertion and adrenaline. I scan the area frantically, searching for Lily.

"Ethan!" her voice cuts through the breeze, filled with relief and urgency.

I turn and see her standing a few yards away, eyes wide with worry. I kneel towards her, my legs barely holding me up.

"Lily," I gasp, collapsing into her arms.

"You're here. Oh my God, Ethan."

"Come on, let's get the hell out of here."

"Is it over?"

"Of course, it is, Lily. They should not have messed with a Rothschild."

"I still can't believe anything of this has happened."

"I am terribly sorry for everything you went through on my behalf, my love. I need to burn the place down. I will burn it down tonight. I will have-"

"Yes?" she says.

"Well, I don't have anyone to do that for me now, Lily. I am afraid I must do it myself."

"I will always be here with you," she smiles at me and wraps her arms around my neck, tiptoeing to reach up for a kiss.

I nod, leaning on her for support as we make our way to the car. Every step is a struggle, my body aching from the fight with the three of them. But I got this. I saved it all.

As we reach the car, I collapse into my seat. There is mud all over me and the stains are going to be hard to remove, but I need to drive far away from this damned place and get Lily out of here.

"We need to get you to a hospital," she says, her voice trembling.

"No. We can't. Too many questions. I have a trial to take care of."

"Ethan, you're hurt. You need help," Lily looks at me, worry etched on her face.

"I'll be okay. Right now, I have my dream woman by my side, and I need to save my company."

She nods, determination replacing the fear in her eyes. She tries to hide her smile and looks out the window.

"The courtroom awaits me. I need to fix all damage created," I say, and urge her to drive.

As she drives, the city lights blur past us. I lean forward, forcing my eyes open for a moment. The events of the day play over in my mind, the betrayal, the fight, and finally, the relief of escaping.

"Ethan, we'll get through this. Together," Lily's voice breaks through my thoughts.

I smile at her, then it suddenly hits me that Perry is gone. I have no representative. No lawyer. No nothing. Just stacks of papers and common sense, with a drained skill of reading minds.

"Stay here in the car. It won't take me thirty minutes."

"No. I am coming with you," she says.

"Lily, after everything that has happened today, you may want to start listening to me. I care about you more than I care about anyone."

"Ethan, you may want to push me off your world, but trials are a human thing. I am coming with you on this," Lily says as she gets out of the car.

"Fair enough," I chuckle, and hold her hand

I take a deep breath. Lily has been right next to me every step of the way. Even though I may be a vampire, Lily has given me a new life. One filled with joy, happiness, and love.

As I approach the entrance, I smell a familiar scent. I look behind me and there he is. Demetrius. Once again.

"It's you again?" I say, urging Lily to stand behind me.

"Ethan Rothschild in front of a courthouse with no representative? How come? Do you not have a faithful attorney, Ethan?" Demetrius leans in, a smirk barely visible on his face.

"I believe in the truth of Rothschild Pharmaceuticals practices. I am going to speak for myself because, I may have something to hide, but it is only for the benefit of humans."

"That I know, for sure. I am afraid you do not have to go inside," Demetrius says as he places his palm on my shoulder. I move back, but he keeps his hand steady. He has no intentions of letting me go.

"What are you saying? I need to save what those traitors ruined."

"There is no trial, Ethan. It has all been falsified. Every document. Every inquiry. And you fell for it so hard, haven't you? That attorney of yours must have been so good at this."

"What?" I ask, my brain feeling numb. It is both a relief and a shock at the same time.

"Look here. Falsified data. Even some of your products are not spelled correctly."

"Maybe I really should start paying more attention to the paperwork. This is not the first time it has happened to me," my mind takes me back to the first day Lily entered my office.

I could have known that she was the one who was going to be the company's florist If I had just looked at her file. Here it is, happening again.

"I told you to be aware of your surroundings, Ethan, didn't I?"

I hate that he is right. I hate that he warned me about everything, and I didn't listen.

"Yes. You did," I grit out through my clenched teeth.

"That lousy attorney that you had has never been your friend. He urged me to join him on his mission of ruining you, but I objected to that."

"Why?"

"See, Ethan. I never wanted to harm you. I just wanted to intimidate your little human for a bit, but that's natural. I am a vampire just like you, except I tend to enjoy frightening humans."

"Why didn't you stand on Perry's side? You have always had a grudge against me and my practices. Tell me the reason. I deserve the answer," I say, utterly curious to know the answer.

"I could have. But no, I am better than that. I respect what you are doing, even when it is against our nature. Speaking of Perry, where is he?"

"He is dead. Decapitated."

"Tough move," Demetrius laughs, his fangs appearing for a split second.

"He messed with the wrong person. Chloroform must have really done it for him at first."

"And then?"

"Then I tore his head off his body. Same thing with Nick and Alfred. I will have the place burned down soon, along with their bodies."

"Mind if I do that instead? I have always been fond of burning things down," he smiles.

"I do not have any objections, as long as you promise all the bodies turn to ashes."

"Deal."

"What do you want in return?"

Demetrius looks at Lily at first, then back at me. I can suspect he is after Lily, but his thoughts are sincere; something a vampire is not known to have.

"A friend, I suppose."

"Consider it already done."

"Are you going to turn her, Ethan?" Demetrius asks as he gestures at Lily, his tone surprisingly neutral.

"Do you think I should do that, Demetrius?" I ask, stealing glances at Lily. She smirks, obviously enjoying the conversation. She is also trying to hide her fear.

"I think you ought to. That way, I will stop craving her blood," Demetrius smiles, a genuine, almost friendly smile.

"Someday, perhaps," I chuckle, nudging Lily.

"I will be seeing you around, Ethan Rothschild. Lily Snow. A pleasure to have known you," Demetrius's smile widens.

With that, he grins at both of us and walks into the fog, his figure slowly blending into the mist. The weather is perfect for his dramatic exit—a typical vampiric scene in New York.

"He's something else, isn't he?" Lily looks up at me, still smiling.

"Yeah, he is. But for now, we have other things to focus on," I nod, wrapping my arm around her, and pulling her as close as possible.

"Such as?"

"Ready to hop on business?" I ask her, and it only takes a smile from her to know the answer.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I want to make you my business partner, Lily Snow," I pull her in for a kiss, so passionate that we fail to realize how long we stand there, embracing each other.

"Is that so?" she asks, breaking the kiss.

"And not only that. I want you to move in with me. To be part of my life. Permanently. And I will do anything and everything to keep you safe," I say as I breathe close to her face.

"You mean everything to me, Lily Snow."

She smiles, and it is the most beautiful thing in the world.

"Come on. Let's get out of here," I take her hand and guide her to the car. I need to get far away from here to a place where only Lily and I exist.

The drive is full of forbidden thoughts. In both of our minds. I can clearly read her thoughts, and it makes my mouth water. I quickly pull over to the side of the road. I need her. Now.

"Ethan, we can't."

"No, Lily, please. Don't speak. I need you, more than you could ever imagine."

She grins at me and climbs on top of me, kissing me passionately. She pulls off her blazer exposing a godlike sight in front of me.

"Fuck, you are so beautiful," I run my tongue across her bare breasts, and she moans with pleasure.

Her lips find mine and she pulls off my jacket, shirt, and then pants. My hard dick is now exposed, waiting for her touch.

"Ethan," she whispers my name like it's a prayer. Her words are music to my ears. I rip off her panties, lift her onto my lap, and enter her. She lets out a cry of pleasure. I thrust deeper and deeper inside of her.

"Oh god, Ethan," she cries.

"Just like that. Let it all out, darling."

I grab her by the waist, guiding her. I let her take control, riding my hard cock. I love how tight and wet she is.

"Ethan, you make me feel so good," her moans of pleasure are the only thing I hear, drowning out the outside world.

"Come for me, baby. "Come…." I groan, and with one final push, we both come. I can't resist her lips. I pull her in for one more kiss, only more passionate this time.

"I love you," I tell her, breathing heavily.

"I love you, too," she says, and it feels so damn good to hear her say those three words.

"Already getting lusty with your business partner?" I ask her, tickling her bare waist.

"Only the ones who are extremely ruthless vampires and powerful businessmen," she smirks.

"Aren't you such a tease, Miss Snow? Come on, we have so much work to do, but first, we need to change your last name," I kiss her one more time and finally start the car again.

"Change my name? What is wrong with my last name?" she says.

"Oh, it is pretty. But Mrs. Rothschild sounds better."

"Mrs. Rothschild?" Lily asks, her mouth parted. I can swear I heard a gasp. Her eyes are wide open. It is like she is in disbelief.

"Something wrong with that?" I bite my lower lip and grab her thigh.

"I-" Lily begins to talk, but she soon stops.

"The title sounds so sexy. It perfectly fits you. Mrs. Rothschild," I say again, reminiscing on the words.

"Are you-" she begins with her questions, but I am quick to catch that.

"Yes. Yes, Lily. I am asking you to be my wife."

Lily looks out the window and smiles. Her smile is so genuine that it turns into a grin, then a lovable laugh.

I could not have asked for a better ending and beginning to this journey. And I know I will never regret meeting her again. Ever.

The End