Devilish secretary - Chapter 251

Chapter 251: Chapter 251 Lost
The day had passed like a gentle breeze–peaceful, warm, and full of laughter.

For once, everything felt like it should. Friends were talking, the sun had set softly behind the trees, and the sound of birds returned as the lake calmed into a glassy reflection of the sky. It was the kind of day Lilith rarely experienced—simple, light, and full of small smiles.

But like all good things, it had to come to an end.

As everyone packed up the picnic mats, folded blankets, and collected juice boxes and half-eaten snacks, the mood shifted.

The cars were getting ready to head back to the mansion.

Everyone was gathering near the cars, stretching, yawning.

Inside the second car, Lilith sat near the window. Ray relaxed in the seat, and Grandpa was already calling out for Nova to hurry.

Just as Ethan opened the door to slide into the front seat…he froze.

His eyes widened slightly. Then he clutched his stomach and let out an awkward, half-laugh.

“Oh no… I have to go.”

Ray turned his head calmly. “What’s wrong?”

Ethan gave the fakest smile of his life. “Nature’s call, man. Don’t worry. You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up in the other car with Rose and them. Seriously—go!”

He waved dramatically, already backing away toward the forest.

Ray raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask more. Ethan was always strange. They left.

Ethan watched his brother car slowly drive off, heading down the road in a line, wheels kicking up dust behind them.

Five minutes later.

He came out of forest area, stretching his arms high with satisfaction. “Ahhh. Life is beautiful.”

Then he blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then his neck stiffened as he slowly turned left… then right.

No cars.

No people.

Not even Sir Sparkleton’s annoying beeping.

“What the—” Ethan’s voice cracked as he looked around wildly.

He patted his pockets. “It’s okay, I’ll call them—”

He stopped.

His hand touched nothing.

His face slowly went pale.

“…Phone…”

His hand flew into his jacket, then his pants pocket…then he grabbed his backpack and opened every zip.

Nothing.

And suddenly his eyes widened with horror.

“I gave my phone to brother when he borrowed it earlier…”

The wind blew gently past him, as if mocking his pain.

“…I just got abandoned by my entire family because I needed to pee,” he whispered dramatically.

Ethan took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and started walking along the quiet path that led away from the picnic spot. The sun had already dipped behind the trees, leaving a warm orange glow that quickly faded into soft twilight.

“Anyway! I’m fine! Who am I?” he said out loud, trying to encourage himself.

“Ethan Carter! The great actor! The great film star! The man with charisma, charm, and killer cheekbones!”

He strutted forward like he was on a fashion runway, confidence sparkling in his eyes.

“Pfft, what’s a little walk? Cars will stop just to admire me. Someone might even fall in love at first sight. I’ll be discovered by a hidden genius director in the woods, offered a movie role, and BOOM—I am a superstar!”

He laughed to himself dramatically and waved at a passing squirrel. “No photos, please. I’m off-duty today.”

But as the minutes passed, the path grew darker. The warm breeze turned cool. The trees on both sides started to sway more, their shadows stretching and dancing strangely.

And then he heard it.

A strange chirping.

High-pitched. Sudden.

Ethan froze mid-step.

His neck turned slowly.

“…Was that an insect? Was it flying? Did it just scream at me?”

He tried to act calm.

“It’s fine. It’s just a bug. A small one. Maybe a grasshopper with attitude.”

Crunch.

Leaves behind him shifted.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

His voice dropped to a whisper. “Okay… that was not a squirrel. That was not wind. That was something… possibly plotting my death.”

Another high, weird buzzing sound came from the side.

“Oh no. Nope. Nope. This is how horror movies start,” he muttered, hugging himself as he kept walking faster.

Then suddenly—

A grasshopper jumped from a bush with a loud CLICK.

“AAAAAH!” Ethan practically leaped three feet in the air.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I’M BEING AMBUSHED BY NATURE?!”

He started walking faster—then jogging.

Then sprinting.

“I take it back! I take everything back! Cars don’t stop to see me—they leave me in the jungle!”

The forest was silent except for his footsteps and the wailing of a very betrayed Ethan Carter echoing through the trees.

As Ethan power-walked through the quiet woods, trying to act like he totally had everything under control, his brain did the absolute worst thing it could do in that moment—

it started playing horror story scenes like a projector.

“Imagine this,” his overactive mind whispered, “a lonely, handsome man gets left behind in the woods… night falls… Thick fog creeps in… and then he sees her.”

Ethan gulped, still walking.

“A woman in a red dress… standing under a tree… her hair covering her face… she turns around slowly…”

His heart raced.

“And then—BAM! It’s not a woman. It’s a ghost with a twisted smile and glowing eyes!”

“AHHH!” Ethan shrieked, nearly tripping over himself. “Why is my brain like this?!”

He clutched his chest and panted, looking around wildly.

Nothing but trees. Wind. And way too many shadows.

He muttered to himself, trying to shake off the panic. “Okay. Chill. It’s just a forest. With sounds. And probably monsters. But it’s fine. Totally fine.”

TWEAK!

“WHAT THE HECK?!” he cried out, jumping again. Something had pulled sharply at his foot.

He quickly looked down and saw a thorny branch tangled around his shoe.

“OH THANK GOD!” he gasped. “It’s just a thorn… and not a ghost finger!”

He bent down to check and sighed in relief. It had pierced his shoe slightly, but not his skin.

“My expensive feet are safe… my money-makers… my acting career is intact,” he mumbled, brushing off his shoe like it had survived a war.

Then he looked up, narrowed his eyes at the silent woods around him, and whispered—

“If anything in white or red appears, I swear I will start barking.”

And with that, he started walking faster than ever.