Her strength was not substantial, but Ethan felt an unbearable pain all over his body with each punch. Every blow seemed to weigh a ton, leaving him covered in injuries.
Ethan's eyes turned bloodshot, resembling an enraged beast. He caught Samantha by the neck, pressing her against the utility pole on the roadside.
"Do you care about him that much? Huh?" he sneered.
For Justin, she was willing to resort to violence against him? What did that make Ethan? Her casual entertainment tool?
Or her means of satisfying physiological needs?
In a fit of anger, Samantha spoke without restraint, "Yes, I care about him, I like him! He treats me well and can help me find Alexander. As for you? All you do is mock and ridicule me. Do I like you? I'm not a masochist, why would I like you? From start to finish, I was just playing with you, and you took it seriously? How foolish."
No.
That wasn't what she truly felt.
She no longer had romantic feelings for Justin.
Nor did she view Ethan as a mere bed partner.
Her emotions toward him were more complicated.
However, the words that came out contradicted her true thoughts.
She couldn't control herself.
Thinking about Justin's departing gaze, she felt like her heart was being twisted, and all the dignity she had been trying to maintain was brutally trampled by Ethan.
Her pride and self-respect were shattered.
Her angry words, however, were taken seriously by Ethan.
Every word she uttered mercilessly wounded Ethan.
Ethan, with bloodshot eyes, coldly hooked his lips and spoke in an extremely cruel tone, "Is that so? Since you want to play, let's make it a big game. I won't call it off, so don't think about stopping."
Samantha didn't hesitate to refuse, "Impossible. From now on, stay away from me. I don't want to see you again."
Ethan leaned closer to her, staring at her face that was just within reach. The smile on his lips widened, and he spoke coldly, "From now on, I'll dictate the rules of the game. If you dare to defy me, I will stop all treatments for your grandfather, and you'll never see Alexander again in your lifetime."
His words made Samantha's face instantly pale.
"No, you can't do this..."
Her grandfather's condition had finally stabilized. Once his health indicators returned to normal, he could undergo surgery with an eighty percent chance of recovery. She couldn't let her grandfather's treatment be terminated because of her actions.
Ethan sneered, "If you don't want me to do that, then behave and follow my orders. If I'm pleased, maybe I'll even reward you a little. If I'm not, I'll drag you to hell with me."
Originally, he wanted nothing to do with this woman.
However, when he saw her with Justin, he was so infuriated that he wanted to kill Justin. There was only one thought in his mind—Samantha belonged to him, and no one could covet his woman. Even if they were relatives, she should stay close to him.
She was the one who flirted with him first. She sent him messages every night, confessed to him, and said sweet words to him.
Once she provoked him, she wanted to escape? No way.
As long as he didn't call it off, the game had to continue indefinitely, never to stop.
Samantha looked at Ethan in horror. At this moment, Ethan's handsome face was extremely distorted, like a demon crawling out of hell.
She began to regret.
Regret that she shouldn't have provoked him.
Ethan was quite satisfied that she didn't cry or make a scene. He gently caressed her smooth cheek, his skin-smiling but not smiling, and said, "Very well, just like this. Remember, now go home obediently and wait for my summons at any time. Otherwise, I'll have Nick immediately kick your grandfather out of the hospital."
Samantha's emotions suddenly became agitated again, pleading, "No, I can't go back. I have to find Alexander. He's not a rash child. He wouldn't let me worry for such a long time without contacting me. Something must have happened to him, and I must find him..."
Ethan coldly issued the final command, "He is my son, and I don't need your concern. If you're not home in half an hour, I'll immediately call Nick. Remember, I don't like women who lie."
Samantha was afraid that he would indeed stop all treatments for her grandfather. She could only obediently walk towards the BMW parked on the side of the road.
To make herself feel better, she kept reassuring herself.
Alexander is Ethan's son. Ethan will definitely not let anything happen to him. With Ethan's abilities, he can surely find Alexander. He must be able to.
A gust of wind blew by, lifting the hem of her skirt, adding a touch of desolation to her departing figure.
Ethan's heart was tightly clenched, and his chest felt like it was being blocked, making it difficult to breathe. He clenched his fists, as if the more tightly he grasped, the less suffocating he felt in his chest.
He hated the feeling of being stirred by Samantha's thoughts.
Yet, he was powerless to stop it.
Suddenly, an urgent ringtone interrupted his thoughts. It was a call from Jade.
He immediately answered the call and placed the phone to his ear.
Jade's urgent voice came from the other end, "Sir, we've located Young Master Alexander. He has been kidnapped by Tiger's men."
Ethan furrowed his brows. "Tiger?"
Jade explained, "Tiger is a small gang leader in London. Over the years, he's been involved in a lot of kidnapping and extortion. Tiger's men were spotted at the place where Young Master Alexander disappeared. The surveillance footage shows them carrying a sack and getting into a disguised van. I've already found Tiger’s lair, and our people are on their way there."
Ethan tightened his brows. "I'll be there soon."
After ending the call with Jade, Ethan immediately drove towards Tiger's lair.
...
Steele Family Mansion.
Mr. Owen Steele, the old patriarch, and his wife, Mrs. Odette Steele, sat on the sofa. On their left side were his first son, Liam, and Anna, while on the right were his second son, Jack Steele, and his wife, Zila. Sitting beside them were representatives from the fourth and third branches.
In the third branch were Catherine Steele and her husband Quentin.
In the fourth branch was Brent Steele, a son born to the old patriarch and Mrs. Steele in their later years. Brent, in his forties, was still single and renowned in London as a sharp-tongued lawyer.
It had been a day.
The search for Alexander had yielded no results.
Mr. Owen Steele was so anxious that he couldn't sleep. When he didn't sleep, no one else could either. The whole room sat in a gloomy atmosphere, accompanying Mr. Steele as they waited for news.
Brent and Kilian sat together, leaning lazily in their chairs, yawning endlessly, so tired that they couldn't keep their eyes open.
Seeing them like this, Mr. Owen Steele got angry and picked up a water cup, throwing it at them.
"Good-for-nothing fellows, your grandson and nephew's life and death are unknown, yet you can still sleep?"
The two immediately straightened up and sat properly.
Mr. Owen Steele was still angry and turned his ire towards Liam.
"What about you? How could you not even know you have two grandsons? What have you all been eating? Letting my great-grandson wander outside for so many years, suffering who knows how much..."
Liam's face darkened, without offering any explanation, silently enduring Mr. Owen Steele's anger.
Anna kept her head down, feeling guilty and remorseful about their missing grandson. If she could have noticed something amiss from Alexander's unusual behavior during their last meeting, things might not have come to this.
She missed hugging her lovely and lively grandson. He disappeared before she could even hug him.
Zila concealed her schadenfreude, keeping it to herself, but deliberately said, "Sister-in-law, not to criticize you, but if it weren't for that paternity test, we probably would still be in the dark. In the end, it's all because of Suzy. Clearly giving birth to twins, but only bringing one child over..."
These words reminded Anna.
She furrowed her brows slightly, harboring some dissatisfaction towards Suzy.
Yes.
The main culprit was Suzy.
If she hadn't concealed the truth, how could her precious grandson have wandered outside for four years?
When Alexander is found, she must settle the score with her!
Just then, a panting servant rushed in, breathless, and urgently said, "Master, Madam, there's news about Young Master Alexander. He's been kidnapped by Tiger's men. Mr. Ethan has already sent people over."
Hearing that there was finally news about Alexander, Mr. Owen Steele instantly became alert, immediately standing up with his cane.
"Prepare the car; I want to go there in person..."
Anna and Liam, hearing this, quickly supported him.
Liam said anxiously, "Father, you're over eighty years old. It's not suitable to go to such a dangerous place. Let me go."
But Mr. Steele couldn't be dissuaded. He forcefully stamped his cane, "No, I must ensure the safety of my great-grandson. Don't try to persuade me. If you're really worried about me, then accompany me."
Since Mr. Owen Steele had spoken, no one dared to say anything more. They could only follow him.
At four in the morning, a group of people left the old mansion, heading towards Tiger's lair.
***