I DRUGGED the Ruthless Billionaire for One Night of Passion Chapter 07

I DRUGGED the Ruthless Billionaire for One Night of Passion Chapter 07

I slammed a glass to the ground. For more than a decade, she’d acted like I didn’t exist. Yet the first time we met, she wanted my kidney.

At the sound of the shattering glass, Clara quickly pulled her son into her arms.

“I only asked for one kidney! How can you be so cold? Don’t forget I’m your mother!”

“I gave birth to you! What’s wrong with saving your own brother?”

“If I’d known you’d turn out this cruel, I never would’ve had you!”

The boy squirmed out of her arms, his eyes blazing with rage as he glared at me.

“Mom! I don’t want some trash’s kidney! You told me I was your only child!”

I laughed until tears ran down my face and clapped my hands slowly.

“Well said. Really well said.”

Clara froze. Ethan stood up.

She frowned and snapped at me. “Zoe! Don’t pick a fight with a child! You’re giving him that kidney whether you like it or not!”

Ethan stepped in front of me. “Nobody touches her.”

I took a breath and patted his back. “Let me handle this.”

I walked up to my mother and forced myself to stand face to face with her. The first time in over ten years I’d really looked at her.

“You want my kidney? Then kill me and take it.”

I stumbled as I walked out of the private dining room. Ethan supported me all the way back to Maple Creek Estate. When we got to my door, he took a phone call.

I didn’t wait for him to finish. I waved and mouthed goodbye.

Inside, I looked out the window. He was already gone. But before I could even take off my coat, someone knocked.

I opened the door. Ethan was standing there.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

I let him in. “What is it you want to say?”

He looked exhausted.

“Work’s been crazy. How are you feeling?”

I knew exactly what he was doing. Pretending nothing had happened. That was his way—whenever he got upset and wanted to patch things up, he’d just act like nothing was ever wrong.

“She’d acted like I didn’t exist. Yet the first time we met, she wanted my kidney. I’ve never seen you look so happy.”

I lashed out without thinking. I had to protect myself. Keep him from finding out what he wasn’t supposed to know.

Ethan blinked, then a small smile tugged at his lips as he remembered.

“That was my cousin. You met her once when you were little. Her family moved overseas after that.”

His honest answer left me speechless.

“Oh, I see.”

“Zoe, aren’t you going to explain yourself?”

“Explain what? I already told you all there is to know.”

His eyes locked onto mine. “You said you’ve liked me for years. I never had a clue.”

“Of course you didn’t. You never once saw me as anything more than a neighbor.”

Ethan rubbed his temples. “Zoe, how can you be so cold?”

He started going over all the things he’d done for me back in the day.

“Who brought you food and helped you study back in high school?”

“Who flew hours across every school break just to stay with you?”

“Who sat with you through long nights at the hospital whenever you were sick?”

I held up my hand to stop him.

“The food? You told me the housekeeper asked you to bring it.”

“Every holiday? You said she forced you to come visit.”

“And when I was sick? You said you felt bad for her, so you took her place.”

“So what, you want me to thank you?”

Ethan opened his mouth, then just sighed.

“Zoe, I knew you’d never accept special treatment from me, so I made up excuses. I did it to protect…” He paused. “To protect my pride.”

“I know you act tough, but underneath, you’re not as strong as you seem. I just wanted to take care of you. Be there for you. Those excuses? They were the only way you’d let me stay.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re exaggerating things. When Martha joked that I should marry you, you got so mad you stayed away from home for weeks. Think I forgot?”

Ethan froze, then gave a bitter smile.

“I was upset because I feared Mom’s joke would keep you from coming around our home. And that kind of talk never should have come from her.”

He looked down at me, his expression soft and vulnerable, like a sad puppy.

“And Lena told me you’d been in love with some guy for years. I was jealous and upset. I thought you were ungrateful. It never crossed my mind that guy was me.”

“When you brought me home that day, I thought you’d just been dumped and were using me as a rebound.”

My heart pounded in my chest. Spots danced across my vision. But I pulled myself together quickly.

I put on a careless look. “Fine. But I remember what you said, and it hurt.”

Ethan took a slow step toward me. “Are you really going to keep holding onto this anger?”

I shrugged. “You saw how I treated my own mother. What do you expect?”

“I don’t want to fight. I know something bad has happened to you. I just want the truth.”

I clenched my hands, nails digging into my palms. Then I gave him a faint smile.

“The truth? The truth is I was angry at how you treated me, so I lied.”

“Lied?” He stared at me, confused.

“Yes.” I gritted my teeth.

“What I felt for you was just some stupid teenage crush. Now I want you anyway. I’ve always hated that cold, aloof facade of yours, and I wanted to tear it down.”

“Turns out you’re not so untouchable after all. For my purposes, a powerful CEO like you suited me well.”

I fought to keep my face from giving me away.

Ethan stared at me for a long time, trying to figure out if I was joking. When he decided I wasn’t, his face went cold.

He shoved my wrist away. I lost my balance and crashed into the shoe cabinet, then hit the floor with a loud thud.

Ethan didn’t look back.

Good. I hoped he never would.