My Stepbrother, My Enemy {BL}-Chapter 130: Control

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3rd Person POV

Ethan stood in front of his mirror, the soft lamplight spilling across his bedroom and casting a warm glow on the mess scattered across the floor — discarded shirts, belts, one lone shoe he still couldn’t find the pair to. He normally didn’t care about parties like this. In fact, he hated them. Jace’s parties were always filled with self-entitled jerks, cliques that fed on gossip, and people who treated popularity like a currency.

But tonight felt different, because Noah would be there.

He tugged the hem of his black sweater into place, smoothing out the creases. He’d chosen it after cycling through almost everything he owned. Not too flashy. Not too plain. Something that would make Noah’s eyes linger on him the way he sometimes did before looking away shyly.

He muttered to himself as he tried fixing his hair again, "Why am I even trying this hard? It’s Jace’s stupid party."

Then he paused, hands braced against the edge of his dresser. Right, because Noah deserved someone who tried to look good for him.

Even if he wasn’t fond of the people throwing the party, even if he could barely tolerate the thought of being in the same room as Adrien Fell’s friends, he was going for Noah. To make sure s

he didn’t get hurt. To be near him. To maybe — hopefully, remind him why she’d picked Ethan in the first place.

He exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair again until it finally sat the way he wanted.

He’d told himself he understood why Noah left him behind at the cliff... but that didn’t stop the sting. The scene kept replaying in his mind, his lips still swollen from kissing Ethan, the way his voice shook when he apologized, and then him running after Adrien like he was the one who mattered.

Ethan swallowed hard, jaw flexing.

God, he hated that.

He hated that Adrien seemed to have this invisible pull on Noah, something unspoken and frustratingly unbreakable.

And he hated even more how much Adrien seemed to despise him.

Despise them together.

Ethan grabbed his watch and clasped it around his wrist. Maybe he was tired of pretending this was normal. Maybe he was tired of waiting for things to magically get better between them.

"Maybe I should talk to him," Ethan muttered under his breath, half-laughing at how ridiculous the idea sounded. Adrien wasn’t exactly the "let’s talk it out" type. More like the "start a fight on sight" type.

But then he thought of Noah again, his soft voice, his worried eyes whenever he and Adrien even stood too close and his desperate attempts to keep the peace.

Ethan straightened up, looking at himself in the mirror, the steady blue eyes, the determined set of his shoulders.

He grabbed his keys from the nightstand and headed toward the door, shoulders tight with new resolve.

Even if Adrien hated him, and even if the conversation ended in the same old cycle of bitterness between them...

Ethan knew one thing for certain:

Tonight, he wasn’t letting Noah walk into that party alone.

Not if he could help it.

Ethan froze when he heard the door creak open.That voice already irritated made every muscle in his body tighten.

His uncle Logan stepped inside without knocking, like he always did, and scanned the room with that familiar look of disgust, as if Ethan’s mere presence offended him. He was in his usual stiff button-down, sleeves rolled lazily up to his elbows, revealing thick, muscular forearms. His hairline was even thinner than last year, making his eyes appear meaner, smaller and more calculating as they landed directly on Ethan.

"Where the hell do you think you’re going dressed like that?" Logan asked, his voice drenching the air with a threat disguised as authority.

Ethan fought to keep his shoulders from tensing up. The instinct to shrink away, brace himself, and shut down was strong, but over time he learned that showing fear only made things worse.

So he took a slow breath, maintaining a steady voice.

"I’m just heading out," he replied. "A guy at school is throwing a party. I’ll be back later."

Logan’s frown deepened. "A party?" He stepped further into the room, and Ethan felt his jaw tighten as Logan’s presence loomed like a dark cloud. "And you didn’t think to ask me before running off to some pointless high-school nonsense?"

"I wasn’t running off," Ethan said carefully, trying to keep the peace. He snuck his phone halfway behind his back so Logan wouldn’t spot the text he was about to send to Noah. "I—I’m asking now. Can I go?"

Logan scoffed, a harsh, bitter sound.

"Absolutely not."

Ethan blinked, feeling tension spike in his chest. "What? Why not?"

"Because I said so," Logan snapped, his voice rising as he crossed his arms. "You think you can just wander around at night, leaving this house whenever you feel like it? No. Not happening. You’re staying home."

Ethan swallowed hard, the shock mixing with a familiar knot of anger and helplessness. He hated the tone Logan used, as if reminding him of every flimsy excuse for power he thought he had.

"I didn’t do anything wrong," Ethan said quietly, though he felt his voice crack and hoped Logan didn’t notice. "It’s just a party. I’ll be home before midnight."

"No," Logan repeated coldly, his lips curling into a sneer. "You kids think life’s one big joke. Your father put me in charge of this house, and I’m not letting you embarrass the company again."

Ethan tensed...again was the word his used.

Ethan forced his expression to stay neutral, even as his stomach twisted.

"This isn’t about the dealership," he said quietly. "You’re just trying to control me. I’m not a kid anymore."

Logan took a slow, heavy step closer until less than a foot separated them.

"You’ll leave this house when I say you can leave," Logan hissed. "And tonight, you’re not going anywhere, so drop the attitude before I fucking knock it out of you!"

Ethan’s heart raced.

He clenched his jaw tight.

He said nothing, because anything else would push him over the edge, and Logan was already brimming with rage.

There he stood, blocking the doorway with his broad frame, arms crossed over his chest like a bouncer who’d already decided no way Ethan was getting past him.

Ethan tried again, keeping his voice steady even as frustration boiled inside him. "Why can’t I go? I don’t understand. It’s just one party, Uncle."

Logan let out a humorless chuckle that made Ethan’s stomach twist.

"Because," he said slowly, as if Ethan couldn’t grasp the concept, "we’re exporting a batch of cars tomorrow morning. Your father insisted you come. Apparently, he wants you to ’start learning the ropes.’"

He spat out the words, clearly annoyed at the responsibility.

Ethan blinked, caught off guard. "Tomorrow? Since when?"

"Since your father called earlier," Logan snapped. "And I’m not dragging your hungover self to a professional meeting again. Last time you messed things up, we barely fixed it. That stupid fight with Adrien in Clearwater nearly ruined a major deal."

"That wasn’t my fault," Ethan said through clenched teeth. "Adrien started—"

"I don’t care who started it!" Logan thundered, taking a threatening step forward. "All that matters is my goddamn job was on the line because you two idiots decided to fight like children."

Ethan stiffened. The memories of the bruises came rushing back.

The yelling.

The way Logan’s anger exploded afterward.

And Logan’s voice dropped low and menacing.

"You’re not going," he said. "I’m not letting you embarrass the company again. You’re staying home, getting a full night’s rest, and you’d better be ready at sunrise for that export."

Ethan swallowed hard. "I can control myself. I won’t walk into a business meeting drunk. I’m not stupid."

But Logan just smirked, that kind of smirk that always made Ethan’s skin crawl.

"Then be a good nephew and do what you’re told." His tone sharpened. "Because if you don’t, things will get very messy for you. I’ll make sure of it."

A cold shiver ran down Ethan’s spine.

Ethan looked away, jaw tight. "Fine," he muttered.

"Good choice," Logan said, clearly pleased. "Learn to stay out of trouble for once."

He turned and stomped out, slamming the door so hard the frame shook.

The moment he left, the room felt painfully quiet and almost as miserable as he felt.

Ethan let out a shaky breath and sat heavily on the edge of his bed, elbows resting on his knees.

He ran a hand over his face, if he couldn’t go...If he couldn’t be there to look out for her... Noah would walk into that party all alone.

Alone with Vanessa.

Alone with Jace’s crew.

Alone with whatever scheme they might have in mind. Ethan stared at the dark window, his reflection pale with worry.

"How the hell am I supposed to protect her now?" he whispered.