Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 86

Ethan never really enjoyed these kinds of parties. When Luis sent him an invitation, he had no intention of showing up. If he hadn't known that Ines would be there, he surely wouldn't have bothered to come. Now with all this weird stuff happening, he really wasn't in the mood to stick around. He turned to Luis and the others and said, "Well, I'm gonna take off with my wife."

Everyone nodded. Ethan took Ines by the hand and walked over to Jaime, "Jaime, I'm gonna take Ines home, alright?"

Jaime was taken aback by Ethan's greeting but quickly replied, "Yeah, you guys should get going. I'm really sorry about all this, I was the one who brought Ines here and all this happened."

Ines shook her head, indicating it had nothing to do with him.

As soon as Bella saw Ethan was about to leave, she quickly moved forward and weakly called out, "Ethan."

Ethan didn't bother responding. He gave her a blank look, took Ines's hand, and left.

Before leaving the hotel, Ethan reviewed the surveillance footage. He's a sharp thinker and had already noticed something off in Bella's story. The way that girl accused so confidently, it was obviously premeditated. Nothing in this world happens without a reason.

Ethan watched all the footage related to Ines. The great thing about big hotels is that the surveillance covers everything, no blind spots. Even areas people think are off-camera are actually filmed. Of course, the hotel wouldn't readily reveal this information, but if Ethan wanted to see it, he certainly could.

And so, Ethan saw Stoner harassing Ines.

Seeing her own violent side through her husband's eyes, Ines was a bit taken aback. She sneaked a glance at Ethan and saw his calm expression, which eased her nerves.

Thinking about how she had kicked Stoner and left him unable to get up filled her with a sense of satisfaction. She turned to Ethan and said, "I always say it's good for a woman to carry self-defence gear. Men are naturally stronger, so having a weapon is better than going in bare-handed."

Ethan laughed at her spirited commentary. However, thinking about what had happened still upset him, causing him to furrow his eyebrows.

Unable to resist, Ines reached up and smoothed his brow, softly complaining, "I've told you so many times, don't keep frowning like that, it's scary."

At her words, Ethan quickly forced a smile. However, his hands continued their task, applying an ice pack to her bruised cheek. "I was too arrogant, always thinking I could keep you safe. I forgot that I can't be with you all the time. Izzy, I'm sorry for letting you go through this."

Thankfully, Ines was stronger than she appeared. She was resilient and smart, knew when to bend and when to stand firm, and how to protect herself to the fullest.

Ethan's words warmed her heart. But she didn't like the guilt in his voice and disagreed, "Mr. Meyer, you're overthinking it. I'm a capable and thoughtful person. You can't be with me all the time and I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself."

Ethan nodded, but Ines could tell he was still troubled. He was clearly still upset about what had happened, even though it wasn't really his fault. This man was oddly sensitive about such matters.