The Rise Of The White Lotus

"I have somewhat gained an Ally that can turn against me at any given time if she will. So, are you ready to hear Avah"s side of the story?" Lexi arched her brows as she leaned her back against the cold marbled chair on the balcony. 

"Ah?" Blinking his widened eyes numerous times, Ethan Lu tilted his head to the side as he slowly went to take the other small chair just across her. 

"You and Avah? Ally? Uh… why? I mean, what the f*ck?" As he plopped down, Ethan Lu"s bewilderment wouldn"t compare to his encounter all day. First, Lexi"s shocking greeting and now, she was telling him she made an alliance with his ex? 

Just what the f*ck was going on? He was just separated from Lexi for half a day and now, she carried this shocking news. Oh, dear...

"I just found out that Avah is looking for her child and she believed that it"s in your uncle Dennis"s care. Yes, she was sleeping with him before and during her intercourses with you…" Lexi blankly stared at her spouse as she stripped all the sugarcoating and delivered all information that she obtained  

She could clearly see every change of his expression from shock to disbelief, to utter disgust, and until they reached the part that Lexi spoke her conclusion which made the two of them share a solemn atmosphere. 

"What do you think? Avah can most likely do nothing under my watch aside from benefiting as a trainee. Also, Her, throwing herself back to your uncle"s arms to have a closer eye attached to his every move is a good trade, correct?" Lexi began to mildly twirl the good wine again before she elegantly sniffed it and took a sip. 

"If she ends up going back on her words and colludes with your uncle, then, we can just use that to put your uncle in a disadvantage by having an affair and an illegitimate child. I won"t lose anything anyway if worse comes to worst." Glancing back at her husband, Lexi marginally arched her brows as she let him have a moment of silence. 

"The night howl is quite lonely tonight." As she let her Ethan Lu absorb everything— including the disgusting part that they shared with one woman in the past— Lexi turned her head towards her right where she could see the view of the Yang Mansion"s garden. 

"If that"s your plan then, let"s do it with extra discretion. d.a.m.n, that piece of—!" After some time, Ethan Lu finally spoke as he gently nodded his head before he was reminded that he was using the same woman that was his uncle"s leftover. Disgusting and degrading for a man! On a second thought, perhaps, that was karma for his reckless s.e.x drive.

"I know, it"s disgusting. I don"t even want to sleep with you tonight or the whole month, or maybe the next several months until I forget about it." Without turning to see the grim look plastered on Ethan Lu"s face, Lexi calmly mumbled her thoughts out. 

"What? Love, no! Urgh! This is pure humiliation! I don"t even want to be linked to the two of them— jeez!" Ethan Lu protested as he looked at Lexi"s side profile with disbelief. 

If he was given the chance, he would like to unhear that single part. However, this only proved that Lexi was still bugged at Avah Tong"s existence and she indirectly wanted him to leave whatever lingering feelings— whether it was love or hate— that he has. After all, having any type of emotion to a person means, one way or another, that person has a place in one"s heart no matter how big or small it was. 

Regardless, Lexi"s decision had made sense. With Avah Tong under her keen watch, it was easier for her to take action if she noticed one slight suspicion. Just like the phrase: "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Ethan, how was your meeting earlier?" Diverting the subject in the middle of her husband"s uprising boiling point, Lexi slowly cast him a side glance. 

"Ah? It went well." Slightly distracted, Ethan Lu indifferently shrugged his shoulders before drinking a mouthful of wine to satiate his thirst to set Dennis Lu and Avah Tong on fire. 

"I meant the caller earlier, you met him?" Arching her brows, Lexi transparently inquired which made Ethan Lu almost choked from the wine, again. 

"*coughs* what?" In the middle of his coughs, Ethan Lu patted his chest as he raised his head to his wife. Surely, Lexi had been too blunt and her timing was always when he drinks something— catching him off-guard, again. 

"Are you going to deny it?" Feigning innocence about her purposeful mischief, Lexi knitted her brows. 

"I mean, how did you know that I was able to track him down?"

"Because I"m your wife?" Lexi responded in a matter of fact tone as she slightly tilted her head to the side. 

"Uhh… well, I did and I don"t want to go into the details of our meeting but yeah, I did. Long story short, it turned out that the person who called you was hired by Dennis"s a.s.sistant and was tasked to have a lovely chat with you." Ethan Lu let out a deep sigh as he raised his white flag. 

His wife was too smart for him and before he knew it, she would already know things before she would ask him. Good thing he has practiced transparency since day one or else, their relations.h.i.+p would be in a dire, shaky situation. 

Regardless, Ethan Lu still saved her the details of how he literally beat up a man to the extent of being unrecognizable. After all, it was not something he should flaunt as he was nearly blinded by his rage. 

It was still a good thing that he had forbidden himself to carry weapons or Ethan Lu was afraid that he would have murdered someone already. Surely, he learned a lesson today: he must continue not to carry weapons as it might lead him to an unsightly situation if his bottom line was touched again. 

"Dennis again…" Nodding her head in acknowledgment, Lexi mumbled as Dennis Lu"s image got another black mark to his already tainted character to Lexi"s eyes.

"Love…" Slowly, Ethan Lu reached his hand to Lexi"s hand that was on her lap. Caressing the back of her hand with his thumb, the corner of his lips stretched a little upward. 

"Dennis will have his day and it will not be long when I turn him in to grandpa so he can properly discipline his son. That man earlier as well— he will never bother you." Ethan Lu offered a genuine and rea.s.suring smile as he made friction with her cold hand. 

He had been telling her countless sorrys and thank you"s for her efforts just like today. Still, no amount of thanks could express his grat.i.tude for having such an amazing wife. Truly, he was blessed. 

Therefore, he too must act. Whether he needed to be ruthless and heartless, if he could protect Lexi, their beloved twins, and save them from all these problems, he would undoubtedly be the most wicked man alive. 

He has been too lenient and his aggressiveness wasn"t enough to make them cower in fear. He needed to toughen his heart even more and not just implant fear to the troublesome family members. He must impose his true power and the consequences if they did something silly under his nose. 

"You didn"t kill him, right? The man earlier." Pursing her lips on a thin line, Lexi finally mustered her courage and asked the one thing that bothered her until now. 

"Of course not. I can"t do that." Smiling, Ethan Lu shook his head sideways as he gently replied as if her question was silly. He then slowly dragged his chair towards Lexi as he placed soft kisses on the back of her hand. 

"Then, what did you do to him?" 

"Hmm? Let"s just say he has learned his lesson today in the most memorable and hardest way possible. I made him regret that single phone call for the rest of his life." Ethan Lu paused from showering her hand with love before he slowly raised his head to meet her lovely pair of eyes. 

Unbeknownst to him, as he spouted his response, a malicious glint flashed across his eyes while the corner of his lips slightly curved into a vicious smirk. He revealed a glimpse of his inner dark side which Lexi wasn"t surprised to see. 

"That"s good to know then." Staring at his pair of dark orbs, Lexi retracted her other hand away from the wine gla.s.s before she lifted it to cup his cheek. 

"Don"t worry, I will never let another person threaten you or they will not come back in one piece. Will you still love me if I"ve become the most wicked man?" Placing his other hand on top of her that was cupping his cheek, Ethan Lu"s eyes slightly shook as his grip tightened a little. 

"I will kill to protect our family as well— how can I hate you?" Lexi meekly smiled as Ethan Lu"s facade was slowly shattering before her eyes. 

Indeed, Nico Zhuang was doubtlessly wrong. Ethan Lu was a good man but only to those he cared for and those who never had any ill-intention towards him. 

But, to others especially those he was against— he"s entirely a different person. Even Lexi would have a hard time distinguis.h.i.+ng where her husband has gone off if she ever confronted the face of the dark side of him.

"Jeez… how can you give me b.u.t.terflies in my stomach every day?" Ethan Lu slowly grinned as he could not help his moved heart display on his flushed cheek. 

"Natural talent, I guess." Humoring back, Lexi chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders. Soon, the atmosphere between them lightened up as the two teased each other and planned in between their night quality time. 

****

[BONUS SCENE: GRAND LUXURY HOTEL]

"Weird… a misclick? Oh well, that means I"ll get easy compensation." Baffled as to why Lexi would call her at this hour, Aubrey Ning tossed her phone to the side with a shrug and an intrigued expression was plastered on her entire face. 

Well, she heard someone on Lexi"s background saying she didn"t want to play anymore. Therefore, how could Aubrey Ning not be intrigued by that cliffhanger? Just how?!

"Lexi?" Suddenly, a man"s hoa.r.s.e voice was heard on the other side of the bed before his muscular arms wrapped around Aubrey Ning"s toned, naked hips underneath the blanket. 

"Uh huh, and she left me with the biggest cliffhanger. I don"t know if she"s teasing me or what since she knew I am pretty much bored lately." Aubrey Ning rolled her eyes as she turned to the man on her side. 

There, Benjamin Shao with his rare sight of unruly hair, bare shoulders that were left uncovered by the blanket, and his eye ogling side profile. 

"Bored?" Upon hearing the word "bored", Aubrey Ning saw his brow slightly crease before he made an effort to turn to face her. "Are you bored even now?" Tilting his head to the side, Benjamin Shao innocently asked as his gaze pierced through her eyes to the depths of her soul. 

"What if I am?" Challenging him, Aubrey Ning arched her brows as the corner of her lips curled up into a sly smirk. 

"Oh?" Not surprised, Benjamin Shao slowly nodded his head in understanding. After a second, in just a blink of an eye, Benjamin Shao pulled down the blanket that was covering Aubrey Ning"s naked body before he showed up on top of her. 

"Were you teasing me, Miss Ning? If so, don"t beg for more later." Staring down at Aubrey Ning"s lovely eyes, her long curled eyelashes fluttering, a smirk formed on the corner of Benjamin Shao"s lips before he leaned down and dominated her alluring lips. 

"You don"t beg me later, Mr. Shao. I"m more compet.i.tive than you are." In between their intense kisses, Aubrey Ning reb.u.t.ted as their own mini-compet.i.tion began.