CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: TURNED INTO FERTILIZER FOR THE ROSES

EDITOR: ENDLESSFANTASY TRANSLATION

Nathan Ayers held a thick report in his hands, rapidly reporting the company’s affairs like a machine gun, while Ethan Sterling focused on the video game characters on the TV, yet still replied, "Not enough, the price needs to be pushed further down."

Nathan furrowed his brow, "But..."

"There’s no ’but’ about it; the lower the price, the better the rebound."

Without even looking up, Ethan discussed matters concerning the livelihoods of shareholders in the same tone as he would debate what to have for dinner.

Nathan sighed, closed the document, "It’s just that they might not know whether to buy or to sell."

Each decision from the CEO left people puzzled, truly pitying those shareholders being played by Ethan.

"Am I running a charity? I don’t care if they live or die."

Ethan let out a cold laugh, showing no intention of feeling sorry for those investors.

Nathan dared not say more, so after a brief acknowledgment, he reopened the document and continued reporting, "By the way, concerning Leon Larkin’s jump to Prosperwell."

Leon had been Ethan’s secretary.

"Ha, this guy received top-notch resources from me, given the chance to climb to where he is today, only to take it all to create value for someone else’s company? You’ve been with me long enough to know my attitude toward such ingrates."

"Yes."

It seemed Leon was going to be blacklisted in the industry now.

Hearing noises near the villa stairs, Ethan instinctively turned around, seeing Seraphina Redgrave, wearing a light pink knee-length dress, being gently led down the stairs by Nanny Lynch.

The dress was a loose, casual style, with spaghetti straps, highlighting her fair, white arms like jade. She looked both innocent and attractive.

However, her obsidian-like eyes remained as expressionless as ever.

"Come here." Ethan’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before beckoning her over, the agile black cat tattoo slightly visible on his wrist.

As someone with mental health issues, Seraphina didn’t react, eventually led to Ethan’s side by Nanny Lynch, who then left, while Seraphina stood there foolishly in front of Ethan.

Extending his long arm, Ethan wrapped it around Seraphina’s waist, lifting her onto his lap with ease. He held her there until he was sure she wouldn’t move, then adjusted his posture and continued gaming.

Seraphina’s hair almost stood on end.

Was Ethan using her like a pillow?

Forget it.

Ethan, this big CEO, would surely go to the company soon; that’s when she could make her escape, not minding this brief moment.

Suppressing her instinct to struggle, Seraphina found Ethan unwilling to let her go. He guided her hands to hold the controller that had been in his hands, hand-in-hand, laughing lightly into her ear, "You should eat more, you’re like a little child."

Seraphina looked down and saw her small hands completely enveloped by his.

The man’s deep voice resonated like a cello, flowing straight into Seraphina’s heart, making it jump heavily, leaving her momentarily dazed.

Seeing that Ethan no longer had time to listen to his work reports, Nathan wisely closed the file and left.

Sitting uncomfortably in Ethan’s lap, Seraphina’s hands were dominated by him, as he seemingly instructed her on how to operate the controller while covertly playing with her fingers.

The heat emanating from the man was intense; she felt as if she was about to ignite.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, Ethan moved closer, his scorching breath upon her ear, speaking in a husky voice.

It was extremely suggestive.

Seraphina’s breath caught, nearly elbowing him instinctively, only catching herself at the realization that the game on the TV had ended, with Ethan mimicking the explosion sound of his character destroying the enemy base.

This pervert.

Seraphina gritted her teeth.

In high spirits, Ethan manipulated Seraphina’s hand to click on "Play Again," when Granny Coleman came over carrying a bundle of roses cut from the backyard.

Glancing over, Ethan casually remarked, "Those roses were blooming nicely, why cut them?"

Granny Coleman looked a bit flustered, not expecting Ethan to care about such trifles, she quickly bowed and replied respectfully, "Young Master Sterling, these roses had grown beyond the garden, looking rather untidy. I trimmed them to place in Miss’s room."

Ethan had instructed that the roses were exclusive to the garden and not to be displayed outside it.

Upon hearing this, sitting in Ethan’s lap, Seraphina felt the atmosphere suddenly become oppressive.

"Snap!"

With Seraphina’s hand, Ethan flung the controller aside, his voice cold enough to freeze, "Every year, some things don’t know their place, roses, or those mutts in the company."

Not knowing their place? The roses simply grew out of bounds, yet to him, it’s about finding their place?

Granny Coleman, holding the roses, trembled slightly.

"Does such a thing deserve to remain for others to admire?" Ethan’s voice was chilling to the bone, "Shred them all, throw them out of The Sterling Family, shred them now."

"Yes, Young Master Sterling."

Granny Coleman dared not utter a word of dissent and quickly fetched a small pair of shears, along with a trash bag from somewhere, cutting the tender roses into pieces.

Snip, snip, snip.

With each cut, Seraphina felt as though the shears were against her own neck.

Ethan was indeed a total pervert. Wasn’t it just roses growing out of the garden? Why did he say they didn’t know their place, not even leaving a whole piece?

But her plan...

The man’s large, powerful hand came to rest on her nape at some point.

Ethan chuckled softly, his warm hand gently massaging Seraphina’s fragile neck, his gaze even colder, "Did you see the fate of those roses, little one? If you feel the garden isn’t good enough and want to leave it, the outcome will be..."

Ethan paused at a critical point.

Seraphina was utterly frozen in his arms, what kind of outcome?

Ethan gripped Seraphina’s neck closer, his dangerous eyes boring into her clear ones, "The outcome is, you’ll accompany those roses in the garden, your body will serve as good nourishment."

Seraphina’s hairs stood on end.

"Perhaps you think you can escape my grasp, but unfortunately, as long as you are in Z Country, you cannot escape my watch."

Ethan’s gaze was dead serious, as if stating an obvious fact, with no exaggeration.

Seraphina’s scalp tingled, paralyzed in Ethan’s arms, completely losing control over her body, save for Ethan’s hold preventing her from collapsing to the floor.

She believed Ethan knew everything about her.

Maybe Ethan even knew about her escape plan.

Yet, Ethan had only indirectly threatened her, and why?

In such close proximity to Ethan, Seraphina could see that his pupils were a rare but beautiful glass-like color, which made her shiver slightly.

"What are you afraid of? Did my little one finally understand what I was saying earlier? It seems her illness isn’t too severe." Ethan stared at Seraphina unblinkingly, their breaths almost becoming one.

A buzzing echoed in Seraphina’s mind, clueless about how to outsmart this man next.

He was leagues above those from the Redgrave Group.

Once Ethan finished speaking his mind, he wrapped his arms around Seraphina, starting a new game, acting as if nothing had happened, leaving ambiguity about whether he understood everything or was completely unaware.

Rigidly seated in Ethan’s lap, Seraphina found it impossible to focus on the game characters’ actions, her ears only echoing with the sound of Granny Coleman shredding the rose petals.

Snip, snip.

Though nearly drowned out by the game’s cacophonous sounds, each cut was crystal clear within Seraphina’s mind.

To Seraphina, she herself was akin to those roses in Granny Coleman’s hands, about to be shredded into pulp.

Ethan eventually did leave for the company, but Seraphina put aside any thoughts of escape.

No matter how much Ethan knew about her, she couldn’t afford to underestimate him. If Ethan knew everything and was merely toying with her, it meant she wasn’t in mortal danger just yet.

If she attempted to escape now, it might truly put her life at risk.

For the time being, Seraphina wasn’t capable of dealing with someone as nearly flawless as Ethan, particularly when the Redgrave Family still had their sights set on her.