Ethan sat on the couch, leaning back with a soft chuckle.
It was pure, unfiltered mayhem going on in the living room, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world.
As long as nothing got destroyed, they could go wild for all he cared.
Vanessa smirked at him between dodging blows from Claire. "You're just gonna sit there and watch, huh?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "I'm enjoying the show."
She rolled her eyes. "Lazy."
"Strategic."
Vanessa launched a pillow at him.
Ethan caught it effortlessly, but before he could retaliate —
His phone vibrated in his pocket.
Frowning, he pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID. It was Marty.
Ethan sighed, pushing himself up from the couch as he answered the call, raising the phone to his ear. "Yeah?"
The noise of the pillow fight faded slightly as he stepped toward the hallway, though he could still hear Zack dramatically screaming in the background.
'Just like a girl,'
Marty's voice came through, steady but businesslike. "Boss. Just wanted to update you on the third apartment building renovation."
Ethan rubbed his forehead.
Right, that project. After selling the other two and making insane profit, he made sure Marty started working on the third one and so far this one had been coming along smoothly — or so he thought.
"What's the status?" he asked.
Marty let out a breath. "We're making progress, but we're going to need a hell of a lot more supplies than we initially calculated."
Ethan's jaw tightened slightly. "What are we looking at?"
Marty rattled off the numbers.
More concrete, more wiring, more insulation.
It wasn't a small request. But then again, Ethan had never expected this project to be cheap.
The apartment was far bigger than the first and second one they worked on, the bigger it was - the more costly it was to renovate it, yet the returns would be massive.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "You have the price?"
Marty gave him the number. It was steep, but nothing Ethan couldn't handle. Marty had said it was $100,000 to secure the materials as well as transportation to bring them over.
Without hesitation, he pulled up his banking app and transferred the amount.
A second later, he heard Marty's phone ping on the other end of the line.
"Done."
Marty let out a low whistle. "Damn. You didn't even hesitate."
Ethan sighed. "Just get it done."
Marty chuckled. "You got it, boss. I'll send you another update once the materials arrive."
"Good."
Ethan hung up, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
When he turned back toward the living room, the battle was still raging.
Julie had somehow convinced Vanessa to team up with her, and together they were launching an assault on Claire.
Zack had given up entirely, lying on the floor in utter defeat, an abandoned pillow resting on his chest.
Ethan walked back in, shaking his head. "I leave for two minutes, and you've already declared war."
Julie grinned. "We've established a new world order!"
Vanessa smirked at him, tossing a pillow from hand to hand. "You ready to join, or are you still just watching the show?"
Ethan exhaled through his nose. "I think I'll sit this one out."
Claire threw a pillow at him anyway.
It hit him square in the chest.
For a moment, there was silence. Vanessa and Julie exchanged looks.
Ethan slowly picked up the pillow, his grip firm. He glanced at Claire.
Claire paled. "Wait — "
With a swift motion, Ethan threw the pillow back, hitting her right in the face.
"Betrayal!" Claire shouted.
And just like that, the war resumed.
The aftermath of the pillow war left the living room in complete disarray — cushions scattered across the floor, blankets tangled up in a mess, and the sound of exhausted breathing filling the space.
The storm outside still raged, the occasional flash of lightning illuminating the windows, but inside the mansion, everything was warm and calm.
Julie was sprawled out on one of the couches, her arms hanging over the sides like a starfish.
Claire lay on another, her legs curled up beneath her.
Even Vanessa, who had held her own in the battle, was now lying back, rubbing her arm lazily as she caught her breath.
Zack, however, was absolutely motionless on the floor, staring at the ceiling like a man who had been through too much.
"I think I pulled something," he muttered.
Claire snorted. "You barely did anything."
"I hid! Do you know how much energy it takes to run for your life?"
Julie giggled sleepily, kicking a pillow off the couch.
Ethan, who had been sitting quietly in an armchair, finally stretched his arms and grabbed the remote from the coffee table.
"Alright," he said, clicking the remote and turning on the massive screen mounted on the wall. "Movie night?"
There was a collective murmur of agreement, though no one seemed energetic enough to actually choose a movie.
Vanessa tilted her head toward him. "You pick."
Ethan sighed. "You sure? I've got great taste."
Zack groaned. "Oh no. Not another one of your 'artistic masterpiece' movies."
Claire rolled her eyes. "Last time you made us watch a documentary."
Ethan smirked. "It was informative."
"It was boring."
Julie perked up slightly. "Can we watch something fun?"
Ethan scrolled through the streaming service, his thumb hovering over the options.
"What kind of fun?"
"Something cool," she said, her eyes already drooping.
Claire nudged her lightly. "She's gonna be asleep in ten minutes."
Julie huffed. "Nuh-uh."
Ethan smirked but didn't argue.
He kept scrolling before settling on an action movie — something with fast cars, over-the-top stunts, and just enough plot to keep things interesting.
"This should work," he said, pressing play.
The opening scene roared to life, the surround sound filling the room.
A high-speed chase on a dimly lit highway, tires screeching, engines revving.
It was the kind of thing that normally would've had Julie bouncing with excitement, but as Claire predicted, she was already dozing off, her head resting against the couch's armrest.
Zack had dragged himself onto the carpet, sitting cross-legged and sipping from a soda can.
Vanessa had pulled a blanket over herself, eyes half-lidded but still watching.
Claire was curled up, her gaze flickering between the screen and Ethan.
It was peaceful.