Trust in You

Chapter 36 - Ethan

I'm home.. I open the big door of my house. It's still early in the morning on Sunday. The house's staff just starting to clean up the enormous place I called home.

I was planning to come back tomorrow because I don't think I can bear to have Madeline here without wanting her. Tomorrow is Monday and I have a better control in the office. But I miss her so goddamn much. I didn't text her since the day they arrived in LA, but I kept texting Jack and Consuela asking about her. At this rate, Jack and Consuela might resign because they thought their boss was a loony stalker and suffer from depression. Every hour I texted them to tell me what Madeline was up to. Is it every hour? Okay (much) earlier than that. And I kept checking on my CCTV. If that is not a stalker, I don't know what it is. I don't have any responsibility to answer any question from my conscious brain.

I asked Paulo to let Madeline choose her own room. I even asked Paulo whether Madeline wants to sleep in my room. Since it's the biggest room in the house, with the fountain view and a big jacuzzi. But Paulo said when he told Madeline the idea, she was looking at him as if he asked her to sleep at the front gate naked. In the end, she chose the farthest room from mine.

So here I am in front of her room door. Is she still sleeping? It's only 4 in the morning. I try to open the door softly and yes, this woman doesn't lock her door. Need to tell her about safety later. Better yet, I'm going to ask Jack to lecture her.

Madeline is sleeping on the bed, her strawberry blonde hair disheveled, her breath so soft. I touch her face softly. She is so beautiful. "I missed you, Sweetness." I kiss her forehead. She stirs a bit. Because I don't want to wake her up, so I leave the room.

***

I'm chewing my breakfast alone. Madeline had her breakfast in her room. Is she too sick to wake up? No way, until yesterday, she still had her dinner here with Consuela. Is she avoiding me now? After finishing my breakfast, I walk to my cabinet. I need some vodka to calm my nerves.

Huh... where is it? I study my cabinet closely. I have at least 5-6 bottles of vodka here. One of them I got from Mike when he was traveling. That's my favorite. And some of my wine is gone too. A lot, actually. What the hell?

"Paulo!" I cal my butler. And he comes in a second. "Did you know who touched my alcohol's cabinet?"

"It's Madeline, sir," he says formally.

"Madeline? You mean she's pouring the alcohol in the garden?" Because there is no way she can finish all the alcohol, even though she shared it with Paulo and the other. I only left them for 4 days, not a month.

"No sir. She drank it."

"What?" My eyes snap at him.

"Well, she asked me and Consuela to join her, sometimes with Jack, too. But we only drank like 1-2 glasses."

"And she drank the rest of it?" There is no way...

"Yes sir. She did it. And she was still sober enough. She talked with us without losing the conversation and walked by herself to her room. So, no harm."

"You gotta be kidding me!" I walk to find her, but I stop at the bottom stair. "Paulo..." I turn at him. "Why do you call her Madeline? I mean, you call none of my friend with their first name. You always call everyone with Mr. or Ms. even with Christian."

Paulo smiles. "Because she asked me to, sir."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "I still remember I insisted you to call me Ethan."

"Well, she is a better negotiator then." Paulo smiles again.

What the hell? Last time I checked, I'm a fantastic negotiator.