The walk home felt surreal for Ethan, like he was floating on air, his mind completely consumed by the memory of Arizona’s kiss. His feet moved automatically, guided by muscle memory through familiar streets, but his thoughts stayed with her. Every time he blinked, he could still feel the warmth of her lips, the way her fingers had tangled in his hair, and the soft press of her body against his.

It was like they were two teenagers sneaking around, stealing kisses in secret, as if the weight of the world outside couldn’t touch them. The moment they’d shared, hidden in the office between kisses, felt like a rebellion—a defiance against all the chaos and pressure surrounding them. It was messy, thrilling, and exhilarating.

He smiled to himself, his heart lighter than it had been in years. This was different—Arizona was different. This wasn’t the same rush he felt with Lidia years ago, or even the distant affection he had thought was love back then. With Arizona, it felt real, alive. There was something about her that was grounding, yet intoxicating at the same time. A mix of intensity and softness he couldn’t resist.

For the first time in a long while, the constant tension in Ethan's shoulders had melted away, replaced by a warmth that radiated through his chest. A quiet laugh escaped him as he walked, marveling at how quickly everything had shifted. The Arizona he had known—distant, guarded—had let him in, and in doing so, had unknowingly invited him to drop his own defenses. Now, there was no going back.

But as he approached the house, the glimmer of light in the window pulled him from his thoughts. A new worry crept into his heart—Diana. Had she come home alone? Had she taken her medicine? He thought about how Thatcher had been managing her meds lately, and the familiar anxiety stirred. Ethan’s mind was suddenly cluttered with a hundred questions, a stark contrast to the lightness he’d felt moments ago.

He sighed, the warmth of his earlier happiness momentarily shadowed by concern. Diana needed him too. Shaking off the weight of the moment, he raised his fist and knocked on the door, his mind half on what waited inside, half still lingering on Arizona.

Ethan sighed, the warmth of his earlier happiness slipping away, replaced by a creeping concern. Diana needed him too. He shook off the weight pressing on his chest and raised his fist, knocking on the door. His mind was divided—one part still lingering on the fire between him and Arizona, the other bracing for whatever waited on the other side of the door.

When it opened, his gaze fell on Diana. She stood there, pale and tense, her eyes wide with fear. Her once vibrant skin seemed drained, as if every bit of life had been siphoned out, leaving her unnervingly fragile. Her hands fidgeted at her sides, and she kept glancing over her shoulder, as though something—or someone—was looming just out of sight.

“Please, come in, Ethan,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “We... have guests.”

Ethan’s brow furrowed as his eyes followed her subtle movements toward the kitchen. His stomach knotted the moment he caught sight of him. Enoch sat at the table, his sharp green eyes glinting with hunger and a cold amusement that made the air feel heavier. There was something predatory about the way he looked up, as if he had been waiting for Ethan all along.

"Long time no see, Enoch," Ethan said, his voice laced with tension as he pulled out a chair. "What brings you here?"

Enoch leaned back casually, a smile playing on his lips that didn’t quite reach his cold, calculating eyes. "Is it forbidden to visit an old friend? Especially an injured one?" He gestured lightly toward Ethan, feigning concern.

Ethan turned to Diana, his expression softening for a moment. "You should go to the bedroom, Diana."

"I can stay here," she replied, her voice defiant yet fragile. "I’m not a child anymore."

"Diana," Ethan snapped, his frustration slipping through before he caught himself. His eyes softened with immediate regret, and he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Please."

Her lips trembled, and her eyes glossed over with unshed tears. She gave him a look of quiet disappointment, her hurt visible in the way her shoulders slumped slightly, but without a word, she turned and left the room, the faint sound of her footsteps trailing away.

As the door clicked shut, the tension thickened. Ethan propped his elbows on the table, staring directly at Enoch. His voice was quieter now, but the anger simmering underneath was unmistakable. "Why are you really here, Enoch?"

Enoch's grin widened, his tone dripping with mock sincerity. "As I told you, I'm just looking out for a friend in need. You took a bad beating back there."

Ethan’s fists clenched, his jaw tightening. "And who’s to blame for that?"

Enoch's eyes glinted with amusement as he leaned forward. "Harold, of course. That old bastard just couldn’t keep his hands to himself." He said it with a nonchalance that only stoked the fire in Ethan’s chest.

Ethan’s anger surged, his entire body stiffening as Enoch’s mocking words sliced through him like a blade. "You have no idea what you're talking about," Ethan hissed, his voice shaking with rage. "You sold your soul to that monster. You sold us all to him."
"Well,Ethan, we all found ways to get out of that dock,aren't we?"

Ethan’s grip on the back of the chair tightened, his knuckles turning white as Enoch’s words settled over him like a dark cloud. His mind raced, trying to maintain control, but the fury was building inside him like a wildfire. The smug grin on Enoch’s face only stoked the flames.

"What are you implying?" Ethan asked, his voice low and measured, though the tension was evident. His posture was rigid, and beneath his calm exterior, anger simmered, threatening to boil over.

Enoch leaned back, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he watched Ethan struggle to maintain his composure. "Imagine my surprise," Enoch continued, his voice dripping with false innocence, "when I saw a man who was nearly beaten to death leaving *Arizona Lacks’* apartment. Took me a moment to piece it together, but then I realized how clever you are, Ethan. While I was busy cozying up to the father, you had your eyes set on a much bigger prize."

Ethan felt his heart stop for a second. His mind went blank as Enoch’s implication hung in the air, the words striking him like a blow to the chest. ...Arizona.... Enoch knew about Arizona.

The weight of that realization hit Ethan all at once. His heart pounded, a mix of anger and panic surging through his veins. He forced himself to stay silent, clenching his jaw so hard it hurt. He knows.

His fists trembled as he fought to keep his cool, but inside, the fear and fury raged like a storm. Enoch didn’t just know about Arizona—he could tell Conrad. Enoch could destroy everything.

Ethan's breath quickened as the fear clawed at him, twisting in his gut. He thought of Diana. He thought of the safety they’d found in Arizona’s apartment, the fragile peace they had. It could all come crashing down if Enoch spoke even a word of it. Conrad Lacks wasn’t a man to be crossed lightly.

Ethan’s breath quickened, his fear clawing at him, twisting his insides. Diana’s face flashed in his mind, followed by the brief sense of safety they’d found in Arizona’s apartment. It wasn’t perfect, but it had been enough—a fragile peace held together by secrets. Now, that delicate balance threatened to collapse, all because of Enoch. One wrong word, and Conrad Lacks would know everything. And Conrad wasn’t the kind of man you crossed lightly.

“Conrad would be very interested to hear this whole story, you know?” Enoch's voice was laced with mockery, his grin widening as he leaned in, his breath hot against Ethan’s ear. “But it doesn’t have to go that way. We can keep this between us. You and I—just the two of us who know you’re involved with Conrad Lacks' daughter.”

The words hit Ethan like a sledgehammer, freezing him in place. Fear quickly transformed into a blazing rage that roared to life within him.

In an explosive reaction, Ethan's world narrowed down to the searing anger in his chest. Without hesitation, he lunged at Enoch, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall with a force that rattled the room. “I am not fucking!” he bellowed, his voice reverberating with fury.

Enoch’s mocking grin vanished, replaced by sheer shock as Ethan’s hands tightened around his throat. The muscles in Ethan’s arms bulged with intensity, his fingers digging into Enoch’s neck with a white-knuckled grip.

“You pathetic son of a bitch,” Ethan snarled, his face inches from Enoch’s, eyes blazing. His breath came in ragged bursts, heart pounding like a war drum. “You have the nerve to blackmail me?”

Enoch’s face flushed red as his air supply dwindled, panic spreading in his eyes. His hands clawed at Ethan’s wrists, but Ethan’s grip remained unyielding. His mind was a whirlwind of rage and fear, his vision clouded with a furious haze that demanded retribution.

For a moment, anger consumed him completely. The pulse in Enoch’s throat weakened beneath Ethan’s hands, the life draining from the man who had once been his friend. But as Enoch’s struggles began to fade, a voice of reason cut through the storm of fury. What was he doing?

Ethan’s breathing hitched, and a sliver of clarity pierced through his rage. With a shuddering breath, he reluctantly loosened his grip. Enoch gasped for air, his face a mask of fear and relief. Ethan’s hands trembled as he stepped back, his own chest heaving with the realization of what he had nearly done.

Staring at Enoch, Ethan struggled to regain his composure. The rage that had driven him was now replaced by a profound horror at the brink he had nearly crossed.

Staring at Enoch, Ethan struggled to regain his composure. The searing rage that had fueled his actions was now replaced by a deep, unsettling horror at the precipice he had nearly crossed.

“Get out of my house,” Ethan said, his voice low and dangerous. “If Conrad finds out about this, I will finish what I started. There’s nothing I’d enjoy more than seeing that lying neck of yours snap.”

Enoch, his face pale and eyes bloodshot, scrambled to his feet. His green eyes, now tinged with red, reflected a fear that seemed to gnaw at him from within. His hands trembled as he steadied himself, the fear of Ethan's unrestrained fury etched clearly in his features. Regret flickered in his eyes—a recognition of the dangerous game he had played, realizing too late the peril he had invited.

Nodding quickly, Enoch stumbled toward the door, his fear palpable in every hurried step. He cast one last fearful glance at Ethan before bolting out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him with a finality that echoed through the quiet of the house.

Ethan stood frozen, his hands trembling uncontrollably, the weight of what had just happened pressing down on him. Panic surged through him like a tidal wave. He ran a shaky hand through his hair, the enormity of his outburst sinking in with every passing second. His heart raced as regret gnawed at him—he should have kept his cool, approached Enoch with more control, more diplomacy. Now, he had no idea what Enoch might do next.

With a deep, ragged breath, he started rearranging the scattered furniture, each piece a distraction from the chaos in his mind. Once the room was back in some semblance of order, he sank into a chair, the weight of the situation pulling him down. His hands, still trembling, fumbled as he lit a cigarette. The first drag did little to calm his nerves, smoke curling into the dim room as his thoughts spiraled.

"Is he going to hurt you?" Diana whispered fearfull behind the door
Ethan got up estinguished the cigarette in the sink and then he hugs Diana
He doesn t know what Diana meant if she referea to Enoch or Conrad but he didn t flinch when he replied to her

"I will not let them hurt you,kitty."

"You shouldn't have reacted like this"she sais as she fumbled her pants "I thnikyou made it worse."

"I don't know,we will wait and see.I have to talmk woth Arizona though"

This prospect made Ethan s heart clench tell me why
"Is he going to hurt you?" Diana's voice trembled, barely audible from behind the door.

Ethan froze, the soft crackle of his cigarette barely cutting through the tension in the air. He extinguished it hastily in the sink before crossing the room to pull her into a tight embrace. He didn’t know if she meant Enoch or Conrad, but it didn’t matter. His answer was the same either way.

"I won’t let them hurt you, kitty," he murmured into her hair, his voice steady despite the storm raging inside him.

Diana clutched at his shirt, her fingers fidgeting as she whispered, “You shouldn’t have reacted like that. I think you made it worse.”

He sighed deeply, knowing she was right. "I don't know... maybe. We’ll wait and see. But I have to talk to Arizona."

The prospect of facing Arizona made Ethan’s heart clench painfully. Not out of fear of her reaction alone, but because it meant laying bare the darker parts of himself. The parts he had buried—the rage, the fear, the desperation. Arizona deserved to know the truth, but the thought of her seeing him as anything less than the man she believed him to be... that terrified him more than anything Conrad or Enoch could do.

He wanted to protect her, to be the person she thought he was. But how could he, when he wasn’t even sure who he was anymore?